Saudi minister talks innovation economics, female empowerment at G20 meeting
Kingdom has increased female workforce participation from 7% in 2017 to over 30%: Abdullah Al-Swaha
Updated 01 September 2022
Arab News
RIYADH: A Saudi minister on Thursday joined a high-level international meeting to discuss innovation economics and female empowerment in the workforce, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Abdullah Al-Swaha, minister of communications and information technology, took part in talks held during the Group of Twenty digital ministers’ meeting.
The G20 is a strategic multilateral platform connecting the world’s major developed and emerging economies. The theme of this year’s summit, held in Bali under Indonesia’s G20 presidency, is “Recover Together, Recover Stronger,” emphasizing the importance of collective action to tackle the ongoing global repercussions of the coronavirus pandemic
Al-Swaha told delegates that the world’s sustainable and comprehensive recovery paths relied on technology and innovation, citing Saudi Arabia’s proactive measures in line with Vision 2030 objectives as a model example.
He said the Saudi leadership’s support for the technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship sectors had contributed to the Kingdom’s pioneering status as a regional tech hub.
He noted that the qualitative growth in bold capital investments last year was 270 percent higher than that achieved in 2020 and 2019.
The minister added that Vision 2030 placed great importance on the role of Saudi women in advancing the Kingdom, and he pointed out that the country had increased its female workforce participation from 7 percent in 2017 to more than 30 percent this year.
As a regional hub for technology and innovation, Al-Swaha said Saudi Arabia aimed to train more than 600 women in the Middle East and North Africa region through its collaboration with the Apple Developer Academy. And he noted the country’s efforts to bridge the digital gap and enhance green energy projects in NEOM, a megacity in the Kingdom’s northwest.
SHIKARPUR, Sindh: Standing on seven pillars in the middle of the Kirthar Canal, a unique mosque in Pakistan’s southern Shikarpur district is more than just a place of worship — it is a symbol of defiance and resistance against British colonial rule.
With its whitewashed walls rising above the flowing waters, the Amroti Mosque’s architecture is as unique as its story.
The mosque was first constructed from mud, wood and palm tree trunks on a mound around 1890 under the guidance of scholar and educationalist Syed Taj Mahmood Shah Amroti, who was the first to translate the Holy Qur’an into the Sindhi landguage and provide detailed explanations of its teachings. For years, the mosque served as a place of workshop for the residents of Junejo village in Shikarpur until its location became an issue when the British colonial rulers of India decided to build the Sukkur Barrage and its canals, ordering the demolition of the masjid.
Historical accounts say Amroti sent over 20 letters to authorities asking to change the canal’s route but received no response and the British eventually issued a warrant for his arrest.
“In 1922, the British government started the Kirthar Canal project to irrigate uncultivated lands of Sindh and Balochistan [provinces],” Sayed Rushdullah Shah Amroti, the administrator of Amroti Mosque and the great grandson of Amroti, told Arab News.
The picture taken on March 19, 2025, shows blue tiles in the Amroti Mosque in Pakistan’s southern Shikarpur district. (AN Photo)
“When Hazrat Amroti came to know that the British government wanted to demolish the mosque, he decided to camp here and offered stiff resistance to British authorities.”
When British officials arrived with machines to demolish the mosque, local villagers joined Amroti in a massive protest. In the end, the British agreed not to destroy the mosque and instead promised to strengthen its structure so that both the mosque and the canal could remain.
“The impact of the resistance was that the British government was forced to kneel down,” Sayed said. “They left the mosque as it was and made the canal around its four sides.”
The mosque in its present shape was subsequently built, serving as a reminder of the importance of both faith and rebellion as it stood amid the waters of the Kirthar Canal, which originates from the Indus River at Sukkur Barrage and became operational in 1932 as a vital watercourse for Balochistan, particularly districts like Jafarabad and Naseerabad.
The picture taken on March 19, 2025, shows Amroti Mosque constructed in the middle of Kirthar Canal in Pakistan’s southern Shikarpur district. (AN Photo)
“STRANGE SPIRITUAL STATE”
In the past, residents would use boats to reach Amroti Mosque for prayers but after independence from British rule in 1947 and the creation of the two separate nations of Pakistan and India, the government rebuilt a proper structure for the mosque, constructed a bridge for easier access and ensured that water continued to flow beneath it.
Though the small mosque only allows 10-12 people to pray at a time, it holds great cultural and spiritual value for the people of the area.
“We are very proud of the religious and Islamic achievements of our ancestors, and wherever we go in the world, the respect we receive because of our connection to Amroti Sharif is largely due to the role of this mosque,” Rushdullah said.
Nasim Bukhari, a local writer, described the mosque as a “great symbol of resistance in history.”
Worshippers pray at the Amroti Mosque in Pakistan’s southern Shikarpur district. (AN Photo)
“And this has been the history of Sindh, that we have never accepted defeat. Even if we had to face defeat, we would die with our names still alive. We never ran away,” he said.
Amroti’s struggle was part of a larger resistance movement in Sindh, according to Bukhari.
“Syed Taj Mahmood Amroti fought against the British in his time and became a symbol of resistance. The people of that time, unarmed, fought with perseverance,” the author said, highlighting Amroti as an inspiration for others. One of his disciples, Syed Salah Aajiz Memon, later became the first Sindhi and Muslim figure against whom the British filed a case for rebellion.
“The name and deeds of our leader, Syed Taj Mahmood Amroti, have had their impact, but the resistance movement led by his followers and disciples also carries a remarkable legacy,” Bukhari said.
The picture taken on March 19, 2025, shows aerial view of the Amroti Mosque constructed in the middle of Kirthar Canal in Pakistan’s southern Shikarpur district. (AN Photo)
To date, the mosque continues to serve as a place of deep spirituality and worshippers describe a “profound sense of peace” at the place, especially when the water runs high and the mosque appears to be floating in the canal.
“While praying here, a strange spiritual state occurs,” Maulana Shahnawaz Baloch, the prayer leader at the mosque, told Arab News.
“At this time, the water level is low, yet there is still a spiritual atmosphere. When the water level is higher due to the season, a completely different spiritual experience takes place.”
ISLAMABAD: The International Association of Women Police (IAWP) has selected Pakistan’s Ayesha Butt for its global ‘Excellence in Performance Award 2025,’ Punjab Police announced on Wednesday, describing the development as a “source of pride” for the country.
The IAWP is an international organization with over 70 countries and 30 affiliate organizations as its members. The IAWP says its mission is to strengthen, unite and raise the capacity of women in policing internationally. It provides critical opportunities for women in training, mentoring, collaboration and networking.
Butt currently serves as city traffic officer in Pakistan’s eastern city of Gujranwala at the rank of superintendent of police (SP).
“I am writing to inform you that you are selected to receive the 2025 International Association of Women Police Excellence in Performance Award,” Julia Jaeger, IAWA president, wrote in a letter shared by Punjab Police on Wednesday.
“The IAWP is proud to honor your distinguished service and commitment to policing. On behalf of our members, the Board of Directors and the Recognition Committee, congratulations on receiving the highly competitive global recognition,” she added.
Jaeger wrote that Butt would be presented with the award at the IAWP’s 62nd annual conference scheduled to be held in Glasgow in September this year.
“We sincerely hope you can attend and receive your award in person,” Jaeger wrote.
Separately, Punjab Police praised Butt for winning the award in a press release.
“Inspector General Punjab Dr. Usman Anwar congratulates SP Ayesha Butt on making the police department’s name shine,” Punjab Police said.
“SP Ayesha Butt’s success is a source of pride for all police officers, especially women officers,” Anwar was quoted as saying by the police.
The achievement is a significant one for Pakistan, where women often lack family and societal support in pursuing careers in law enforcement.
Hunger returns to Gaza as Israeli blockade forces bakeries shut
UN agency: All 25 WFP-supported bakeries in Gaza have shut down due to lack of fuel and flour
International charities working in Gaza warn that its 2.4 million people cannot endure more shortages
Updated 51 min 30 sec ago
AFP
GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories: At an industrial bakery in war-ravaged Gaza City, a conveyor belt that once churned out thousands of pitta breads every day has come to a standstill.
The Families Bakery is one of about two dozen supported by the World Food Programme (WFP) that have halted production in recent days due to flour and fuel shortages resulting from an Israeli blockade.
“All 25 WFP-supported bakeries in Gaza have shut down due to lack of fuel and flour,” the UN agency said in a statement on Tuesday, adding that it would “distribute its last food parcels in the next two days.”
Abed Al-Ajrami, chairman of the Bakery Owners Association in Gaza and owner of the Families Bakery, said that the WFP was the only sponsor of Gaza bakeries and provided them with “all their needs.”
“The repercussions from the closure of the bakeries will be very hard on citizens because they have no alternative to resort to,” he said.
Speaking in front of a large industrial oven that had not been fired up, he said that bakeries were central to the UN agency’s food distribution program, which delivered the bread to refugee camps across Gaza.
Despite a six-week truce that allowed displaced Gazans to return to what remained of their homes, negotiations for a lasting end to the fighting have stalled.
On March 2, Israel imposed a full blockade on the Palestinian territory, and cut off power to Gaza’s main water desalination plant.
On March 18, Israel resumed its strikes on Gaza. Days later, Hamas again began firing rockets at Israel.
The Palestinian militant group has accused Israel of using starvation as “a direct weapon in this brutal war,” pointing to the bakeries’ closure as an example.
It called on Arab and Muslim countries to “act urgently to save Gaza from famine and destruction.”
Residents of Gaza City were wary of the future.
“I got up in the morning to buy bread for my children but I found all the bakeries closed,” Mahmud Khalil said.
Fellow resident Amina Al-Sayed echoed his comments.
“I’ve been going from bakery to bakery all morning, but none of them are operating, they’re all closed,” she said, adding that she feared the threat of famine would soon stalk Gaza once again.
“The price of flour has risen... and we can’t afford it. We’re afraid of reliving the famine that we experienced in the south” of the territory.
International charities working in Gaza warn that its 2.4 million people cannot endure more shortages after many of them were displaced multiple times during the devastating military campaign Israel launched in response to Hamas’s October 2023 attack.
Those who took advantage of the six-week truce to return to bombed out homes have been “arriving in utter destitution,” said Gavin Kelleher of the Norwegian Refugee Council.
“We’ve been set up to fail as a humanitarian response. We’re not allowed to bring in supplies, we’re not able to meet needs,” he lamented.
Alexandra Saieh, of British charity Save The Children, echoed Kelleher’s remarks.
“When Save The Children does distribute food in Gaza, we see massive crowds because every single person in Gaza is relying on aid,” she said.
US State Department orders enhanced social media screening for student and visa applicants
Updated 58 min 39 sec ago
Arab News
DUBAI: The US State Department has ordered overseas officials to scour the social media accounts of some student and exchange visitor visa applicants in a bid to stop critics of the US and Israel from entering the country, say media reports.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio sent out a 1,700-word cable on March 25 titled “Action Request: Enhanced Screening and Social Media Vetting for Visa Applicants.” It described the process foreign service officers abroad must follow when reviewing student and exchange visitor visa applications.
Independent news site The Handbasket, which broke the story, said the cable asked consular officers to refer certain applicants to the Fraud Prevention Unit for a mandatory social media check. The enhanced vetting applies to those suspected of having terrorist ties or sympathies, those who held a student or exchange visa between Oct. 7, 2023, and Aug. 31, 2024, and those who have had a visa terminated since Oct. 7, 2023.
A State Department employee told the media outlet it was “pretty clear the immediate target is anyone who participated in pro-Palestinian protests — one of the triggers for social media screening is having been in the US on one of these visas between Oct. 7 and the end of last August.”
The cable states that, during the screening, officers “MUST ADDRESS any derogatory information indicating that a visa applicant may be subject to the terrorism-related ineligibility grounds of the Immigration and Nationality Act,” which includes “advocating for, sympathizing with, or persuading others to endorse or espouse terrorist activities or support a DESIGNATED FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION.”
It also contains some broader guidance. One section suggests a student visa applicant does not necessarily need to express explicit support for terrorist activity in order to be denied as long as they demonstrate “a degree of public approval or public advocacy for terrorist activity or a terrorist organization.”
This could be evident in “conduct that bears a hostile attitude toward US citizens or US culture” or in “advocacy or sympathy for foreign terrorist organizations.”
“All of these matters may open lines of inquiry regarding the applicant’s credibility and purpose of travel,” the cable states.
Some directives are somewhat vague — perhaps intentionally, so they can be applied in whichever way is required, the State Department employee told The Handbasket.
The cable also cites a quote from Rubio’s interview with CBS on March 16: “We don’t want people in our country that are going to be committing crimes and undermining our national security or the public safety. It’s that simple. Especially people that are here as guests. That is what a visa is ... It is a visitor into our country. And if you violate the terms of your visitation, you are going to leave.”
Since taking up his role in January, Rubio has revoked at least 300 visas awarded to students, visitors and others. Last Thursday, he told the media he had signed letters on a daily basis. He refused to comment on how the cases came before him, but said he reviewed each one personally.
“If they’re taking activities that are counter to our national interest, to our foreign policy, we’ll revoke the visa,” he said.
Rubio added that a visa holder charged with a crime while in the US should automatically lose their permission to be in the US. Permanent residents, or green card holders, are not exempt from additional scrutiny and could also lose their status.
Last month, Rubio signed off on revoking the PR status of Syrian-born Mahmoud Khalil and Yunseo Chung, of South Korea, both of whom were involved in pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University.
Khalil, who is married to a US citizen, was seized from his home by immigration agents and taken to a detention center in Louisiana. Chung has been in the US since the age of seven.
KARACHI: President Asif Ali Zardari’s health is improving and he will be fine “soon,” his close aide and Sindh minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said this week, following media reports of the president being hospitalized in Karachi.
Zardari was brought to a hospital in Karachi from Sindh’s Nawabshah city on Tuesday after he complained about suffering from fever and an infection, local media outlets reported.
The president is also the co-chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), a key member of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s ruling coalition government. Neither the PPP nor the presidency have commented on Zardari’s health so far.
“The reports about President Asif Ali Zardari being shifted to Dubai for treatment are inaccurate,” Memon wrote on social media platform X on Tuesday.
“His health is improving and Inshallah he will be fine very soon,” he added.
In a statement released from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on Tuesday, Sharif contacted Zardari to inquire about his health and pray for the president’s speedy recovery.
“The entire nation’s prayers are with you,” Sharif was quoted as saying by the PMO.
Zardari, who is the widower of Pakistan’s slain first woman prime minister Benazir Bhutto, was appointed president for a second term in March last year. He previously served as president of Pakistan from 2008-2013.
A landowner from Sindh, Zardari rose to prominence after his marriage to Bhutto in 1987. He was widely criticized for corruption scandals that led to the collapse of Bhutto’s government in 1990.
