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Ƶ’s Jubail Industrial City operates world’s largest smart irrigation network

Ƶ’s Jubail Industrial City operates world’s largest smart irrigation network
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RCJY's unified control center that manages the irrigation system has more than 12,200 smart devices, processing about 1.2 million signals daily.(SPA)
Ƶ’s Jubail Industrial City operates world’s largest smart irrigation network
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RCJY's unified control center that manages the irrigation system has more than 12,200 smart devices, processing about 1.2 million signals daily.(SPA)
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Ƶ’s Jubail Industrial City operates world’s largest smart irrigation network

Ƶ’s Jubail Industrial City operates world’s largest smart irrigation network
  • Jubail irrigation network has pipelines running over 11,600km
  • Protects environment and combats climate change, says official

JUBAIL: Jubail Industrial City operates the world’s largest integrated smart irrigation system, which is helping to protect the environment, the Saudi Press Agency reported recently.

Citing information from the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu, the report stated that the system is managed by a unified control center that includes more than 12,200 smart devices, and processes about 1.2 million signals daily.

Safar Alnutayfat, the RCJY’s operation and maintenance manager, said: “The system serves as a national model aligned with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 for environmental sustainability, advancing digital transformation in resource management, and activating smart cities with high efficiency.”

Alnutayfat explained that the commission manages a vast irrigation network extending over 11,600 km of pipelines.




RCJY's unified control center that manages the irrigation system has more than 12,200 smart devices, processing about 1.2 million signals daily. (SPA)

With the use of the smart system, the commission has reduced operation and maintenance costs by over 35 percent, while recycling treated water for irrigation at about 2.8 million cubic meters per month, he said.

Alnutayfat said the system, which is in line with the goals of the Saudi and Middle East green initiatives, rationalizes consumption of natural resources, increases vegetation cover, and combats climate change in the area.




RCJY's unified control center that manages the irrigation system has more than 12,200 smart devices, processing about 1.2 million signals daily. (SPA)


Reef Saudi backs Al-Ahsa lime exhibition Lomi Hasawi

Reef Saudi backs Al-Ahsa lime exhibition Lomi Hasawi
Updated 21 August 2025

Reef Saudi backs Al-Ahsa lime exhibition Lomi Hasawi

Reef Saudi backs Al-Ahsa lime exhibition Lomi Hasawi
  • Lomi Hasawi Exhibition, organized by the Al-Ahsa Chamber, runs until Sept. 6.

RIYADH: Agricultural development program Reef Saudi is backing Lomi Hasawi, an exhibition dedicated to the lime fruit that grows in the Al-Ahsa region of Ƶ.

Reef Saudi, formally known as the Sustainable Agricultural Rural Development Program, which is participating at the event as a gold sponsor, is a government entity supporting agricultural development in the Kingdom.

The lime is widely grown in the Eastern Province, particularly in the Al-Ahsa Oasis, and locals have been farming it for centuries, passing down knowledge of how to care for and cultivate the citrus fruit.

Lomi Hasawi Exhibition, organized by the Al-Ahsa Chamber, runs until Sept. 6. 

Reef Saudi spokesman Majed Al-Buraikan said the program, which helps producers with tools and capabilities, had provided SR342,000 to the lime sector in the province, benefiting 89 farmers. 

And that support has boosted production to over 122,400 tons, he told the Saudi Press Agency. 

The fruit sector is a key focus for the program, which aims to diversify local agricultural production, raise efficiency, and contribute to achieving self-sufficiency, in line with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030, according to SPA. 


Saudi FM speaks to Emirati, Qatari, and Bahraini counterparts

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan. (SPA)
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan. (SPA)
Updated 20 August 2025

Saudi FM speaks to Emirati, Qatari, and Bahraini counterparts

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan. (SPA)

RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan held separate phone calls with his counterparts from the UAE, Qatar, and Bahrain on Wednesday, Saudi Press Agency reported.  

During the phone calls with UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, and Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani, Prince Faisal discussed the latest regional and international developments and issues of common interest. 


Mental health center emphasizes importance of psychological support for students

Mental health center emphasizes importance of psychological support for students
Updated 20 August 2025

Mental health center emphasizes importance of psychological support for students

Mental health center emphasizes importance of psychological support for students
  • Family’s role, school’s institutional responsibility, students’ proactive steps also crucial

RIYADH: Eradah Mental Health Complex has emphasized the critical need for psychological support for students returning to classrooms in the coming weeks, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.

Eradah identified several factors crucial to good mental health: the family’s role, the school’s institutional responsibility, and proactive steps from students themselves.

Families must help cultivate reassurance through structured home environments, the center said.

Parents should also involve children in preparations for school and exhibit enthusiasm for learning, while encouraging independence and social connections, it added.

Schools also bear equal responsibility in creating psychologically safe environments in which mistakes are treated as natural learning components rather than grounds for punishment, Eradah added.

The Riyadh-based center said that educators needed to praise effort regardless of outcomes, and deploy interactive teaching methods to reduce academic stress.

Another important responsibility included monitoring behavioral changes for early intervention, it said.

Family partnerships should be established for student support and comparisons that foster negative competition should be rejected and learning differences respected, Eradah added.

Students are urged to approach the academic year as a new opportunity by setting realistic goals, maintaining positive relationships with peers and teachers, and balancing studies with recreation through organized schedules.

Eradah emphasized that schools and teachers now hold unparalleled influence over the mental health of students, describing their role as fundamental and no less important than families in building resilient personalities.


Saudi participation at Expo 2025 greatly contributes to deeper mutual understanding, says Japan’s ambassador

Saudi participation at Expo 2025 greatly contributes to deeper mutual understanding, says Japan’s ambassador
Updated 20 August 2025

Saudi participation at Expo 2025 greatly contributes to deeper mutual understanding, says Japan’s ambassador

Saudi participation at Expo 2025 greatly contributes to deeper mutual understanding, says Japan’s ambassador
  • Saudi vice minister of culture expresses gratitude for support at Osaka

RIYADH: Ƶ’s Vice Minister of Culture Hamed Fayez has met Japan’s Ambassador to the Kingdom Yasunari Morino at the Ministry of Culture in Riyadh.

Fayez expressed his gratitude to the Japanese for their generous support of the Kingdom during its participation at Expo 2025. The event is being held in Osaka, Japan, and concludes on Oct. 13. It is the second time that Osaka Prefecture has hosted such an event, having previously hosted Expo 1970.

The Saudi minister also voiced his enthusiasm for Japan’s participation at Expo 2030, which will be held in Riyadh.

Japan’s ambassador told Arab News: “I had a very good meeting with the vice minister. We share a positive outlook on Japan-Saudi cultural exchanges, especially on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of Japan-Saudi relations.

“We appreciate the Saudi government’s active participation in the Osaka-Kansai Expo, which greatly contributes to the deepening of mutual understanding between Japan and Ƶ. We look forward to the Riyadh Expo in 2030.”

The two officials also focused on cultural exchanges between the Kingdom and Japan in several fields, including the “Manga Hokusai Manga” exhibition earlier this year at the Ƶ Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Saudi Cultural Week in July in Osaka, which marked 70 years of diplomatic relations between the countries.

Riyadh is to celebrate that milestone with a special Japan Festival which is scheduled for Oct. 31 and Nov. 1. The event will spotlight Japanese culture, with traditional performances, hands-on workshops, tourism experiences, and corporate booths

A special performance featuring a traditional type of Japanese theater will take place at the event, which is to be held at Riyadh’s Cultural Palace.


Shopping festival boosts Asir economy, tourism

Shopping festival boosts Asir economy, tourism
Updated 20 August 2025

Shopping festival boosts Asir economy, tourism

Shopping festival boosts Asir economy, tourism
  • Wide appeal highlights the festival’s vital role in boosting economic activity and local demand
  • Festival provides targeted training programs for the region’s youth, developing skills, and supplying qualified local talent to the labor market

RIYADH: The 26th Abha Shopping Festival is a key economic pillar of the Asir Summer Season, attracting visitors from near and far with a variety of commercial, cultural, and entertainment attractions.

Its wide appeal highlights the festival’s vital role in boosting economic activity and local demand, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.

The festival also provides targeted training programs for the region’s youth, developing skills, and supplying qualified local talent to the labor market.

It features five shopping halls offering a range of products, including household items, clothing, perfumes, sweets, and other essentials.

Beyond commerce, the festival promotes tourism in the Asir region, blending economic activity with rich cultural experiences.

Visitors can enjoy shopping along with artistic and folkloric performances, cultural evenings, entertainment shows, and a lively amusement park.

These attractions enhance the region’s reputation as a tourist destination, encouraging longer stays and increased spending, the SPA reported.

This generates a positive economic cycle benefiting accommodation, restaurants, and transportation, while paving the way for new investments in tourism and commercial infrastructure.

Pavilions representing India, China, the Philippines, Morocco, Pakistan, Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Kuwait, Kenya, and Senegal enrich the visitor experience, adding a global touch to the markets and products on display.