Pilgrims to quarantine for 14 days after Hajj

More than 41,361 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests have been conducted in the past 24 hours. (SPA)
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Updated 04 August 2020
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Pilgrims to quarantine for 14 days after Hajj

  • COVID-19 cases in Saudi Arabia continue to fall, officials say

JEDDAH: Pilgrims who took part in this year’s Hajj must continue wearing electronic tags so authorities can track their 14-day quarantine once they return home.

The bracelet is designed to monitor pilgrims’ adherence to quarantine, as well as monitoring and recording their health status through the “Tatamman” app.
Pilgrims were required to quarantine before embarking on the Hajj and wore the bracelets to ensure they were obeying the self-isolation rules as part of strict measures to contain the spread of coronavirus.
The country continues to experience a decline in COVID-19 cases. Recorded infections remain below the 2,000 mark for the 10th day in a row. The Kingdom reported 1,258 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, raising the number of those infected to 280,093 so far.
There are currently 35,091 active cases and six patients were admitted to critical care units, raising the number to 2,017. There were 32 new fatalities, raising the death toll to 2,949.
There were 1,972 new recoveries recorded, raising the total number of recoveries to 242,053.
More than 41,361 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests have been conducted in the past 24 hours. The total number of PCR tests conducted to date exceeds 3.47 million.

INNUMBERS

280,093 COVID-19 cases

242,053 Recoveries

35,091 Active cases

2,949 Total deaths

3.47m PCR tests

The Ministry of Health has been carrying out daily visits to health institutions in order to assess their level of commitment to anti-coronavirus measures, such as ensuring that staff adhere to social distancing, wear masks, and adopt the health practices and crisis management mechanisms recommended by authorities to protect patients and staff.
Teams have been dispatched to supervise the compliance of health facilities’ quarantine centers across Saudi Arabia and stepped up their visits to government and private hospitals to ensure their compliance with health protocols, sample transfers and staff testing as well as ensuring that all routine surgeries are stopped.
More than 5,000 violations have been recorded and violators were referred to committees. More than 150 facilities were temporarily shut down by the ministry until the proper protocols were implemented and the violations were fixed. A number of institutions were able to resume operations after settling fines.


Joint Saudi-US ‘Protection Shield IV’ drill begins

Updated 55 min 37 sec ago
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Joint Saudi-US ‘Protection Shield IV’ drill begins

  • The drill sought to heighten awareness of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear risks

DHAHRAN: In a display of strategic cooperation, the Eastern Region Command in Dhahran orchestrated the latest iteration of the joint Saudi-US exercise, “Protection Shield 4.”

Bringing together branches of the Saudi Armed Forces, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), and a consortium of civilian and military government entities—including the Ministry of Defense’s health services, the General Directorate of Civil Defense, the Ministry of Health, and the Saudi Red Crescent Authority—the drill aimed to bolster preparedness against potential threats of mass destruction.

Colonel Turki bin Salem Al-Sumairi, overseeing the participating mixed battalion, underscored the drill’s dual purpose: to enhance the operational capabilities of all involved and to foster seamless collaboration between Saudi and US forces. Furthermore, the drill sought to heighten awareness of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear risks.

Field exercises formed the crux of the event, testing the efficacy of national response plans in confronting scenarios involving weapons of mass destruction. Additionally, coordination and information exchange mechanisms were scrutinized to ensure swift and effective joint responses.

Simulated ammunition was employed during the drills to simulate crisis scenarios arising from the deployment of weapons of mass destruction. Meanwhile, health services units from the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Health, the Civil Defense, and the Saudi Red Crescent engaged in drills aimed at enhancing collaborative efforts and refining responses to chemical and biological incidents.


Asir region is first with launch of tourism identity

Updated 03 May 2024
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Asir region is first with launch of tourism identity

  • Prince Turki said the slogan “Karam Al-Arouma” was inspired by the generosity and welcoming nature of the people of the region

Saudi Arabia’s Asir region has become the first in the Kingdom to create a regional tourism identity, accompanied by the slogan “Karam Al-Arouma,” or “the generosity of the people of Asir.” 

Asir Gov. Prince Turki bin Talal bin Abdulaziz, who also heads the Asir Region Development Authority, launched the identity at an official ceremony organized by the authority and hosted by the Rijal Heritage Village in Rijal Almaa governorate.

“This identity has been in the works for quite a while. It’s a very exciting day for us to finally unveil this to the world. It’s going to help our marketing efforts both domestically and internationally,“ Hashim Al-Dabbagh, the authority’s CEO, told Arab News. 

“The vision of the Asir region is to be a preeminent destination year-round, and having our own identity is a step in that direction,” he said.  

Asir is seeking to become a global destination throughout the year, based on its authentic culture and wide range of natural attractions. 

Prince Turki said the slogan “Karam Al-Arouma” was inspired by the generosity and welcoming nature of the people of the region.

The identity was supported by the launch of the “Discover Asir” tourism website under the umbrella of “Visit Saudi,” which will provide tourist information. 


Saudi Justice Ministry to host training conference

Updated 03 May 2024
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Saudi Justice Ministry to host training conference

RIYADH: The Saudi Ministry of Justice is to hold the International Conference of Judicial Training in Riyadh from May 6-7.

The Judicial Training Center hosts the event which will see the participation of several international training institutes, centers, and experts in the field of judicial and legal training. The objective is to facilitate the exchange of experiences and deliberations on contemporary trends in the era of digital transformation.

Called “The Future of Judicial Training in the Era of Digital Transformation,” the event will delve into the prospects of training in the future. It will explore paths for enhancing training content; strategies for harnessing modern technology; artificial intelligence in judicial training; and effective methodologies for measuring the training’s impact.


Saudi energy minister attends Tashkent International Investment Forum

Updated 03 May 2024
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Saudi energy minister attends Tashkent International Investment Forum

TASHKENT: Saudi Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman on Thursday participated in the primary dialogue session at the third Tashkent International Investment Forum.

In the presence of the president of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the energy minister highlighted the distinguished relations between the two nations, emphasizing the leadership’s strong commitment to enhancing and expanding cooperation across all sectors, particularly energy.

The partnership aims to benefit both countries and their citizens.


Who’s Who: Ali Alhasan, CEO and founder of NanoPalm

Updated 03 May 2024
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Who’s Who: Ali Alhasan, CEO and founder of NanoPalm

  • Alhasan co-developed deep tech to leverage large language models for biotech discovery
  • He was granted the Outstanding Researcher Award from the International Institute for Nanotechnology in 2012

Ali Alhasan is CEO and founder of the company NanoPalm. He holds a Ph.D. in nanomedicine, with expertise in nano-drug delivery and gene therapy and five years of experience in executive management.

In his role as CEO, Alhasan formulates the strategic and business plans for accelerating therapy translation globally and trains talents in deep tech, nanotech, and gene editing tech.

Alhasan co-developed deep tech to leverage large language models for biotech discovery. He also co-invented Nanopalm’s biorobots for the delivery of gene editing primers and helped discover four nanomedicines for four different genetic diseases.

He is also an associate professor at King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology and an adjunct professor at Alfaisal University, establishing collaboration agreements between the two.

As associate professor, he is the principal researcher for development and innovation in nanomedicine and the fourth industrial revolution.

In his role as adjunct professor, Alhasan teaches nanomedicine and mentors postgraduate and undergraduate students. He also co-established the Cancer Nanoscience Program.

Previously, Alhasan served in executive leadership roles at KACST as deputy at the Joint Centers of Excellence Program (2021), deputy of the Life Science and Environment Research Institute (2020), director of the Center of Excellence for Biomedicine (2020), and director of Strategic Initiatives (2016). 

Alhasan was a post-doctoral scholar at the University of California in 2015 and received his Ph.D. in the Interdepartmental Biological Sciences Program from Northwestern University in 2013. 

In 2008, he received a master’s degree in biotechnology also from Northwestern University, while in 2001, he received his bachelor’s degree in medical technology from King Abdulaziz University. 

Alhasan was granted the Leader of the Year award from the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology in 2024. In 2018, he received the Outstanding Investigator Award from KACST.

He was granted the Outstanding Researcher Award from the International Institute for Nanotechnology in 2012.