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Syrian business delegation due in Riyadh

Syrian business delegation due in Riyadh
The $6.4 billion worth of investment deals were announced by Investment Minister Khalid Al-Falih, second left, during the Syrian-Saudi Investment Forum held in Damascus on July 24. (SPA)
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Syrian business delegation due in Riyadh

Syrian business delegation due in Riyadh
  • The visit follows up on the Syrian-Saudi Investment Forum held last month in Damascus

RIYADH: A Syrian delegation of private sector representatives and government officials are due in Riyadh on Monday as Ƶ further strengthens its commitment to re-engage with the conflict-ravaged country and support its reconstruction efforts.

The delegation will be led by Mohammad Nidal Al-Shaar, Syria’s Minister of Economy and Industry, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The visit follows up on the Syrian-Saudi Investment Forum held last month in Damascus, with more than 100 Saudi companies and 20 government entities joining the event, that yielded $6.4 billion worth of investment deals.

The 47 investment pledges ranged from real estate, infrastructure, finance, telecommunications and information technology, energy, industry, tourism, trade and health.

Among these include $1.07 billion worth of pledges from Saudi telecommunications companies including Saudi Telecom Co., GO Telecom, digital security firm Elm and cybersecurity company Cipher; while the $2.93 billion investment deals included the construction of three new cement plants to support Syria’s reconstruction efforts.


Saudi king, crown prince offer condolences to Pakistani president over flood victims 

Saudi king, crown prince offer condolences to Pakistani president over flood victims 
Updated 18 August 2025

Saudi king, crown prince offer condolences to Pakistani president over flood victims 

Saudi king, crown prince offer condolences to Pakistani president over flood victims 
  • Pakistani officials have said at least 274 lost their lives in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where torrential rains and cloudbursts triggered massive flooding on Friday

RIYADH: Ƶ's King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Monday condoled with Pakistan over the victims of floods that struck the country's north, resulting in deaths, injuries, and missing persons.

In a cable to President Asif Ali Zardari, King Salman extended his "deepest condolences and sincere sympathy" to the families of the victims and the people of Pakistan as a whole, praying for the "speedy recovery of the injured and safe return of the missing."

The crown prince sent a similar cable to Zardari, according to the Saudi Press Agency, or the SPA.

Pakistani officials have said at least 344 lost their lives, mostly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where torrential rains and cloudbursts triggered massive flooding on Friday.  More than 150 were reported still missing.

 

 

Homes were flattened by torrents of water that swept down from the mountains in Buner, carrying boulders that smashed into houses like explosions.

The government said that while an early warning system was in place, the sudden downpour in Buner was so intense that the deluge struck before residents could be alerted.

Lt. Gen. Inam Haider, chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority, told a hastily convened news conference in Islamabad that Pakistan was experiencing shifting weather patterns because of climate change. 

Since the monsoon season began in June, Pakistan has already received 50 percent more rainfall than in the same period last year, he added.

(With Agencies)

 


Saudi, UAE foreign ministers hold call

Saudi, UAE foreign ministers hold call
Updated 17 August 2025

Saudi, UAE foreign ministers hold call

Saudi, UAE foreign ministers hold call

RIYADH: Saudi foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan spoke with his UAE counterpart on Sunday, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

During the call, Prince Faisal and Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan reviewed Suadi-Emirati relations and discussed topics of common interest, SPA added.


Riyadh university offers English courses

Riyadh university offers English courses
Updated 17 August 2025

Riyadh university offers English courses

Riyadh university offers English courses
  • The two tracks of the course consist of a 12-week study program, with a total of 30 training hours, designed for first-level students, and an 18-week study program, also with a total of 30 training hours, designed for second-level students

RIYADH: The English Language Institute at Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University in Riyadh has opened registration for its preparatory English course, aimed at equipping female students with the necessary academic language skills to enroll in the university’s graduate programs.

The course is designed to enable students wishing to join graduate programs at the university to meet admission requirements through an intensive training program that focuses on developing academic English language skills within a learning environment supervised by specialized faculty members.

The two tracks of the course consist of a 12-week study program, with a total of 30 training hours, designed for first-level students, and an 18-week study program, also with a total of 30 training hours, designed for second-level students.

Both tracks are divided between in-person attendance and self-learning.

A certificate of completion will be awarded to students who achieve a score of 70 percent or higher in all assessments.

This initiative comes as part of the English Language Institute’s efforts to contribute to the objectives of Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University’s 2025 Strategic Plan, which aims to support and empower female students linguistically by offering specialized preparatory programs that enhance their path toward graduate studies and strengthen their academic competence.

Registration for the two tracks are open until Aug. 24.

More information about the course can be found through the following link: https://pnu.edu.sa/ar/MediaCenter/Pages/AdvertisementDetails.aspx?RequestID=480

 


Abha Chamber of Commerce officials meet ambassador of Peru

Abha Chamber of Commerce officials meet ambassador of Peru
Updated 17 August 2025

Abha Chamber of Commerce officials meet ambassador of Peru

Abha Chamber of Commerce officials meet ambassador of Peru
  • The parties “explored opportunities for strengthening economic ties and boosting bilateral trade between the two countries

ABHA: The First Vice Chairman of the Abha Chamber of Commerce and Industry Saeed Gamash, along with other officials, met the Ambassador of Peru to Ƶ Ricardo Silva-Santisteban Benza in Abha on Sunday.

The parties “explored opportunities for strengthening economic ties and boosting bilateral trade between the two countries,” the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The ambassador was briefed on key investment opportunities in the Asir region — particularly in tourism, renewable energy, and logistics — and learned about the facilities and incentives provided to investors.

 


KSrelief delivers aid in Asia, Africa

KSrelief delivers aid in Asia, Africa
Updated 17 August 2025

KSrelief delivers aid in Asia, Africa

KSrelief delivers aid in Asia, Africa
  • A total of 206 food baskets were delivered in Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan. The aid benefited 1,236 Afghan returnees from Pakistan, as part of the 2025-2026 Food Security and Emergency Project in Afghanistan

RIYADH: The Saudi aid agency KSrelief is continuing its efforts to help the underprivileged around the world.

The agency this week distributed 1,525 food baskets to displaced families in Gezira State, Sudan. A total of 7,850 individuals benefited from this assistance, as part of the third phase of the 2025 Food Security Support Project in Sudan.

Some 3,900 food baskets were distributed to vulnerable, flood-affected communities in several districts across Pakistan, helping 27,094 individuals.

A total of 206 food baskets were delivered in Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan. The aid benefited 1,236 Afghan returnees from Pakistan, as part of the 2025-2026 Food Security and Emergency Project in Afghanistan.

The aid comes within the framework of the relief and humanitarian projects provided by Ƶ through KSrelief, which aims to alleviate the suffering of people in need worldwide.