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RIYADH: The commander of US Central Command General Michael “Erik” Kurilla thanked Saudi Arabia for its support in evacuating US citizens from Sudan on Monday.
During a phone call with the Royal Saudi Chief of General Staff Lieutenant-General Fayyadh bin Hamed Al-Ruwaili, Kurilla said the Kingdom had provided access, basing, and overflights as well as resources to evacuate hundreds of American citizens.
“This support allowed the movement of these Americans from Sudan to safety in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia,” Kurilla said.
He added that the rapid coordination between the two countries was “allowed due to the firm US-Saudi partnership, which dates back more than seven decades.”
“We will continue to build on that partnership into the future,” he said.
Saudi Arabia evacuated over 200 people from Sudan on Monday and those on board HMS Abha included American citizens.
RIYADH: Saudi digital media artist Rayan Mal had a gut feeling that this would be his career when he took his first picture with a camera given to him by his father.
“I felt strange inside as I held this expensive camera. This means a lot to me because the first image I ever took was for my mother, who passed away a few years later,” he said.
Gradually, Mal expanded beyond photography and entered the field of filmmaking, incorporating digital work into the videos.
“I use digital art in my images and videos to convey what’s happening in my head. Adding motion graphics and creative designs gives the content a lovely taste and lets the viewer see what’s happening in my head. It’s kind of like a visual message I offer to others,” Mal said.
He has received short video prizes, including one from Turki Al-Sheikh, the chairman of the General Authority for Entertainment.
A post shared by مصور فيديو | ريان مال (@rayan.mal1996)
“I was awarded by Turki Al-Sheikh, which was something that I did not expect, but it feels so good that the officials are focusing on the youth’s talent and supporting them, and this makes me want to do more for my country,” Mal said.
During the pandemic, Mal recorded a short video on how Makkah dealt with COVID-19 and the efforts made by the authorities. It earned him the Waai Award 2021 in the short film category from the Ministry of Health.
The young artist also made a video in Boulevard Riyadh City on the occasion of Saudi Arabia’s 92nd National Day, which was also retweeted by Al-Sheikh.
#البوليفارد يكتسي باللون الأخضر؛ احتفاءً بـ #اليوم_الوطني_السعودي_92
عبر:
@rayan_ma1 pic.twitter.com/iPPu7byaey
During the pandemic, Mal recorded a short video on how Makkah dealt with COVID-19 and the efforts made by the authorities.
A post shared by مصور فيديو | ريان مال (@rayan.mal1996)
It earned him the Waai Award 2021 in the short film category from the Ministry of Health.
To showcase one of the season’s festivals of cosplay talent in the Boulevard world, he shot an incredible movie, edited it, and added his designs and effects to make it nostalgic. This was part of his ongoing creative projects for the Riyadh Season.
His “Hajj Feelings” short video, which highlighted pilgrims’ experience and organization of Saudi officials during Hajj, also won him an award in a competition from the Ministry of Interior in 2019.
I’m from Makkah, the home of Islam and people of all colors and ethnicities. Inmy videos, I like to demonstrate how my hometown treats visitors with grace and humanity.
Rayan Mal, Saudi artist
“I’m from Makkah, the home of Islam and people of all colors and ethnicities. In my videos, I like to demonstrate how my hometown treats visitors with grace and humanity,” he said.
In future, Mal wants to make his own production house to collaborate and connect talents with other people and businesses to expand the digital art community in the Kingdom.
“I have seen tremendous potential in people younger than me. I also feel that the Kingdom focuses on talents and the art scene and produces art events everywhere. If we only believe, we can outperform international shows,” he said.
RIYADH: Red Sea Global, the multi-project developer behind The Red Sea and Amaala, launched Akun, a new adventure sports brand that will offer unique experiences for guests at RSG destinations.
“At Red Sea Global, we believe the experiences available for our guests are just as important as the destination itself,” said Red Sea Global Group CEO John Pagano.
“Akun will offer a diverse range of ‘bucket-list’ adventures set in, over and throughout breath-taking sea and landscapes, and each builds on the exciting sense of exploration we nurture at our destinations,” Pagano added.
At RSG destinations, the brand will operate and manage adventure and sports experiences such as gravel, mountain, fat-tire, and electric biking, as well as trail running and hiking along diverse natural paths. Climbing, scrambling, and a variety of action sports for both beginners and athletes will be offered as well.
Akun will also be closely connected to the local communities in each destination, developing conservation and cultural paths and presenting the history of these ancient sites.
The brand is one of several RSG-owned subsidiary firms that will boost its developments.
The first two subsidiary businesses — WAMA, which offers water sports activities, and Galaxea, which offers diving experiences — were announced in February.
“Combined with WAMA and Galaxea, our water sports and diving brands, we can now offer a full trio package of sporting experiences ahead of our first guests arriving at The Red Sea this year,” said Pagano.
Akun has already signed two initial partnership deals with operators Bungy New Zealand and Air Sports Group, which will both assess the enormous capacity for adventure tourism at RSG destinations.
Air Sports Group will conduct a 13-week on-site technical evaluation to determine the potential for air sports in Amaala and The Red Sea, featuring sports such as skydiving, paragliding, paramotoring, and hot air ballooning.
Three Red Sea resorts will open this year, along with the first phase of the Red Sea International Airport, which will welcome domestic flights. When completed in 2030, the destination will have 50 resorts with up to 8,000 hotel rooms and over 1,000 residential buildings spread across 22 islands and six inland areas.
RIYADH: The Saudi National Committee of Workers Committees hosted a forum on Monday to mark International Workers’ Day and help boost communication and cooperation between labor organizations to benefit the workforce.
“We confirm our commitment to protecting workers and their rights in our country by presenting proposals and initiatives that help address their situation,” said the organization’s chairman, Nasser Al-Jarid.
“We stress the importance of fostering social dialogue among the concerned parties involved in production to achieve optimal solutions and results that balance the interests of all parties and prioritize the national interest. This approach contributes to the development and prosperity of the economy.”
The aims of the forum, which took place in Riyadh under the patronage of Minister of Human Resources and Social Development Ahmed Al-Rajhi, included strengthening communication among members of labor organizations, promoting a labor culture, and showcasing success stories, organizers said.
It also set out to provide leaders of labor-related organizations with opportunities to meet, share their experiences, build partnerships, discuss challenges, and encourage the development of positive initiatives designed to benefit all workers.
The event highlighted best practices for labor committees in efforts to achieve their goals, along with topics related to boosting productivity, balancing the interests of workers and their employers, and stable labor relations.
The participants took part in dialogue sessions and workshops that addressed effective ways in which emerging technologies can be leveraged to overcome challenges and realize aspirations; the challenges facing workers in business environments; and ways to raise awareness about the rights of women in the workplace in accordance with Saudi labor laws.
The forum concluded by honoring the trailblazers of the labor movement in Saudi Arabia.
International Workers’ Day, known as Labor Day in some countries and often referred to as May Day, is a celebration of workers that is promoted by the international labor movement and observed every year on May 1 or the first Monday of the month.
RIYADH: The Kingdom’s General Authority for Survey and Geospatial Information took part in the UN World Data Forum in Hangzhou, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday.
The delegation was led by Mohammed bin Yahya Al-Sayel, president of the GASGI.
The event was attended by a number of regional and international government and donor agencies.
The UN forum discussed several critical topics, including innovation and partnerships for more comprehensive data, maximizing the value of data to support decision-making, as well as trends and emerging partnerships to develop data systems.
The event aims to strengthen collaborations across sectors and to advocate for political and financial support for data, given its critical role in achieving sustainable development goals.
RIYADH: Over 200 people evacuated by Saudi Arabia from Sudan arrived in Jeddah on HMS Abha on Monday, the Kingdom’s Foreign Ministry said.
The evacuees included 41 Saudi citizens and 171 people from countries including Afghanistan, Philippines, Comoros, Sri Lanka, Ukraine, Madagascar, the UK, Syria, and the US.
The Kingdom is keen to provide all the basic needs for nationals of friendly countries in preparation for facilitating their departure to their homelands, the ministry said.
The latest Saudi evacuation brings the total number of those evacuated from Sudan to 5,409 people (225 Saudi citizens, and 5,184 people belonging to 102 nationalities).