Day: May 19, 2022

Riyadh-- The Ministry of Interior has extended the grace period for allowing citizens to license illegal weapons and ammunition and suspends the legal accountability measures and penalties stipulated in the arms and ammunition system, which impose financial fines, imprisonment, and denial of licensing for violators, for one year starting from 17/10/ 1443 AH.

The Ministry called on all citizens to take the initiative to disclose their unlicensed weapons and ammunition, per the Weapons and Ammunition System issued by Royal Decree No. (M/45) dated 07/25/1426 AH and its executive regulations and instructions issued in this regard, as well as weapons that have been transferred to them by inheritance or will, and to hand them over voluntarily or legalize their status by reporting to the nearest police station before the end of the deadline on 16/10/1444 AH.

The ministry noted that the forms and instructions for this initiative can be obtained through the ministry's website www.moi.gov.sa, and booking an appointment for attendance through the appointment service on the Absher platform.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

New York-- The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has stressed that it made important steps to enhance food security and prepared strategies aiming at enhancing food growth and facing climate change challenges and scarcity of water resources, where these efforts have contributed to improving food security indicators in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

These remarks were made during a speech that was delivered, on behalf of Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Eng. Waleed Elkhereiji during the Global Food Security Ministerial Meeting that was called for by the USA at the UN.

Eng. Elkhereiji said: What the international community is facing today of challenges require enhancing multilateral international cooperation, especially that the joint challenge we are facing today of food insecurity has proven that the way towards sustainable recovery relies on the cooperation of all to face it.

The deputy minister noted that there are several challenges and risks posing a real threat to completing the development process and the global food security.

He added: These challenges include global health challenges related to the spread of epidemics, where the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has revealed the weak level of the international system in combating a virus that cannot be seen in the bare eye, which led to strong turmoils that affected societies and economies and had devastating repercussions on the lives and living conditions of people and economic indicators whose trends reversed from uptrends to downtrends.

He also said that it negatively affected the development gains that were hardly achieved and caused shortages in the global food needs and led to big hikes in the level of food insecurity, mainly in the most underprivileged countries.

Eng. Elkhereiji went on saying: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which stresses the right of mankind to decent living under a sustainable and comprehensive health environment that provides all tools of comfort, has made great efforts in leading global response to this pandemic that coincided with the term of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s presidency of the G20, where my country supported global efforts in facing this pandemic with USD 500 million, in addition to offering USD 300 million to help countries’ efforts in combating the pandemic and exerted big humanitarian efforts in supporting the neediest countries in facing the negative impacts of the pandemic.

He also mentioned that challenges are also related to the environment and climate change, where the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia attaches great importance to protect planet earth and biodiversity and preserve healthy ecosystems that are considered a main reason for maintaining food security.

He noted that the ambitious Saudi Vision 2030 has focused its sustainable development efforts on building a sustainable agricultural sector, enhancing sectors that support food systems, developing systems and improving agricultural productivity, and boosting the abilities of research and innovation to ensure a sustainable progress for food security.

The deputy minister also pointed out that the challenges are also concerned with security and armed conflicts, which are considered top and most dangerous challenges for their direct threat to the development process and global food security.

Eng. Elkhereiji also reiterated that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s foreign policy places great attention to instilling security and stability, supporting dialogue and peaceful solutions, and providing circumstances supporting development and realizing the aspirations of people in receiving a better future, whether in the Middle East or beyond, which can be seen in the peace efforts exerted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in reaching this end.

He also stressed that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is considered with development issues and humanitarian efforts that contribute to supporting developing countries, where, out of its humanitarian, pioneering role and its responsibility towards the international community, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has always affirmed its commitments to this big role in helping the neediest and affected countries from natural disasters and humanitarian crises, noting that Saudi Arabia is the biggest donor country in terms of humanitarian and development assistance at the Arab and Islamic levels and among the biggest three donor countries at the international level.

The deputy minister, at the end of his speech, referred to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s affirmation on the importance of enhancing multilateral values and international cooperation that are stipulated in the UN covenant to realize the Sustainable Development Goals and overcoming increasing international challenges to reach a more comprehensive and fairer world and enhance the welfare of peoples.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Riyadh-- The Ministerial Conference for Global Food Security affirmed its commitment to act with urgency, at scale, and in concert to respond to the urgent food security and nutrition needs of millions of people in vulnerable situations the world.

The statement is issued by the US Department of State, as the United States of America’s Chair of a Global Food Security Ministerial Meeting held at United Nations Headquarters, and endorsed by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Albania, Australia, Brazil, Canada, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, France, Germany, Ghana, Guyana, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lebanon, Lithuania, Mauritania, Mexico, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Qatar, Romania, Senegal, Sweden, Tunisia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Ukraine, and Yemen.

It committed to provide immediate humanitarian assistance, build resilience of those in vulnerable situations, support social protection and safety nets, and strengthen sustainable, resilient, and inclusive food systems in line with the objectives of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals, and the objectives of the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit.

The participants note with grave concern that the newly-released 2022 Global Report on Food Crises indicates that the number of people facing acute food insecurity greatly increased from 135 million in 2019 to 193 million in 2021 in the 53 countries most in need of assistance, and that nearly 40 million people across 36 countries experienced emergency levels of acute food insecurity, just one step away from famine. Driven by conflicts, extreme climate-related events, such as historic multi-season droughts and floods; economic shocks, including the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on livelihoods, incomes, and food prices; and a multitude of other threats to human, animal and crop health.

They reaffirmed the vital role of the UN system, its implementing partners, and non-government organizations in responding to the global food security crisis, in particular through the work of the World Food Programme, Food and Agriculture Organization, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, International Fund for Agricultural Development, United Nations Children’s Fund, and the Global Network against Food Crises. We strongly support the swift initiative of the UN Secretary-General in ensuring a coordinated and comprehensive response through the UN Secretariat’s Global Crisis Response Group on Food, Energy and Finance (GCRG).

They welcome the G7’s efforts under the German Presidency’s leadership to prioritize and respond to the escalating global food security crisis, most prominently the shaping of a Global Alliance for Food Security, looking forward to addressing food security as a core component of social, economic, and environmental development under Indonesia’s G20 Presidency, recalling also the G20 Matera Declaration on Food Security, Nutrition and Food Systems promoted under the Italian G20 Presidency.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

N'Djamena-- King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) distributed Tuesday 800 food baskets to women, literacy, and Holy Quraan education centers, in N'Djamena, the Republic of Chad, benefiting 4,800 people.

This aid comes as part of the relief and humanitarian efforts provided by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, represented by KSrelief, to the affected countries and peoples around the world.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Jeddah-- Three renowned professors have been selected as winners of the 1443H (2022) Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Prize for Impactful Achievement in Islamic Economics for their significant and influential contributions in the field of Islamic economics and finance.

The winners, Prof. Habib Ahmed (first prize), Prof. Mansur Masih (second prize), and Prof. Tariqullah Khan (third prize), are internationally recognized academics who produced pioneering and impactful scholarly works.

Prof. Habib Ahmed, the Sharjah Chair in Islamic Law and Finance at Durham University, Durham, U.K., was selected for the first prize in recognition of his pioneering and innovative work in Islamic economics and finance that pushed forward knowledge and influenced policymaking for the use of Islamic finance in socio-economic development.

Prof. Mansur Masih, a Senior Professor at University Kuala Lumpur Business School, Malaysia, won the second prize for his original and pioneering contributions to econometric applications of Islamic finance.

Prof. Tariqullah Khan, a professor at the Faculty of Business and Management Sciences, Istanbul Zaim University, Turkey, won the third prize in recognition of his work to integrate Islamic economics and finance with sustainable development and circular economy.

This year’s prize cycle aims to recognize, reward and encourage significant knowledge contributions in Islamic economics with the potential to solve major development challenges of IsDB member countries. The prize comes with a USD 50,000 award for the first prize winner, USD 30,000 for the second prize, and USD 20,000 for the third prize.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Jeddah-- The Jeddah Season 2022 management announced an official sponsorship for the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup final, which will be held today, Thursday, May 19, between Al Hilal and Al Fayha at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah.

This sponsorship is part of the Season Management's efforts to form partnerships with different sectors, through presence and interaction with various national and official sporting events.

Source: Saudi Press Agency