Drug smuggling operations foiled across Kingdom

RIYADH: Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University in Riyadh will host a ceremony on Wednesday to honor the winners of the seventh Princess Nourah Award for Women’s Excellence, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The event, held under the patronage of King Salman, will be hosted at the university’s Conference and Convention Center and will be attended by Princess Fahda bint Falah Al-Hathleen, the spouse of the king.

This year’s award will recognize outstanding contributions in six categories: Natural sciences, health sciences, social initiatives, artistic works, economic projects and humanities.

The categories, covering both theoretical and practical fields, were opened for nominations last October, according to the SPA.

This year’s award marks a milestone, receiving a record-breaking 714 nominations from across the Kingdom, highlighting the increasing recognition and impact of the initiative.

Last year, the award introduced refined evaluation and selection processes, adopting more precise and objective criteria to ensure fairness and transparency.

The award framework was also updated to reflect national priorities and global developments, further enhancing credibility and reach.

The Princess Nourah Award for Women’s Excellence aims to highlight the accomplishments of Saudi women and recognize distinguished and creative people.

It also seeks to support outstanding women-led efforts and inspire future generations of women to contribute to comprehensive national development.

RIYADH: Beware of unauthorized individuals or groups offering assistance in applying for land use in the national capital, the Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC) advised the public on Sunday.

The Commission issued the warning as it announced that it has begun implementing the royal directive issued by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on taking practical measures to achieve balance in the real estate sector in Riyadh, the Saudi Press Agency reported. 

The RCRC noted that it is currently working on developing an electronic platform dedicated to receiving land use applications directly from citizens without the need for any intermediaries or external parties. 

Any claims or messages published regarding the existence of entities that allow or facilitate applications are baseless, the RCRC said. 

The Commission also called on everyone to obtain information from official sources only, and to beware of any fraudulent attempts claiming to grant land outside the regulatory framework. 

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman earlier directed a series of measures aimed at achieving stability in the sector.

Among these measures was the lifting of restrictions on land transactions and development in northern Riyadh, as recommended in a study by the RCRC and the Council of Economic and Development Affairs.