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Project to be located at astronomical observatory in Hail’s Mashar National Park.
The Saudi Amateur Radio Society is preparing to launch the largest radio telescope in the Middle East, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday.
Construction on the 20-meter diameter device is done and tests will be conducted before it is linked to the radio telescope system developed at universities.
The radio telescope will be sited at the astronomical observatory in Mashar National Park.
Prince Badr bin Fahd, the president of the association, said the project was in line with Saudi Vision 2030 goals of sustainable development, digital transformation and attracting investments in the fields of technology and innovation.
source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)
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Construction on the 20-meter diameter device is done and tests will be conducted before it is linked to the radio telescope system. (File/AFP)
Mohammed bin Yahya Al-Sayel has been appointed to become a member of the UN’s Global Geospatial Knowledge and Innovation Center following a royal decree on April 16.
The UN-GGKIC aims to build geospatial capabilities and competencies at the global level, develop centers of knowledge and innovation in countries, and benefit from the mechanisms, techniques, and analysis used in the field of geospatial information.
The center is working on implementing the Integrated Geospatial Information Framework to improve and strengthen work on managing national geospatial information for achieving sustainable development goals.
Al-Sayel has been the regional coordinator for Arab countries at the International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing since January.
Al-Sayel, who has also been the president of the Kingdom’s General Authority for Survey and Geospatial Information since 2021, was nominated for his new position by the board of directors at the ISPRS.
The general authority is mandated with developing national capacities in the sector, in cooperation with universities and specialized institutes with its counterparts in other countries, international bodies, and organizations related to the sector.
The ISPRS is a non-governmental organization devoted to the development of international cooperation for the advancement of photogrammetry, remote sensing, and their applications.
Al-Sayel received a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering in 1984 from Roger Williams University, Rhode Island, US. He also received a high diploma in geodesy and map production from the Royal School of Military Survey.
He was granted a master’s degree in geomatics in 1994 from the University of Toronto, Canada, and obtained a doctorate in surveying engineering and geospatial information from Leibniz University Hannover, Germany.
Al-Sayel has taken a number of advanced training courses on geographic information and global positioning systems. He has attended several training courses on negotiations and boundary delimitation at Durham University in the UK.
Al-Sayel, who is both the CEO of Quality Geospatial Engineering Co. and Vision Intelligence, a digital sustainability solution-providing company, has risen in the military to the rank of major general and was an assistant director at the General Directorate of Military Survey. He was also the head of the boundaries and documents department.
He is the secretary-general of the Cooperative Society of Moringa and Desert Plants, one of the first Saudi cooperative societies aiming at increasing the country’s vegetation.
Al-Sayel is a consultant member of the Saudi Council of Engineers and a member of the American Imaging and Geospatial Information Society, and the ISPRS.
The EGMO is an international competition in mathematics targeting female high school students whose commitment to mathematics goes beyond the usual school curriculum
To participate at the EGMO, students must qualify first at a national competition, after which they, together with their advisors, form their respective national delegations
Two Saudi girls have achieved advanced positions in the European Girls’ Mathematical Olympiad 2023, which is being held in Slovenia from April 13-19.
The EGMO is an international competition in mathematics targeting female high school students whose commitment to mathematics goes beyond the usual school curriculum.
To participate at the EGMO, students must qualify first at a national competition, after which they, together with their advisors, form their respective national delegations.
“Saudi Arabia, represented by King Abdulaziz and his Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity (Mawhiba) and the Ministry of Education won two medals in the EGMO 2023 in Slovenia,” Mawhiba tweeted on Tuesday.
The young talents have raised Saudi Arabia’s medal tally to 26 in all editions of the EGMO, in which 213 students representing 55 countries are currently participating.
Saudi students Jana Ali Saad Al-Dosar from the Eastern Region and Fatimah Hassan Mohammed Bu Ali from Al-Ahsa won a bronze medal and a certificate of appreciation, respectively.
Mawhiba’s Secretary-General Dr. Amal bint Abdullah Al-Hazzaa congratulated the winners and expressed gratitude to King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for their support of higher education, which led to these achievements.
Al-Hazzaa noted that the students’ successes embody the integration between Kingdom’s institutions and its commitment to advancing young talents through education and training in line with international standards.
She also praised the cooperation between Mawhiba, the Ministry of Education, and the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, a partnership that aims to develop Saudi human capital and increase competitiveness in the labor market in line with the National Transformation Program and Saudi Vision 2030.
The Saudi girls participating in the EGMO 2023 have undergone intensive training to develop their scientific skills and were nominated to participate based on the results they achieved in the training forums held by Mawhiba.
The EGMO was initially launched in the UK, which hosted its first edition in April 2012 with 19 participating countries.
The international competition aims to motivate more female students to participate in the International Mathematical Olympiad, where girls currently constitute only 10 percent of the participating students.
This is Saudi Arabia’s 11th participation in the EGMO. The Kingdom has achieved two gold medals, six silver medals, 12 bronze medals, and six certificates of appreciation.
The EGMO 2023 awards are scheduled to be distributed on Wednesday during a final ceremony.
source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)
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Fatimah Hassan Mohammed Bu Ali and Jana Ali Saad Al-Dosar. (Twitter/Mawhiba)
Mariam Saleh Binladen took just four hours to make the crossing from the Saudi island of Tiran to the Egyptian resort of Sharm El-Sheikh.
A Saudi dentist and endurance swimmer has set a new women’s world record time for swimming across the Red Sea.
Mariam Saleh Binladen took just four hours to make the crossing from the Saudi island of Tiran to the Egyptian resort of Sharm El-Sheikh.
She was accompanied in the water on her 9-kilometer swim by Lewis Pugh, a British South African endurance swimmer and UN patron of the oceans.
Pugh was on the first leg of his campaign to raise awareness about the destruction of oceans and coral reefs in the run up to the 2022 UN Climate Change Conference (COP27) due to take place in Sharm El-Sheikh next month.
Binladen told Arab News: “During the final moments of the swim, I felt elated, a sense of jubilation, and blessed to have achieved my goal with my body intact.
“I had concerns before embarking on the swim, namely the weather conditions and sharks. As the last moments approached, I thanked Allah that the team had made it safe and sound through what were quite hazardous conditions.”
Due to high winds and rough seas the swim had to be staggered over two days.
She said: “We completed the swim in two segments and fed less often to minimize the risk of shark attacks. I would say that the most challenging aspect was at the midway point when the sea became very turbulent.
“We had also agreed to swim without protective cages, so those sharks were always at the back of our minds.”
Binladen has been involved in open water endurance swimming professionally since 2012.
“I train hard at least three times a week. Over my weekends, I alternate between four to six hours of swims to maintain momentum. I maintain a dedicated fitness regime, and I keep to a physically gruelling schedule when I am preparing for a challenge,” she added.
Her first major world record-breaking swim was in London’s River Thames in 2016, but she pointed out that the Red Sea attempt was for a greater cause.
“I agreed to join this challenge as the cause is near to my heart. These challenges are not for the faint of heart; you really need to be disciplined with your training and build up your physical and mental strength. Those two things are what will keep you going and be the key to success,” she said.
Long-distance swimming, she noted, was physically and mentally challenging and it was only with the support of a sports counsellor and her family that she was able to prepare herself.
“We sift through any fears and concerns together. I cannot stress enough how important it is to always work with professionals and to surround yourself with the right people.
“I’m blessed to also have the support and reassurance of a loving family without whom I could never have embarked on this journey,” she added.
Binladen’s charitable work has included offering support to refugees.
She said: “I am primed and physically and mentally prepared to take on my next challenge.
“In terms of the future, I will continue to use my challenges to raise awareness of issues that concern me, my philanthropic work is ongoing, and I have my career, and I am very busy.”
She now has five world records to her name, including being the first Arab to complete the Dardanelles Strait open water race in Turkey from Asia to Europe, in August 2015, completing the 6.5-km distance in one hour, 27 minutes, and 26 seconds.
In September 2016, she became the first Saudi to complete an assisted swim across the English Channel of 39.7 km, a feat she did in 11 hours and 41 minutes.
And she was also the first swimmer to cross the Dubai Creek and Dubai Water Canal, clocking up a total distance of 24 km in nine hours and 10 minutes.
source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)
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Saudi dentist and endurance swimmer Maryam Saleh Binladen. (Supplied)
Dubai – Dubai is the also the most record-breaking city not just within the country but also across the Mena region.
The UAE is far ahead in achieving the Guinness World Records regionally as the country boasts 425 GWRs with 34 of them were achieved in 2020 alone.
Dubai is the also the most record-breaking city not just within the country but also across the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region.
“The UAE is currently home to 425 Guinness World Records titles, making it the biggest record-breaking country in the Mena region… Dubai has the lion share of titles in the country with around 60 per cent of the overall number,” said Danny Hickson, senior events production manager at Guinness World Records Ltd in Dubai.
Global Village, a multicultural family entertainment destination, achieved two records in November alone. The first record was set by having the most LED lights ever on a car. The vehicle had 36,676 LED lights. The feat began two weeks ago as the park achieved the record for the most videos in a music medley video following the Rockin’1000 Season 25 opening concert.
Global Village aims to break 25 records this season as part of its Silver Jubilee anniversary celebrations.
Emirati shipbuilder Obaid Jumaa bin Majid Al Falasi also made it into the history by building the world’s largest dhow, a wooden Arabic boat, measuring 91.47-metre long and 20.41-metre wide. That is equal to the length and almost half the width of a standard American football field floating over the Indian Ocean.
Dubai’s Nakheel Mall, too, recently broke the record for the world’s largest fountain, measuring a whole 7,327 m2. The record breaking fountain named The Palm Fountain was designed a with tricks including colour and brightness controls.
The emirate is also home to the world’s tallest hotel – 75-storey Gevora Hotel, measuring 356.33 metres tall from the group level to the top.
Danny Hickson said Saudi Arabia comes second with 96 Guinness World Records titles, while Egypt is not far in the third place with 93 titles.
On September 23, Saudi Arabia achieved the Guinness World Record for the largest fireworks display in multiple cities as the display consisted of 962,168 fireworks.
“What’s brilliant about breaking world records with brands in the UAE is that there is almost a chance to do something different with the heritage. Brands and individuals think it is impossible to be break world records, but we believe everyone is amazing in his own way, and we are here to make their achievement Officially Amazing!,” said Hickson.
“We have seen the tallest house of cards build in 12 hours, sat on top of a washing machine, to demonstrate its reduced vibrations and noise levels; and an iconic car brand celebrated its 80th anniversary by breaking the record for the largest loop the loop in a car! Would we find amazing talents among Khaleej Times readers?,” concluded Hickson.
The fonts, celebrating the Kingdom’s culture, will be available free of charge.
The Ministry of Culture on Monday launched an initiative creating three new Saudi fonts.
The fonts, celebrating the Kingdom’s culture, will be available free of charge to individuals and organizations wishing to use them in design, artistic, and creative works, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The Masmak font has been named after the historic Masmak Fortress, characterized by its durability and strong structure. The font has been described as clear and easy to read and was developed without reference to traditional calligraphy methods, the SPA said.
The second new font, Al-Naseeb, resembles handwritten notes, and has been recommended for use in headlines, texts, literary works, poetry, and children’s stories.
Watad, the third font, was inspired by the tent peg with its letters having curved corners. Its suggested use was for text relating to festivals and sporting events.
The Ministry of Culture launched the initiative in celebration of the Arabic language. In a statement, it said: “It is introducing a unique touch that gives a Saudi identity to Arabic fonts and celebrates Saudi heritage and cultural symbols.”
Almoqbel is the first Arab ambassador to the WTO to preside over the TPRB.
The World Trade Organization General Council has selected Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to WTO Saqer Abdullah Almoqbel to chair its Trade Policy Review Body for 2023-2024.
Almoqbel is the first Arab ambassador to the WTO to preside over the TPRB.
The TPRB aims to facilitate the efficient operation of the multilateral trading system by increasing the transparency of WTO members’ trade policies. All members are subject to review every two to six years under the mechanism.
Periodically, the agency releases reports on the global economy, including detailed chapters examining the trade policies and practices of each member, as well as descriptions of the trade policymaking institutions and the macroeconomic environment.
Saudi Arabia’s new position at TPRB reinforces its leadership position within the WTO. In addition to being the organization coordinator for the Arab group, the Kingdom has chaired the Council for Trade in Services, the Council for Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights, the Working Group on Transfer of Technology, and the Committee for Balance of Payments Restrictions in previous years.
source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)
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Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to WTO Saqer Abdullah Almoqbel presents his credentials to Deputy Director-General Yi Xiaozhun in 2020. (WTO)
Known for her creative take on classic favorites, Saudi chef Mona Mosly is one of the region’s most recognizable celebrity chefs, renowned for her creative takes on classic favorites.
As well as being a judge on the Arabic-language version of talent show “Top Chef,” Mosly has extensive experience in culinary art, having trained professionally in Switzerland before attending the world-renowned Le Cordon Bleu in London and subsequently honing her craft at restaurants across the Middle East.
In January, Mosly joined forces with VOX Cinemas in Riyadh and Jeddah to curate an expanded menu that features more than 20 dishes, including kibbeh nachos and BBQ chicken bao, Armenian tabbouleh, dukka madani chicken burger, halva cookies with Syrian ice cream, Thai curry salmon and more.
“What I love about this is that (movies) bring people joy,” Mosly tells Arab News. “I believe that I can bring people joy with my food as well. And it’s all about happiness, right? So it’s a beautiful collaboration for me.”
When VOX first reached out, Mosly says, her first thought was to create a menu of cinema food, “with an Arabic or Saudi twist.”
She explains: “I believe that food has to be related to us. It could take us to a beautiful memory. It could remind us of flavors from our childhood and all that.”
One of her favorite dishes on the menu is the kibbeh nachos. “It’s basically kibbeh, but it looks like nachos. Instead of cheddar sauce, I used mohamara sauce, so it gives the same feeling,” she says. “I also love the fish and chips, because it has a very nice story behind it. I like food that can gather different cultures together.”
Here, Mosly takes a trip down memory lane to when she first started her career, and offers advice for amateur chefs.
Q: When you started out as a professional, what was the most-common mistake you made when preparing a dish?
A: When I was working for Leylaty ballroom in Jeddah, I once burned 80 kilos of morels — one of the most expensive mushrooms. But after that, morel became my favorite ingredient. In kitchens — or any job where you work with your hands — if you don’t make mistakes, you’ll never learn.
What’s your top tip for amateur chefs?
Be yourself. Food is all about who you are. You translate what you have within you to people.
What one ingredient can instantly improve any dish?
Garlic. Or onion. They are the essence of food.
When you go out to eat, do you find yourself critiquing the food?
After six years of ‘Top Chef,’ believe me, I don’t want to critique anything. I’m done critiquing. I go out to have fun. I’ve reached a place where I don’t want to critique, I just want to enjoy.
What’s the most-common mistake you find restaurants making?
What annoys me the most is when food doesn’t have a taste because the cook didn’t respect the ingredients. I don’t understand how you can end up cooking a dish that doesn’t taste of anything.
When you go out to eat, what’s your favorite cuisine?
It depends. My cheat meal will always be a burger. But if I want to give myself a treat, I’ll go for sushi — or Japanese cuisine anyway.
What customer behavior or request most annoys you?
When people like something, they don’t try other stuff. I find that sad, rather than annoying. Why did you like the first thing that you tried? Because you tried it. That’s why you have to try other things too.
What’s your favorite dish to cook and why?
I do enjoy things like rolling warak enab (stuffed vine leaves) or stuff that takes time, because I’m a very fast person. I do everything very quickly. So, I like things that calm me down like baking. I like having to wait.
As a head chef, what are you like in the kitchen? Are you laidback? Or a disciplinarian?
I believe that when you are loved, appreciated and respected, you can do wonders. So, that’s what I try to give to the people I work with. Really, I like to dance, I like to sing, I like to enjoy being with my team. But when something goes wrong, something goes wrong. So, sometimes, I do have to shout.
The new annual celebration aims to celebrate the origins of Saudi Arabia.
Wednesday, February 22, marks Saudi Arabia’s Founding Day, a new annual holiday to commemorate the founding of the first Saudi state in Arabia.
The holiday was established with a royal decree issued by King Salman last year through the official Saudi Press Agency. It said the move is meant to commemorate the history of Saudi rule dating back hundreds of years.
It is a different event to Saudi National Day, which is marked on September 22.
What does Founding Day commemorate?
Saudi Arabia’s new annual holiday commemorates the ascendancy to power of Mohammed bin Saud, who founded the First Saudi State.
In February 1727, bin Saud inherited leadership over the central Arabian town of Diriyah, which had been established by his ancestors back in the 15th century.
He oversaw the expansion of Diriyah from a city-state to an emirate, conquering territories in central Arabia and uniting them under his family’s rule.
His dynasty became known as the Al Saud, named after his father, Saud bin Mohammed Al Muqrin, who had ruled Diriyah from 1720, the date often cited as the founding of the dynasty.
Founding Day commemorates these origins and aims to highlight the important part the Al Saud dynasty has played in the history of Arabia.
What was the First Saudi State?
Although Mohammed bin Saud came to power in Diriyah in 1727, the establishment of the First Saudi State is usually dated to 1744.
It was in this year that he allied with Mohammed bin Abdul Wahab, a religious scholar who led a movement that called for a return to the “true” version of Islam.
This alliance was at the heart of the First Saudi State, also known as the Emirate of Diriyah, the first of three Saudi states.
From Diriyah, the Al Saud dynasty quickly expanded to conquer much of the Arabian Peninsula, including the Hejaz region, home to the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah.
This expansion was seen as a threat by the Ottoman Empire, the region’s major power, which sought to restore its influence in Arabia.
After a seven-year war, Ottoman-allied forces led by Egypt’s Ibrahim Pasha defeated the Al Saud and destroyed Diriyah, bringing an end to the First Saudi State in 1818.
From the First Saudi State to the modern kingdom
The Al Saud re-established their state six years later with a new capital at Riyadh, close to Diriyah.
Throughout the 19th century, they competed with the rival Al Rashid dynasty for supremacy over central Arabia. Internal conflicts and military defeats eventually weakened the Al Saud position, leading to the capture of Riyadh by the Al Rashid in 1891 and the end of the Second Saudi State.
Imam Abdulrahman Al Saud, who led the Al Saud at the time, sought refuge with the local Bedouin in the deserts of the Empty Quarter before taking his family to Kuwait.
His son, Abdulaziz, recaptured Riyadh in 1902 in a raid, laying the foundations for the expansion of Saudi rule across Arabia. In 1932, Abdulaziz formalised his reign by establishing the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with himself as its first king.
His sons, including the current King Salman, have ruled the kingdom since.
How is Saudi Arabia’s National Day different from its Founding Day?
Saudi National Day is celebrated annually on September 23. It marks the 1932 decree, issued by King Abdulaziz, which renamed the Kingdom of Najd and the Hejaz as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The unification of the kingdom took place on the 21st of Jumada Al Awwal in 1351 H — which corresponds to September 23, 1932.
Today, National Day is celebrated through fireworks displays, ceremonies and parades.
What will happen on Founding Day? Events to show off traditional crafts, culture and heritage are planned across the kingdom.
Live music and dance performances are scheduled in cities including Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam.
Festivities are expected to last several days, with students given a long weekend until February 27.
Noor Riyadh owes much of its success to the insight and care of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, which enabled the celebration to become the world’s largest in the field of light arts.
Noor Riyadh wrapped up its cultural and artistic events on Saturday, after setting six Guinness World Records, including for largest celebration of light arts.
The 17-day festival achieved five other records for the artwork titled “Pulse of Light” — longest distance covered for a light laser display, largest light laser display, highest and largest display on a building interface, and largest number of drones participating in a creative art show.
The installations were part of the annual festival of light and art featuring more than 190 works by 130 Saudi and international artists from more than 40 countries.
Noor Riyadh is the first such festival implemented under the auspices of Riyadh Art, the first public art initiative in the Kingdom. It aims to transform the capital into a “gallery without walls,” to beautify it and enhance the creative spirit among the population.
The festival, which opened on Nov. 3, has contributed to enriching the Kingdom’s cultural and artistic landscape by receiving more than 2.8 million visitors.
It presented 500 different events in 40 locations throughout the Saudi capital, including King Abdullah Park in the Malaz neighborhood, Alsafarat neighborhood, Diriyah Historical Town and King Abdullah Financial District.
Noor Riyadh owes much of its success to the insight and care of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, which enabled the celebration to become the world’s largest in the field of light arts.
“This success would not have been possible without God’s grace,” said Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan, minister of culture, member of the board of directors of the Royal Commission for Riyadh City, and chairman of the steering committee of Riyadh Art.
“The achievements of the Noor Riyadh are a clear demonstration of the Kingdom’s commitment and continued efforts to support national and international talents and to embrace the greatest celebrations that contribute to placing the Kingdom at the forefront of the global art landscape,” Prince Badr added.
He emphasized the importance of continuing efforts to strengthen partnerships with all relevant parties in the future.
Noor Riyadh’s celebrations will be accompanied by an exhibition titled “From Rays to Passion,” which will be held in the Jax neighborhood and will run until Feb. 4, offering visitors an artistic journey of creative light transformation in the past and future, through the continuation of workshops and dialogues presented by elite artists and experts.
source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)
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‘Noor Riyadh 2022,’ which lasted 17 days and ended on Saturday (November 19, 2022), achieved six Guinness World Records titles. More than 130 male and female artists from 40 countries took part in “Noor Al Riyadh,’ presenting more than 190 works of art. (Supplied)
