RIYADH: The Embassy of Italy in Riyadh marked the fifth edition of the World Week of Italian Cuisine by hosting an online roundtable discussion of the cultural value of food and culinary traditions.
The event, held on Dec. 9 in collaboration with the Future Food Institute, was titled “Saudi Arabia and Italy: A Journey Between Food and Culture.” The participants included Italian and Saudi experts and professionals who talked about innovative ways in which people can be encouraged to rediscover and express their cultural heritage and identity, promote healthy diets and lifestyles, and protect and develop the agricultural and food sectors.
There was also a special focus on the 10th anniversary of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization adding the Mediterranean diet to its list of intangible world cultural heritage. An excellent example of the cultural value of food and culinary traditions, the Mediterranean diet encompasses more than simply certain foods or ingredients — it also includes a wide range of skills, knowledge, practices and traditions, from respect for the land and biodiversity to the way the food is produced, consumed and shared at the table.
The event was opened by Roberto Cantone, Italy’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, and chaired by Sara Roversi, the president and founder of the Future Food Institute.
“The Italian Cuisine Week allows us to showcase Italian cuisine worldwide,” said Cantone. “But it also offers the incredible opportunity to engage in a wide-ranging conversation about food, to discuss what we eat and how we eat it, the way we produce and consume food and how it impacts our well being, our communities, our economies and our planet.
“These issues are at the center of the international agenda and Italy plays an active role in promoting and raising awareness about them — including within the framework of our G20 Presidency, which we took over from Saudi Arabia on Dec. 1.”
Roversi said: “Future Food Institute is proud to cooperate with the Italian Embassy in Riyadh to bring Italian best practices and innovative business cases, as well as to promote our common cultural heritage.
“We strongly believe that public and private cooperation, combined with a multilateral approach, can make the difference in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals of (the UN’s) Agenda 2030 and building thriving global societies. Indeed ‘People, Planet, Prosperity’ (the three stated priorities of the Italian presidency of the G20) have been the epicenter of our dialogues.
“This roundtable represents a crucial bridge for partnership development and cultural exchange between Italy and Saudi Arabia.”
The main speakers at the event included Mayada Badr, CEO of the Culinary Arts Commission at the Saudi Ministry of Culture; Elisabetta Moro, professor of cultural anthropology at the Suor Orsola Benincasa University of Naples and co-director of the Virtual Museum of the Mediterranean Diet; and Cesare Mazzetti, president of Fondazione Qualivita, which promotes and protects the uniqueness of food products.
DiplomaticQuarter: Italian embassy in Riyadh marks fifth World Week of Italian Cuisine
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DiplomaticQuarter: Italian embassy in Riyadh marks fifth World Week of Italian Cuisine
Saudi Arabia warns Israel against targeting Gaza’s Rafah
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia warned of the dangers of Israel targeting the city of Rafah as part of its “bloody” and “systematic campaign to storm all areas of the Gaza Strip and displace its residents” on Monday.
Developing
Education minister pushes for ‘practical partnerships’ at Saudi-Canadian forum
- Canada is ‘back and eager’ to work with Saudi Arabia, envoy says
- Jean-Philippe Linteau: ‘We have over 70 people that have traveled from Canada and we have over 70 Saudi institutions that are here to meet them’
RIYADH: During the KSA-Canada Education Partnership Forum in Riyadh on Monday, Saudi Minister of Education Yousef Al-Benyan emphasized the need for “practical partnerships” between the two countries, stating that he is not interested in more agreements, but rather in meaningful collaborations.
“I want you to think beyond the traditional way of partnerships. We have had a lot of MoUs (memorandums of understanding) that have been signed previously and I want to tell you I am not interested in more MoUs. We want to make sure that these are carried into practical solutions,” Al-Benyan told the forum.
The Canadian Embassy, in partnership with the Saudi Ministry of Education, hosted the forum, bringing together leading educational institutions from Canada and the Kingdom to explore areas of collaboration.
The forum will continue on Tuesday with discussions focused on joint study programs, collaborative research initiatives, curriculum development, student and faculty exchanges, and partnerships in technical and vocational training.
Jean-Philippe Linteau, the Canadian ambassador to Saudi Arabia, said: “Canada is back, and Canada is eager to work with Saudi Arabia.
“We have over 70 people that have traveled from Canada and we have over 70 Saudi institutions that are here to meet them, (this) shows (that) the desire, the appetite for that collaboration between our two countries in the education sector is very, very strong,” the envoy told Arab News.
“I am confident that out of today we will have many partnerships and successes that will develop over time for the benefit of Saudi students and Canadian education institutions as well,” he added.
Spearheaded by the Canadian Embassy’s trade division, the education forum brought together leaders from several universities, including the University of Toronto, McMaster University, Western University, Humber College, and dozens of others.
The forum will include a tour for the Canadian delegation to meet the senior leadership of King Saud University, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, and Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University.
On Tuesday, experts will discuss key areas of cooperation within the framework of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, including information technology, tourism and hospitality, healthcare, clean energy, mining, and agriculture.
The Saudi minister said that this forum marks “the start of a practical partnership” that “looks into the ways and means to make an impact.”
Al-Benyan added: “We would like to see more student exchange and faculty exchange.”
The Canadian envoy in turn emphasized the importance of people-to-people ties when growing partnerships.
He told Arab News: “The best thing that can happen is we brought all of these people from Canada here, they will see the new Saudi Arabia, they will go back and they will tell people what they saw and what they missed, for the ones that were not here, and I think we will get more and more collaboration coming up.”
KAUST program inspires young scientific talent
- Space 2102 program hosted 150 outstanding students, aged from 13 to 15, from various regions, in a five-day event
- Program included lectures, software training, and enrichment activities to guide and develop the students’ learning journey
RIYADH: King Abdullah University of Science and Technology is creating new opportunities for young people in Saudi Arabia by supporting research and innovation in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and space.
These efforts are part of the Space 2102 program, organized in partnership with the Communications, Space and Technology Commission and the Saudi Space Agency.
The program hosted 150 outstanding students, aged from 13 to 15, from various regions, in a five-day event, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday.
A team of international experts and KAUST faculty provided the students with training and education.
The Space 2102 program included lectures, software training, and enrichment activities to guide and develop the students’ learning journey.
Dr. Najah Ashry, vice president of the strategic national advancement division at KUAST, highlighted the success of the Space 2102 program, which aims to fulfill the dreams and aspirations of talented young Saudis in fields such as science, technology, and space.
KAUST’s early-onset enrichment activities help to engage the best young minds in the program, which improves the likelihood of science-based future leaders and entrepreneurs emerging and of a new era of leadership, research, and exploration in the Kingdom, the SPA reported.
The Space 2102 program concluded with a CubeSat challenge, where teams used technology to design and test their own missions. The focus was on using science and technology to address the conservation and rehabilitation of coral reefs in the Red Sea.
King Salman academy to host Arabic education forum in Seoul
- Scholars, teachers, linguistic experts will attend May 9 and 10
- Discussions on curricula, teaching methods and Arab culture
RIYADH: The King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language is partnering with the Korean Association of Arabic Language and Literature and Hankuk University of Foreign Studies to host an international conference in Seoul, South Korea.
The conference, titled “Challenges and Prospects of Teaching Arabic Language and Literature,” is set for May 9 and 10, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday.
Participants will discuss key issues involving Arabic-language education globally and explore new approaches in response to evolving trends and needs.
The event will involve scholars, researchers and language experts; and will help promote Arab culture, the SPA reported.
The conference will focus six key areas related to teaching Arabic as a second language in Korea: modern methodologies, teaching materials, evaluation techniques, instructional strategies, and the current state of Arabic-language learning in Korea.
By bringing together experts and academics from Saudi Arabia, Korea and other regions, the conference is designed to assist Arabic-language teachers and non-native speakers.
The King Salman academy is also set to launch its upcoming international conference on computational linguistics.
Red Wave-7 naval drill kicks off in Saudi Arabia
RIYADH: The Red Wave-7 naval exercise has started at King Faisal Naval Base, home of the Western Fleet.
As well as the Royal Saudi Naval Forces, taking part are countries including Jordan, Egypt, Djibouti, and Yemen, along with the Royal Saudi Land Forces, the Royal Saudi Air Force, and units of the Saudi Border Guard.
The commander of the Western Fleet, Rear Admiral Mansour bin Saud Al-Juaid, said the drill aimed to enhance maritime security for countries bordering the Red Sea and protect territorial waters, according to Saudi Press Agency.
The drill includes a number of scenarios featuring exercises that offer significant training opportunities. There will be strategic lectures and simulated combat exercises designed to reflect potential real-world situations.
It will promote joint and combined operations, such as surface and air warfare, electronic warfare, and countering speedboat attacks. The forces will also conduct maritime security exercises, including protecting shipping lines and combating smuggling, terrorism, piracy and illegal immigration.
Al-Juaid said naval ships, helicopters, fast response boats, naval infantry, maritime special security forces and various types of combat aircraft would all be deployed over the duration of the drill.
