Day: June 4, 2022

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Two Saudi Delegations to Visit US as Ties Improve

RIYADH — Two Saudi government delegations plan to visit the United States this month, officials said Saturday, as Riyadh and Washington step up efforts to fix strained ties and lay the ground for an eventual visit by U.S. President Joe Biden.

The first delegation is expected to visit Washington on June 15 and will be led by Saudi Minister of Commerce Majid bin Abdullah al-Qasabi. The second, led by Investment Minister Khaled Al-Falih, is planned by the end of the month, two officials said.

The officials declined to be named as the plans had not been made public.

The delegations are expected to include dozens of government officials and Saudi company executives who will discuss agreements and deals in several sectors including transportation, logistics and renewable energy, they said.

The Saudi government did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Biden publicly acknowledged Friday that he may travel to Saudi Arabia soon, a trip that multiple sources say is expected and could include talks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The visit would help mend relations with Saudi Arabia, which have come under strain because of rising energy prices, the Yemen war and the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018 at the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul.

Biden's announcement followed a decision on Thursday from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies, known as OPEC+, to boost oil output, and an agreement between the Saudi-backed government and the Iran-aligned Houthis to extend a truce in Yemen. Biden and the White House praised Saudi Arabia for both decisions.

The U.S. stance is also changing as it worries about Gulf states' deepening ties with China and Russia.

"Regardless, if Biden's visit takes place or not, both sides are working to restore ties on an institutional level and in different sectors," said one of the officials.

Source: Voice of America

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Saudi Receives First Foreign Hajj Pilgrims Since Before Pandemic

RIYADH — Saudi Arabia on Saturday welcomed its first batch of hajj pilgrims since before the coronavirus pandemic, which prompted authorities to sharply restrict the annual ritual.

The group from Indonesia landed in the city of Medina and was set to travel south to the holy city of Mecca in the coming weeks to prepare for the hajj next month, state media reported.

"Today we received the first group of this year's pilgrims from Indonesia, and the flights will continue from Malaysia and India," Mohammed al-Bijawi of the country's Hajj Ministry told the state-run Al-Ekhbariya channel.

"Today we are happy to receive the guests of God from outside the kingdom, after a two-year interruption due to the pandemic," he added, describing Saudi Arabia as "fully prepared" to accommodate them.

One of the five pillars of Islam, the hajj must be undertaken by all Muslims who have the means at least once in their lives.

Usually one of the world's largest religious gatherings, about 2.5 million people participated in 2019.

But after the onset of the pandemic in 2020, Saudi authorities announced they would only let 1,000 pilgrims take part.

The following year, they increased the total to 60,000 fully vaccinated Saudi citizens and residents chosen through a lottery.

Barring overseas pilgrims caused deep disappointment among Muslims worldwide, who typically save for years to take part.

In April, the kingdom announced it would permit one million Muslims from inside and outside the country to participate in this year's hajj, which will take place in July.

The hajj consists of a series of religious rites that are completed over five days in Islam's holiest city, Mecca, and surrounding areas of western Saudi Arabia.

Hosting the hajj is a matter of prestige for Saudi rulers, as the custodianship of Islam's holiest sites is the most powerful source of their political legitimacy.

Before the pandemic, Muslim pilgrimages were major revenue earners for the kingdom, bringing in about $12 billion annually.

This year's pilgrimage will be limited to vaccinated Muslims under age 65, the hajj ministry has said.

Those coming from outside Saudi Arabia, who must apply for hajj visas, are required to submit a negative Covid-19 PCR result from a test taken within 72 hours of travel.

Source: Voice of America

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KSrelief distributes 1100 food baskets in Al-Muzaffar directorate, Taiz governorate, Yemen

Taiz, Yemen, King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) has distributed 1100 food baskets, benefiting 6600families, it was reported today.

The assistance, which was distributed yesterday, comes as part of the relief and humanitarian efforts extended by the Kingdom's KSrelif targeting the distribution of more than 192000 food baskets weighing more than 20000 tons on a number of needy families in 15 Yemeni governorates.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

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Education and Training Evaluation Commission, in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, implements the National Tests (NAFS), prior to the end of the 3rd semester

Riyadh, Education and Training Evaluation Commission (ETEC), in cooperation with the Ministry of Education (MoE), carries out the National Tests (NAFS), as one of the main tracks of The National Assessment For Schools (NAFS). It will be the first time in Saudi Arabia to implement such nationwide tests that cover all primary and Middle schools (around 20k schools and around 500k participating students). ETEC has announced that the National Tests (NAFS) will be implemented annually to assess educational achievement of students in primary and Middle schools. Such a nationwide assessment provides reliable data to support decision-making and motivate competition and excellence among schools and education offices and directorates. It will also provide accurate measurement for some Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) of the Human Capability Development Program (one of the Vision 2030 programs).

Following best international practices, the National Tests (NAFS) will take place prior to the end of each school year. A representative sample of the 6th and 9th graders at each school (public, private, or international) will take a designed test covering three domains of the national curriculum (Reading, Math, and Science). In addition, a representative sample of the 3rd graders in a set of primary schools, that will be selected randomly, will be tested in order to assess learning outcomes in math and reading at the national level as well as at the education directorate level for early school levels. Ninth grade students will be tested on June 5th-8th, whereas primary school students (grades 3 and 6) will be tested on June 9th-14th. In addition to answering the test questions, participating students will be asked to complete a questionnaire attached to the test booklet. There are also questionnaires to be answered by school principals as well as teachers and parents of the participating students.

The National Tests (NAFS) come as a result of the joint effort and continuous collaboration between ETEC and MoE to raise the quality of education in the Kingdom in alignment with Vision-2030 and the Human Capability Development Program to prepare globally competitive citizens. Results of the National Tests will be published in ETEC platforms, including Tarteeb’s, to promote positive competition and motivate excellence in education, as well as to help parents to know how schools of their kids are performing.

Both ETEC and MoE are looking forward to the contribution of the interested parties in the National Tests, and expect educators, parents, and students to cooperate for a successful implementation, to realize the national goals of enhancing teaching and learning, improving school performance, and promoting efficiency of the education system.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

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King Khalid University Wins Global Blackboard LMS Award 2022

Abha, King Khalid University, represented by the Deanship of e-Learning, recently won the global “Blackboard” Learning Management System (LMS) Award 2022, in the Teaching and Learning Branch in recognition of its initiative to adopt the full e-learning pattern in 3 scientific courses taught in all university branches.

The Dean of the e-Learning Deanship at King Khalid University, Dr. Adel Al Qahmesh explained that the courses (Physics 101 - Chemistry 101 - Biology 101) have been developed with their scientific and theoretical parts, by linking them to the E-lab platforms dedicated to scientific experiments, and the Blackboard platform in order to facilitate access to and review of scientific experiments out of the blackboard system.

He drew attention to the qualification and training of academic personnel on interactive electronic teaching methods and patterns.

More than 1,000 male and female students at the university’s branch level benefited from this initiative, which aims to integrate educational platforms, create an enjoyable electronic learning environment, in addition to making knowledge available to learners and easy access to it.

It is worth mentioning that the global Blackboard LMS awards annual prizes to the actors in employing the LMS to provide innovative educational solutions.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

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Mobile Medical Clinic of KSrelief in Azlat Addeer provides services for 636 beneficiaries in a week

Hijjah, Yemen, Mobile Medical Clinic of King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) has provided its services for 636 beneficiaries in Azlat Addeer, Heran directorate, Hijja governorate, Yemen, within a week from 18 - 24 May 2022, it was reported today.

The report said that 95 patients reported to the epidemiological control clinic, 22 to the emergency, 185 to the internal clinic, six to the reeproductive health clinic and four to the medical reference clinic.

Medication was subscribed to 316 persons, eight reported to the surgery department and six to the enlightenment department, said the report.

Source: Saudi Press Agency