Revival of traditional arts brings Al-Dayer to life
Folk art groups emphasized the significance of heritage in tourism, providing a glimpse into the cultural tapestry of the region’s provinces
Updated 18 February 2024
Arab News
RIYADH: The vibrant colors and rhythms of traditional arts captivated those attending the Coffee Harvest, a highlight of the International Saudi Coffee Exhibition 2024.
Organized by the Jazan Development Strategic Office in collaboration with local authorities, the event, running until Feb. 20 in the Al-Dayer governorate, featured diverse performances and exhibits, turning the area into a cultural hub.
Folk art groups emphasized the significance of heritage in tourism, providing a glimpse into the cultural tapestry of the region’s provinces. As well as providing entertainment, they connected younger generations with their ancestors’ cultural legacies.
The event showcased the agricultural and touristic treasures of the mountain provinces, with a special focus on Jazan and its renowned coffee industry. It was supported by the Social Development Bank, with 120 artisan families from the Civil Development Association in Al-Dayer taking part.
Displays offered visitors a glimpse of local craftsmanship and traditions, providing a valuable marketing platform from which to draw attention to artisanal skills.
The exhibits not only highlighted Jazan’s cultural heritage but also emphasized the pivotal role of women in the region’s socio-economic landscape. Through their contributions to handicrafts and other fields, women demonstrated their ability to shape and enrich local culture.
Those who attended immersed themselves in the region’s vibrant heritage and enjoyed discovering a wide variety of local products, from clothing and perfumes to traditional foods and accessories.
ACWA Power and Saudi Aramco ink deals to boost renewables, hydrogen, and desalination
Updated 34 sec ago
Nadin Hassan
RIYADH: Saudi utility giant ACWA Power has signed two agreements with Aramco to accelerate the deployment of renewable energy projects and evaluate the performance of vanadium flow batteries in the Kingdom’s climate.
The first agreement, inked during ACWA Power’s third flagship Innovation Days event, involves the development of an advanced photovoltaic energy forecasting project. The initiative will use big data analytics and machine learning to improve solar power generation predictions.
By improving forecasting accuracy, the model aims to strengthen grid stability, optimize energy dispatch, and improve microgrid management.
The second deal focuses on measuring the efficiency and durability of vanadium flow battery technology in Saudi Arabia’s climate. This initiative will examine how well these batteries can store energy over extended periods and contribute to the increased use of renewables, particularly for water desalination.
This undertaking aligns with the Kingdom’s strategic push for clean energy, reinforcing the initiative’s goal to advance collaboration in renewables and hydrogen technologies while solidifying the nation’s role in the global energy transition.
“By investing in cutting-edge desalination technologies alongside renewable energy innovation and green hydrogen production solutions, we are paving the way for a more resilient and sustainable energy and water infrastructure in Saudi Arabia,” said Thomas Altmann, executive vice president for Innovation and New Technology at ACWA Power.
An agreement was reached by ACWA Power and Hysata. Supplied
Four other agreements were signed by ACWA Power with UK-based Bluewater Bio, global chemicals producer Dow, Australian hydrogen electrolyzer manufacturer Hysata, and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology.
ACWA Power and Bluewater Bio partnered to test advanced filtration technology for desalination projects in Saudi Arabia, with the aims of enhancing the efficiency and sustainability of the process.
Additionally, a desalination-related agreement was signed with Dow to test its anti-scaling chemicals at ACWA Power’s pilot facility.
This initiative aims to gather valuable data on the effectiveness of these chemicals in preventing scaling and contributing to the development of more sustainable solutions.
A pilot agreement between ACWA Power and Australian hydrogen technology company Hysata will focus on advancing cost-effective green hydrogen production, and will facilitate an in-country demonstration of the firm’s high-efficiency electrolyzer technology in the Saudi Arabia.
Representatives from ACWA Power and KAUST shake hands on a deal. Supplied
In addition, ACWA Power and KAUST have extended their master research agreement, to further strengthen their partnership in innovative sustainable solutions for water desalination and solar energy.
Since 2019, the two entities have jointly operated the Center of Excellence for Desalination and Solar Power, fostering research and innovation to support the Kingdom’s ambitious sustainability agenda.
These agreements underscore Saudi Arabia’s commitment to technological advancement and energy transition, reinforcing its leadership in the global shift toward renewables and sustainable water solutions.
The utility company also signed a framework agreement with Fraunhofer IMWS, Fraunhofer ISC, and Fraunhofer IWES, initiating a strategic collaboration in renewable energy and green hydrogen research and development.
This partnership aims to drive innovation in the clean energy sector by leveraging Fraunhofer's expertise in materials science, energy systems, and hydrogen technologies.
The agreement lays the groundwork for joint research initiatives focused on enhancing efficiency, sustainability, and technological advancement in the global energy transition.
Under the theme Innovate for Impact, the inaugural three-day event was held in Riyadh from Feb. 3 to 5, and welcomed over 1,000 delegates.
Held under the patronage of the Ministry of Energy, the gathering focused on elevant technologies brought together government dignitaries, industry leaders, and innovators, researchers, and academics to discuss accelerating the deployment of new technologies, institutionalizing foresight and forward-thinking in the energy transition landscape, and making significant contributions to the realization of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.
ISLAMABAD: An anti-corruption court on Thursday acquitted Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his son Hamza Shahbaz on charges of using public funds to benefit Ramzan Sugar Mills, built by the premier’s father in 1992 and part of the Sharif Group of Companies.
The case, filed by the National Accountability Bureau on Feb. 18, 2019, involved allegations Sharif had used public funds to build a sludge carrier in Chiniot district in Punjab province to benefit Ramzan Sugar Mills, owned by his sons. Sharif was the chief minister of Punjab province at the time. NAB had alleged the project inflicted a loss of Rs213 million to the national exchequer.
“An Anti-Corruption Court Lahore has acquitted Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and former Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz in the Ramzan Sugar Mills case,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan said on Thursday. “The verdict was announced by Judge of Anti-Corruption Court Sardar Iqbal Dogar in Lahore.”
Sharif and son Hamza were indicted in the case in 2019. They had pleaded during hearings since that the sludge carrier was not constructed only to cater to the family’s mill but to benefit the area.
“The acquittal came after the NAB informed the court that it had found no evidence of financial corruption or misuse of authority by Shehbaz and stated and stated that the allegations of misuse of authority and corruption against the former prime minister were not substantiated under the National Accountability Ordinance of 1999,” Pakistan’s top news channel, Geo News, reported.
“The premier and former chief minister, in the 2018 reference, was accused of causing massive financial loss to the national kitty by awarding the contract to a construction firm without a competitive bidding process.”
In Nov. 2023, Sharif and 10 others were acquitted by an accountability court in the Lahore in the Ashiana-e-Iqbal Housing Scheme reference.
Sharif, 73, is the younger brother of three-time Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who spearheaded their Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party’s election campaign for the 2024 general election.
This is Sharif’s second term as prime minister. He first replaced cricketer-turned politician Imran Khan as prime minister after the latter’s ouster in a no-confidence vote in parliament in April 2022.
Sharif is best known for his direct, “can-do” administrative style, which was on display when, as chief minister of Punjab province, he worked closely with China on Beijing-funded projects after 2013. He also planned and executed a number of ambitious infrastructure mega-projects, including Pakistan’s first modern mass transport system in his hometown, the eastern city of Lahore.
Oman’s property market expands 29.5% as foreign investment grows
Mortgage contracts accounted for the largest share of transactions in 2024, reaching 2.2 billion rials
Real estate sector’s contribution to GDP hit 820.7 million rials in the first nine months
Updated 6 min 34 sec ago
Nirmal Narayanan
RIYADH: Oman’s real estate sector surged 29.5 percent in 2024, with total transactions reaching 3.3 billion Omani rials ($8.57 billion), driven by foreign investment and government-led reforms.
The real estate sector’s contribution to the country’s gross domestic product hit 820.7 million rials in the first nine months of the year, according to data from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning, cited by Oman News Agency.
The sector’s growth aligns with broader trends in the Middle East, where countries are actively advancing their economic diversification programs.
In Saudi Arabia, the property sector maintained its upward trajectory in the fourth quarter of 2024, with the real estate price index rising 3.6 percent year on year.
The UAE is also witnessing robust expansion, with Dubai’s residential sales surging 30 percent year on year to $32.4 billion in the fourth quarter.
Qatar recorded 3,548 real estate transactions in 2024, totaling $3.97 billion.
Oman’s government has introduced several initiatives to accelerate real estate sector growth, including easing property ownership laws for foreigners and offering tax incentives to developers.
According to Oman News Agency, mortgage contracts accounted for the largest share of transactions in 2024, reaching 2.2 billion rials.
Sales contracts in Oman’s real estate market stood at 1 billion rials, while swap contracts were valued at 13 million rials.
Reflecting an increase in international investments, foreign real estate trading in Oman grew 19.4 percent in 2024 compared to 2023.
Real estate transactions by Gulf Cooperation Council nationals reached 38.1 million rials, registering a year-on-year increase of 16.5 percent.
Among Oman’s governorates, South Al Batinah led the fastest-growing real estate markets, posting a 244.4 percent surge with a trading value of 1.2 billion rials.
Al Batinah North recorded transactions worth 877 million rials, reflecting a growth rate of 122.8 percent.
Al Dakhiliya Governorate saw a 119.2 percent increase, with real estate transactions amounting to 380 million rials.
Al Sharqiyah North recorded a growth rate of 101.6 percent, with a turnover of 135 million rials.
In Muscat Governorate, real estate transactions reached 1.2 billion rials in 2024, expanding at a more modest rate of 1.7 percent.
France delivers first Mirage 2000 fighter jets to Ukraine: minister
France announced the delivery of the first fighter jets as talk of a negotiated end to the nearly three-year war has risen with Donald Trump back in the White House and Ukraine’s troops struggling on
Updated 51 min 13 sec ago
AFP
Paris: France on Thursday delivered a first consignment of Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets to Ukraine to help Kyiv defend its airspace against Russia, Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu said on Thursday.
“The first of these aircraft have arrived in Ukraine today,” Lecornu said on X, without saying how many had been delivered. After France helped train Ukrainian pilots over recent months, “they will now help defend Ukraine’s skies,” he added.
Last June, President Emmanuel Macron announced that France would transfer Mirage 2000-5 aircraft to Ukraine and train their Ukrainian pilots as part of military cooperation with Kyiv.
Of the 26 Mirage 2000-5 aircraft owned by the French air force, six were to be transferred to Ukraine, according to a budget report published by France’s National Assembly lower house.
The French defense ministry neither denied nor confirmed the figure for security reasons.
Ukrainian pilots and mechanics have been trained in eastern France to use the jets, which have undergone modifications including to combat Russian jamming.
France announced the delivery of the first fighter jets as talk of a negotiated end to the nearly three-year war has risen with Donald Trump back in the White House and Ukraine’s troops struggling on the battlefield in the east.
In August, Ukraine received its first consignment of US-made F-16 fighter jets.
Saudi Arabia explores partnership opportunities with India’s TATA Group
Updated 57 min 25 sec ago
Nirmal Narayanan
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is exploring collaboration opportunities with India’s largest business conglomerate TATA Group in multiple sectors, including military, aviation, and electronics.
According to a Saudi Press Agency report, the Kingdom’s Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources, Bandar Alkhorayef, met with officials of the group’s affiliates, TATA Defense, TATA Electronics Limited, and TATA Steel, where he discussed cooperation avenues.
During the meeting, the Saudi minister outlined the economic diversification goals of the Vision 2030 program and highlighted investment opportunities in the country’s industrial sector.
The Indian conglomerate’s affiliate TATA Motors is already operating in Saudi Arabia, with the automobile manufacturer celebrating its 30th anniversary in the Kingdom in November.
India and Saudi Arabia share a strong trade and bilateral relationship, and according to the latest report by the General Authority for Statistics, India was the second favorite destination for the Kingdom’s non-oil exports in November, with outbound shipments to the Asian nation amounting to SR2.52 billion ($670 million) — a rise of 19.43 percent compared to the previous month.
During the meeting with Alkhorayef, Sukaran Singh, CEO of Tata Defense, showcased the company’s products, including military aircraft and vehicles.
He also highlighted the firm’s expertise in designing, building, and operating military factories.
HE Minister of #Industry_and_Mineral_Resources, Bandar AlKhorayef, visited TATA Group's headquarters in Mumbai, and met with the company leaders to explore new avenues for collaboration in aerospace,defense, steel and electronics industries. pic.twitter.com/MFKwTTHt4L
TV Narendran, CEO of Tata Steel, showcased the company’s expertise in exporting materials in the construction, automotive, and supply chain sectors across various international markets.
SPA added that Tata Electronics and Saudi Arabia’s National Industrial Development Center also discussed potential collaboration opportunities to foster the development of the semiconductor industry within the Kingdom.
Alkhorayef’s visit to India had already seen a new deal prior to the latest meeting, with the countries agreeing to strengthen cooperation in the critical minerals sector on Feb. 4.
The Saudi official and Indian Minister of Coal and Mines G. Kishan Reddy discussed building a resilient mineral supply chain to reduce import dependency and promoting joint ventures in the critical minerals sector to support the energy transition journey.
Alkhorayef began his visit to India on Feb. 3, leading a high-level delegation from the industry ministry and the Local Content and Government Procurement Authority. The meeting aimed to enhance industrial collaboration with India and attract high-value investments.
Earlier this month, Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Minister of Finance for International Relations Khalid Bawazier met with Suhel Ajaz Khan, ambassador of India to the Kingdom, where they discussed bilateral relations and other issues of common interest.
