International e-learning conference starts in Riyadh

International e-learning Center in Riyadh. (SPA)
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Updated 24 January 2022
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International e-learning conference starts in Riyadh

  • The minister said the conference contributed to achieving national objectives in human capability development in view of the support provided by the Saudi leadership to the e-learning and training sector

RIYADH: International experts are taking part in a four-day conference in Riyadh to discuss the future of e-learning and e-training in Saudi Arabia.

The event, which started on Monday and is called eLearning for Human Capability Development, has been organized by the National eLearning Center under the patronage of its CEO and Education Minister Hamad Al-Asheikh, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

It will review the latest developments and opportunities in the field, and discuss ways to develop Saudis’ skills to enable them to compete in the global labor market.

Al-Asheikh said the conference represented a valuable opportunity to share knowledge and ideas and learn about best experiences and practices, and it was also in line with the rapid developments and evolving needs of the labor market.

The minister said the conference contributed to achieving national objectives in human capability development in view of the support provided by the Saudi leadership to the e-learning and training sector, contributing to empower national capabilities to compete locally and globally.

Delegates will review the experiences of bodies and blocs like the EU, UNESCO and the International Labour Organization, as well as those of individual countries such as India.

The event will look at how platforms like edX, Coursera, and FutureLearn can help to boost people’s skills, and discuss ways to use e-learning to harmonize educational output with the needs of the labor market.

It will have workshops presented by experts and practitioners in various disciplines from around the world.

The National eLearning Center said the conference aimed to review global experiences and expertise related to innovation in employing e-learning and training to develop human capability worldwide.

The conference will discuss the most important challenges to human capability development and e-learning and training opportunities, and ways to overcome them.

The center said the conference had four key themes: E-learning as an enabler and accelerator for human capability development, skill enhancement, learning platforms, and micro-credentials, all of which will be addressed in discussion sessions with the participation of over 20 speakers.

 


Saudi health minister participates in Saudi-Australian Business Forum meeting

Updated 12 sec ago
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Saudi health minister participates in Saudi-Australian Business Forum meeting

  • Health Holding Co. and the National Unified Procurement Co. signed agreements with major Australian companies specializing in medical diagnostics and clinical research
  • Saudi Minister of Health Fahad Al-Jalajel said these agreements represent a significant step in expanding health cooperation between the two countries

SYDNEY: Saudi Minister of Health Fahad Al-Jalajel attended a meeting hosted by the Saudi-Australian Business Forum in Sydney, also attended by leaders from the health and innovation sectors.

During the event, the Health Holding Co. and the National Unified Procurement Co. signed agreements with major Australian companies specializing in medical diagnostics and clinical research.

Al-Jalajel said these agreements represent a significant step in expanding health cooperation between the two countries.

The partnerships will focus on developing integrated healthcare solutions and clinical research in genomics and biotechnology, which will enhance Saudi Arabia’s position as a regional hub for advanced medical research, in line with Saudi Vision 2030.

The minister’s participation in the meeting was part of an official tour of Australia, which also included visits to Melbourne and Canberra, aimed at strengthening health partnerships and supporting investments in medical innovation and scientific research.


Saudi Arabia marks World Entrepreneurs’ Day

Updated 40 min 59 sec ago
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Saudi Arabia marks World Entrepreneurs’ Day

  • Number of small and medium-sized enterprises has more than doubled from 429,000 in 2016 to more than 1.2 million
  • Innovation hackathon initiative provides a platform for young men and women to develop creative solutions for labor market challenges

RIYADH: The Saudi Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development marked World Entrepreneurs’ Day, observed annually on Aug. 21, by highlighting its commitment to enhancing the work environment and empowering youth and entrepreneurs through various initiatives that support Saudi Vision 2030.

The number of small and medium-sized enterprises has more than doubled from 429,000 in 2016 to more than 1.2 million, reflecting the ministry’s success in supporting entrepreneurs and expanding self-employment opportunities.

The ministry has implemented several key programs to achieve its goals. An innovation hackathon initiative provides a platform for young men and women to develop creative solutions for labor market challenges.

Additionally, the Youth Development Strategy, launched in 2024, includes more than 20 initiatives to qualify and empower young people, leading to the establishment of the General Administration for Youth Development and a professional certificate for youth work.

The ministry’s social security empowerment program has been highly successful, achieving a 33.7 percent empowerment rate for beneficiaries by qualifying and supporting 23,394 individuals in the first quarter of 2025. 


Saudi crown prince receives Egyptian president in NEOM

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman receives Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in NEOM on Thursday. (SPA)
Updated 37 min 6 sec ago
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Saudi crown prince receives Egyptian president in NEOM

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman received Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in NEOM on Thursday.

The president is on a private visit to the Kingdom, Saudi Press Agency reported. 


Brain-dead donor in Abu Dhabi saves Saudi child’s life

Updated 21 August 2025
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Brain-dead donor in Abu Dhabi saves Saudi child’s life

  • King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre performs heart transplant in Riyadh
  • Seamless cross-border coordination ensured donated heart reached the child in critical need: KFSHRC director

RIYADH: In a medical breakthrough, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre in Riyadh successfully transplanted a heart into a 7-year-old Saudi child using an organ airlifted from a brain-dead donor in Abu Dhabi.

“This marks another successful case of advanced regional cooperation in organ transplantation,” the hospital said in a statement.

“The life-saving procedure was completed following donor family consent and all regulatory approvals and after coordinating between the Saudi Center for Organ Transplantation and the UAE’s National Program for Donation and Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissue.”

The operation involved precise medical and logistical coordination, starting with the organ extraction, followed by air transportation to Riyadh, and concluding with the preparation of operating theaters in record time.

The transplant was performed within a critically time-sensitive window, ultimately saving the life of a child who had no other treatment options available, the hospital said.

The patient, named Faisal, was suffering from advanced heart failure, having been born with a complex congenital defect. After exhausting all available treatment options — including medications, respiratory support, and pacemaker implantation — without any significant improvement, the child was placed on the urgent transplant list.

Dr. Hani Al-Sergani, executive director of the Heart Centre of Excellence at KFSHRC told Arab News: “Behind every transplant are two families — one making a profound act of generosity, and another receiving a renewed chance at life. What makes this case remarkable is the seamless cross-border coordination that ensured a donated heart reached a child in critical need within hours.

“It reflects the maturity of Gulf healthcare collaboration and strengthens our confidence that regional partnerships will continue to expand the possibilities of saving lives,” added Al-Sergani.

Ahmad Jaafari, donor affairs and organ allocation director at the Saudi Center for Organ Transplantation, said: “The donor’s data was received and analyzed. The information was then shared with the KFSHRC as the patient, Faisal, was listed with high priority status. Once the case was accepted, coordination took place with the medical ethics center at the Ministry of Health to arrange for a specialized medical team and a private aircraft to travel to the UAE for the heart retrieval. The organ was transported as quickly as possible to perform the transplant at the KFSHRC.”

Dr. Felix Wang Tsai, pediatric cardiology surgery consultant at KFSHRC, said: “When the patient came to our hospital he was quite sick. His only chance for survival was (a) heart transplant and fortunately we were able to find a donor from Abu Dhabi, and brought the organ to perform (the) transplant successfully, very nicely and very quickly.

“We only do about 10-15 transplants a year, so it’s very important we get more donors here in Saudi Arabia so we can help patients like Faisal,” he added.

Time is a critical factor in heart transplant operations. According to medical standards, the period between removing the heart from the donor and transplanting it into the patient must not exceed five hours to ensure transplant success.

This time constraint creates significant logistical challenges in addition to the complex medical procedures, particularly when the brain-dead donor is located overseas, said the hospital in its statement, adding that, in such circumstances, every minute of delay becomes crucial to the operation’s success.

The heart transplant was more than just a medical procedure — it was the result of ongoing coordination between medical teams in the Kingdom and the UAE through humanitarian cooperation aimed at saving critical cases, the hospital added.

This achievement reflects KFSHRC’s ability to overcome complex challenges and leverage its capabilities in partnership with relevant authorities to deliver specialized care that brings hope back to patients and their families, it said.

The KFSHRC Heart Centre is recognized as one of the world’s leading cardiac centers, having achieved exceptional milestones including the world’s first fully robotic heart transplant and robotic artificial heart pump implantation without chest incision. These unprecedented medical breakthroughs demonstrate the Kingdom’s leadership in complex cardiac surgery.

KFSHRC has been ranked first in the Middle East and North Africa and 15th globally in the list of the world’s top 250 Academic Medical Centers for the second consecutive year, and included in the World’s Best Smart Hospitals list for 2025 by Newsweek magazine.


Checkmate to barriers: Alkhobar hosts chess training for visually impaired 

Updated 21 August 2025
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Checkmate to barriers: Alkhobar hosts chess training for visually impaired 

  • ‘Chess is a universal language, and with the right support it’s a language that anyone can learn to speak,’ says club’s vice president
  • Trainees learned the fundamentals of chess, the rules of the game, and the movement of the pieces before taking part in practice matches against one another

DHAHRAN: A first-of-its-kind initiative in the Kingdom has helped to introduce visually impaired players to the game of chess. 

The Turning Point Association for the Rehabilitation and Empowerment of the Visually Impaired partnered with Gambit Chess Club to deliver a month-long training program in Alkhobar, which concluded on Aug. 19. 

Held at the association’s headquarters, the program brought together six enthusiasts who completed 46 hours of training. 

The trainees learned the fundamentals of chess, the rules of the game, and the movement of the pieces before taking part in practice matches against one another.

The closing ceremony celebrated their achievements, with certificates and medals given in the presence of representatives from the association and the club.

The popularity of chess has been steadily growing in the country, with the Saudi Chess Federation taking charge of local tournaments and training programs to encourage participation across different age groups.

The Kingdom has also hosted international chess events to bring together players from all over the world.

These efforts support cultural and recreational initiatives under Vision 2030, which aims to create opportunities and activities for people in the Kingdom. 

Ali Al-Ayash, a founding member and vice president of Gambit Chess Club, said the project marked an important step for Saudi inclusivity.

“We believe that chess is not just a game, but a powerful educational and developmental tool,” he told Arab News.

He added that dedicating the program to the visually impaired was about opening doors.

Al-Ayash said: “This is a pioneering step toward integrating everyone into intellectual and cultural activities, and reflects our commitment to providing equal opportunities for all members of Saudi society.

“We’ve seen stories of individuals who have challenged disability and proved that intelligence is not measured by sight.”

He added that chess can be a platform for self-expression and empowerment, and said: “It gives participants the chance to showcase their abilities, strengthen their confidence, and compete in a fair environment. At its core this program was about breaking (down) barriers and redefining inclusivity in mind sports.”

Al-Ayash believes that chess fits naturally into the Kingdom’s goals to evolve and transform. He said: “Training in chess supports Vision 2030 by empowering individuals, especially youth, women, and people with disabilities.

“It enhances quality of life through cultural and recreational activities; strengthens education by improving logical thinking and patience; and fosters social innovation with technology and online tournaments.”

Following the achievements of the first group of trainees, Gambit Chess Club is now looking to further enhance its impact.

Al-Ayash said: “The next step is expanding the program in cooperation with local associations and schools.

“We have previously collaborated with the hearing impaired, and now we plan to involve other groups, alongside those (people) with hearing and visual disabilities.

“We want to train specialized coaches so that the program remains sustainable, and our goal is simple: to make chess accessible to everyone.”

The initiative is part of the association’s broader efforts to empower and develop skills for its beneficiaries while promoting new models of community engagement in the Kingdom.

The program represents more than just an achievement for Gambit Chess Club: The initiative is a symbol of how sports can evolve to embrace everyone, while proving that disability is no barrier to achievement.

“Chess is a universal language, and with the right support it’s a language that anyone can learn to speak,” Al-Ayash said.