Day: November 20, 2022

AMMAN

A health centre to serve 300,000 Palestine refugees in Jordan was opened in Zarqa camp northeast of Jordan today. The event was attended by the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Jordan, His Excellency Mr. Nayef bin Bandar Al-Sudairy, the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), Mr. Philippe Lazzarini, the Director-General of the Department of Palestinian Affairs, H.E. Eng. Rafiq Khirfan, and the Governor of Zarqa Governorate, H.E. Mr. Hasan al-Jbour.

The new health centre was constructed thanks to a donation of nearly US$ 2 million through the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) while the Government of Jordan donated the land. The centre will provide accessibility for persons with disabilities and includes green spaces, a children’s play area, and sun-shaded spaces.

Speaking at the ceremony, His Excellency Mr. Al-Sudairy said, "The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a pioneer in humanitarian work, with the aim of alleviating human suffering around the world, in cooperation with the United Nations and international organizations.” He continued, “The Kingdom is fully supportive of Palestine refugees, including through our partnership with UNRWA, and its services.”

As part of the ceremony, H.E Mr. Al-Sudairy, and the Commissioner-General of UNRWA, Mr. Lazzarini, took a tour inside the health centre’s facilities, where they engaged with health centre staff and Palestine refugee patients.

I would like to extend my appreciation to Saudi Arabia for its historic support to UNRWA. This contribution embodies the Kingdom's solidarity with Palestine refugees throughout their plight. The construction of this health centre is a critical investment that will serve thousands of Palestine refugees residing both inside and outside Zarqa camp,” said the Commissioner-General Lazzarini. “I also welcome the recent contribution of US$ 27 million from KSA in support of UNRWA core services, as the Agency faces a critical funding shortfall this year” he continued.

-ENDS-

Notes to Editors

In Jordan, UNRWA delivers health services to Palestine refugees through a network of 25 health centres and four mobile clinics, located inside and within the vicinity of Palestine refugee camps. Over one million patients visit UNRWA health facilities annually.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has contributed US$ 1.1 billion in the past decade.

Zarqa camp is the oldest Palestine refugee camp in Jordan. One of the four camps established in the country to accommodate the refugees who left Palestine as a result of the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, it was set up near the town of Zarqa by the International Committee of the Red Cross in 1949. It originally housed 8,000 refugees in an area of 0.18 square.

Source: UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East

Jeddah-- The participants at the 35th International Conference of Muslims of Latin America and the Caribbean in So Paulo, Brazil, urged combating the spread of hatred and its detrimental effects on Muslims worldwide as well as using all available academic and practical means to expose and dispel misconceptions through instruction, awareness, and clarification of the true image of Islam.

During the conference, Sheikh Dr. Saleh bin Abdullah bin Humaid, Member of the Council of Senior Muslim Scholars and President of the International Islamic Fiqh Academy, which was organized under the theme "Latin American Muslims Confronting the Phenomenon of Hate," said that it is important to note that hate speech completely opposes the principles of tolerance and coexistence among all people, and that it frequently targets vulnerable groups or minorities.

He emphasized the significance of distinguishing between freedom of opinion, and freedom of expression of opinion that must be subject to many controls such as respect for the rights of others and protection of public security.

Federal Representative Luiz Marinho, a representative of the Brazilian President, noted that the Muslim community is one of the most integrated in society and emphasized the necessity and significance of such conferences as well as the value of collaboration in eradicating hatred and establishing tolerance. He also thanked the Kingdom for sponsoring the conference.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Riyadh– Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) announced today the addition of the “Sea Lead” company to the new freight service “FAM” at King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam, in cooperation with the “Saudi International Ports Company”, the operator of the Port’s two container terminals, which will contribute to the development and promotion of national exports, serves commercial traffic and provides additional capacities for exporters and importers.

This announcement coincides with the launch of the added EJBS service from the Emirates Shipping line, which includes King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam - Shuwaikh Port in Kuwait - Port of Jebel Ali in the UAE - Khalifa bin Salman Port in Bahrain and back to King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam, as this service shortens the time of movement of goods within the Arabian Gulf ports.

The new services, which were launched on November 15, 2022, contribute to strengthening the pivotal position of King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam regionally and globally, strengthening its connection to the ports of the East, in addition to increasing transshipment containers and facilitating supply chains, as well as increasing the volume of shipments and gaining a larger market share of ships transiting on the coast of the Arabian Gulf.

The "FAM" freight service connects King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam with six major regional and international ports: Qingdao, Shanghai, Ningbo, Nansha, Jebel Ali, and Hamad Port, while cruising to King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam, with a capacity of 6,900 standard containers per week.

The "FAM" freight service is distinguished by a direct return trip from King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam to the Chinese port of Qingdao, which leads to a reduction in the time it takes for Saudi exports, the speed of their arrival to global markets and an increase in their competitiveness, which results in the creation of major business opportunities and logistical support for Saudi exporters.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Taiz-- King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) distributed on Friday 850 food baskets in Taiz Governorate, Yemen benefiting 5,100 people.

This comes within the project to support food security for the year 2022, being implemented by the KSrelief in Yemen, and aims to distribute more than 192,000 food baskets weighing more than 20,000 tons to the needy and affected families in 15 Yemeni governorates.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Riyadh– Saudi Arabia has ranked first in the labor force growth rate, outperforming the G20 countries, during the period 2012 - 2021, according to the labor market benchmarking report issued by the National Labor Observatory (NLO).

This report keeps track of the international indicators issued by the International Labor Organization (ILO) and a set of the main labor indicators for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which include the annual growth of the labor force, the labor force participation rate, the employment and unemployment rates, in addition to the rate of those outside the scope of education, work, and training.

NLO provides a set of services and products specialized in the labor market, based on comprehensive and accurate data that enables anticipating the future of the labor market, evaluating policies and programs and measuring their impact, as well as supporting decision-makers and policymakers in a way that enhances the observatory’s vision to be the main and reliable source of labor market data and visuals.

Source: Saudi Press Agency