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KSA highlights conservation wins at UAE congress

KSA highlights conservation wins at UAE congress
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The pavilion highlighted the authority’s comprehensive approach to nature protection, community development, and ecotourism promotion. (SPA)
KSA highlights conservation wins at UAE congress
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The pavilion highlighted the authority’s comprehensive approach to nature protection, community development, and ecotourism promotion. (SPA)
KSA highlights conservation wins at UAE congress
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The pavilion highlighted the authority’s comprehensive approach to nature protection, community development, and ecotourism promotion. (SPA)
KSA highlights conservation wins at UAE congress
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The pavilion highlighted the authority’s comprehensive approach to nature protection, community development, and ecotourism promotion. (SPA)
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Updated 8 sec ago

KSA highlights conservation wins at UAE congress

KSA highlights conservation wins at UAE congress
  • The pavilion included informative exhibits on tourism initiatives, offering visitors an immersive experience that integrates the reserve’s environmental, cultural, and touristic aspects

RIYADH: The Imam Turki bin Abdullah Royal Nature Reserve Development Authority has concluded its participation in the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi, UAE, which brought together international organizations, experts, and environmental decision-makers.

At its pavilion, the authority showcased key achievements in biodiversity conservation and vegetation enhancement across 91,500 sq. km, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday. 

These included planting more than 775,000 seedlings, increasing vegetation cover to more than 9 percent, and implementing programs to reintroduce endangered species including the Arabian oryx, sand gazelle, and red-necked ostrich.

The pavilion also highlighted the authority’s comprehensive approach to nature protection, community development, and ecotourism promotion.

It featured interactive displays of plant and soil models, as well as field monitoring and measurement devices demonstrating vegetation cover and ecosystem health.

The pavilion included informative exhibits on tourism initiatives, offering visitors an immersive experience that integrates the reserve’s environmental, cultural, and touristic aspects.

Attracting widespread interest from delegations and visitors worldwide, the pavilion showcased the Kingdom’s achievements in managing royal reserves, emphasizing the synergy between conservation efforts and economic and social development.

The congress began on Oct. 9 and ends on Wednesday. 


Researchers find improvement in Red Sea coral reef conditions

Researchers from the National Center for Wildlife found improved coral reef conditions in the Red Sea. (SPA)
Researchers from the National Center for Wildlife found improved coral reef conditions in the Red Sea. (SPA)
Updated 4 sec ago

Researchers find improvement in Red Sea coral reef conditions

Researchers from the National Center for Wildlife found improved coral reef conditions in the Red Sea. (SPA)
  • Field surveys conducted by the National Center for Wildlife reported promising results in coral health and overall ecosystem stability
  • They found no cases of severe bleaching or mass marine mortality, even amid high temperatures

RIYADH: Researchers have reported a notable improvement in coral reef conditions despite the potential of damage from the heat of the summer months, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday.

Field surveys conducted by the National Center for Wildlife reported promising results in coral health and overall ecosystem stability.

They found no cases of severe bleaching or mass marine mortality, even amid high temperatures.

The resilience of the ecosystem reflects the effectiveness of national conservation efforts, according to the SPA, reinforcing the Kingdom’s growing reputation in biodiversity management.

The program was carried out by Saudi scientists and researchers using advanced remote sensing technologies and field instruments to monitor the physical and chemical properties of the Red Sea’s water.

Human activities, such as discarded fishing gear and marine waste, were also tracked to build a comprehensive knowledge base that supports informed environmental planning and the achievement of the program’s objectives.

The NCW said in a statement that its marine programs and projects exemplify the Kingdom’s commitment to the Red Sea sustainability initiative.

This showcases the coordinated efforts of national entities under Saudi Vision 2030, according to the NCW, strengthening the Kingdom’s regional and global leadership as a model for effective and sustainable marine biodiversity conservation and natural resource management.

The results were gleaned from the NCW’s second survey this summer, after an initial study in April.

In that project, surveys were carried out on 64 locations along the coastline to investigate the health of various species.

The Red Sea is home to an array of wildlife, including whales, dolphins, hammerhead sharks and sea snakes.

The massive Pavona coral colony is expected to become an environmentally friendly tourist attraction managed by Red Sea Global.


KSrelief extends support in Gaza, Chad, Yemen 

KSrelief extends support in Gaza, Chad, Yemen 
Updated 17 min 5 sec ago

KSrelief extends support in Gaza, Chad, Yemen 

KSrelief extends support in Gaza, Chad, Yemen 
  • The initiative aims to distribute 61,915 food baskets across 14 states, benefiting 200,000 people

RIYADH: The Kingdom’s aid agency KSrelief has distributed food baskets to hundreds of displaced families living in camps across the southern Gaza Strip, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday. 

The Saudi Center for Culture and Heritage, KSrelief’s implementing partner in Gaza, managed the delivery and distribution, in collaboration with international organizations and local institutions.

Members of the displaced families thanked Ƶ for its ongoing humanitarian aid and solidarity amid the difficult conditions.

In Chad, KSrelief launched its in-kind aid distribution project in the capital, N’Djamena, fulfilling the Kingdom’s pledge announced in Jeddah at the 2024 Donors’ Conference to Support Displaced Persons and Refugees in the Sahel and Lake Chad Region.

The launch was attended by Mohammed Al-Salem, charge d’affaires of the Saudi Embassy, with representatives of international and local humanitarian organizations.

The initiative aims to distribute 61,915 food baskets across 14 states, benefiting 200,000 people, including families and internally displaced people. 

In Yemen, KSrelief launched a comprehensive health services program for women and their families in the Sayoun district of Hadramout, focusing on reintegrating them into society.

The program aims to benefit 180 individuals through medical consultations and examinations, provision of medication, and awareness sessions on public health and disease prevention.

It includes child vaccinations, primary and reproductive health care, and psychological referrals.

Amer Saeed Al-Amri, undersecretary of Hadramout governorate for valley and desert affairs, praised KSrelief’s efforts to rehabilitate and empower women.


BIE confers top award on Ƶ’s pavilion at Osaka Expo

Ƶ’s Pavilion was awarded the Gold Medal for the best Architecture and Landscape in the top Type A category. (ANJ)
Ƶ’s Pavilion was awarded the Gold Medal for the best Architecture and Landscape in the top Type A category. (ANJ)
Updated 15 min 42 sec ago

BIE confers top award on Ƶ’s pavilion at Osaka Expo

Ƶ’s Pavilion was awarded the Gold Medal for the best Architecture and Landscape in the top Type A category. (ANJ)
  • The silver medal went to Spain and the bronze to the UAE
  • The award for the smaller category of Type A pavilions went to Bahrain

TOKYO: Following the final day of the Osaka-Kansai Expo on Monday, the Bureau International des Expositions announced that Ƶ’s pavilion was awarded the gold medal for the best architecture and landscape in the top Type A category.

The silver medal went to Spain and the bronze to the UAE.

The award for the smaller category of Type A pavilions went to Bahrain, which won over Czechia and Switzerland.

The expo’s organizers said the total number of visitors to the event in the six months since it opened on April 13 was 29,017,924. This figure included 3,438,938 AD Pass holders, or on-site service providers. The actual number of tickets sold was 22,069,546.

Tokura Masakazu, chairperson of the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition, had a message of unity on the final day, saying the expo reaffirmed that in a world facing division, 160 countries gathered to say that the world is “diverse, yet one.”

Ishige Hiroyuki, secretary-general of the association, said the expo achieved its three core goals: avoiding major accidents, remaining financially solvent, and attracting many visitors. He attributed its success to constant improvement and “overwhelmingly attractive content,” as well as the contributions of the visitors, staff, and media.


Saudi cabinet discuss developments on Palestine, Sudan 

Saudi cabinet discuss developments on Palestine, Sudan 
Updated 2 min 44 sec ago

Saudi cabinet discuss developments on Palestine, Sudan 

Saudi cabinet discuss developments on Palestine, Sudan 

RIYADH: King Salman chaired the cabinet session held on Tuesday in Riyadh, which focused on the outcomes of the Sharm El-Sheikh Peace Summit and the ongoing hostilities in Sudan.

The cabinet reaffirmed Ƶ’s hope that the Egypt-hosted summit will end the war in Gaza and strengthen regional security.

It called for alleviating the humanitarian suffering of the Palestinian people, ensuring a full Israeli withdrawal, and taking practical steps toward peace, including establishing an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The council also stressed the need for an immediate cessation of hostilities in Sudan, the preservation of the country’s unity and institutions, and full implementation of the Jeddah Declaration to prevent further suffering and destruction.

 


Saudi foreign minister meets US President Donald Trump during Gaza peace summit in Egypt

Saudi foreign minister meets US President Donald Trump during Gaza peace summit in Egypt
Updated 14 October 2025

Saudi foreign minister meets US President Donald Trump during Gaza peace summit in Egypt

Saudi foreign minister meets US President Donald Trump during Gaza peace summit in Egypt
  • Prince Faisal bin Farhan also holds talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, as leaders from the around world gather to discuss US-led peace plan
  • It comes as Hamas hands over the remaining 20 living hostages taken on Oct. 7, 2023, and Israeli authorities release almost 2,000 detained Palestinians

RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan had separate meetings on Monday with US President Donald Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, as world leaders gathered in Sharm El-Sheikh for a Gaza peace summit.

The assembled leaders discussed a 20-point US-led plan that aims to resolve the conflict and ensure the current, limited truce leads to permanent peace, and signed a declaration designed to help shore up the ceasefire agreement in Gaza.

It came as Hamas handed over the remaining 20 living hostages taken during the attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and Israeli authorities released 1,968 Palestinians they were holding.

The US plan holds out hope that an independent Palestinian state might eventually be established following a lengthy transitional phase and reform of the Palestinian Authority. Earlier on Monday, Trump addressed the Knesset, the Israeli parliament. Israel’s government has backed the US peace proposal, but has repeatedly opposed any suggestion of Palestinian independence.

Prince Faisal was attending the summit on behalf of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.