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RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s aid agency KSrelief has completed a medical service offering open-heart surgery and cardiac catheterization for children in Aden, Yemen, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Thursday.
The initiative ran from April 19-26. Ten volunteers from various medical backgrounds were on-site.
The team performed 24 open-heart operations and 98 cardiac catheterization procedures.
RIYADH: Japan’s Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi has told Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi that Japan “attaches importance to its partnership with the GCC.”
The two officials met in Riyadh on Thursday to discuss the Gulf region’s partnership with Japan in energy security.
Iwaya added that the GCC region was playing an “increasingly important role in achieving peace and stability amid the current turbulent regional and international situation.”
The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that Albudaiwi had said that the relationship between Japan and the GCC member states was of “strategic importance,” and that the GCC also hoped to further strengthen its relationship with Japan.
The two officials welcomed the first round of negotiations on the Japan-GCC Economic Partnership Agreement, which resumed in December 2024.
They also agreed to cooperate in a wide range of areas, including politics and security, trade and investment, based on the Japan-GCC Action Plan adopted during the first Japan-GCC Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in September 2023.
Iwaya and Albudaiwi exchanged views on Gaza, the Syrian Arab Republic, Iran, the Red Sea, and East Asia.
They both stressed their intention to further strengthen Japan-GCC relations and to maintain close cooperation through the implementation of the action plan.
RIYADH: The Local Content and Government Procurement Authority recognized 26 public, private, nonprofit and individual contributors at its third Local Content Award ceremony on Wednesday in Riyadh.
The theme of the event was “Applauding Your Impact.”
Organized under the patronage of Bandar Al-Khorayef, Saudi Arabia’s minister of industry and mineral resources, the event celebrated efforts to advance local content development — a pillar of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030.
This aims to strengthen the economy by boosting domestic industries, reducing reliance on imports and empowering national talent.
The awards highlight achievements in meeting Local Content Requirements, or LCRs, which have raised government procurement spending on domestic goods and services from 28 percent in 2018 to 47 percent.
During his keynote speech, Al-Khorayef said that 396 Local Content Development Teams operated across government entities, while 270 state-owned firms had embedded LCRs into policies, driving their local spending to 50.7 percent in 2023.
In the government entities category, awards were distributed across two main paths and three subcategories.
In the path for Excellence in Local Content for Medium and Low-Spending Entities, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs claimed first place, the Roads General Authority ranked second, and the Digital Government Authority, or DGA, came in third.
Abdulaziz Al-Bader, general manager of procurement at the DGA, told Arab News: “We have focused on localizing industries through technology-related agreements, such as those for digital circuits, where we have achieved impressive results.”
He said that advances in cloud computing and the unification of technical specifications for government technology purchases had further streamlined procurement.
Al-Bader said that “our investment colleagues have made significant efforts, and the entity managing these investments has begun to see tangible outcomes.”
These measures, he explained, directly contributed to “a reduction in government spending on such procurements and accelerated the purchasing process” — an outcome he attributed to rigorous standardization and localized industry partnerships.
STC Group secured the top award for Local Content Preference, while the National Water Company was among other notable honorees.
In the private sector, telecom company TAWAL and manufacturing firm FIPCO stood out among large enterprises. Small and medium enterprises such as Suwar Technology and Intra Defense Technologies were recognized for driving innovation in niche markets.
Reef National Foundation became the first nonprofit to be awarded for advancing local content goals. Individuals Lama Al-Hussein (first) and Abdulmajeed Marzouq (second) earned top honors for raising awareness of local content’s economic impact.
RIYADH: The Saudi Arabian aid agency KSrelief has completed its neurology and urology program in Syria, while continuing a similar initiative in Sudan, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Thursday.
Eight volunteer surgeons on the medical team in Port Sudan have already performed eight specialized operations.
In Damascus, Syria, the Amal volunteer program has concluded.
Twenty-six volunteers in Damascus examined 285 patients and performed 153 neurology and 162 urology operations.
Madinah: The first flights carrying Hajj pilgrims from Turkiye arrived at Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madinah on Wednesday. The annual Islamic pilgrimage is set to take place this year between June 4 and 9.
Authorities are providing qualified staff who are fluent in several languages and equipped with the latest technology to help simplify entry procedures for pilgrims, the Saudi Press Agency reported, and are ready to assist people arriving by land and sea as well as air.
An estimated 1.8 million pilgrims participated in Hajj last year.
RIYADH: The eighth session of the Digital Communication Conference, titled “Anime in the Digital Space,” explored the transformation of Japanese anime over the past two decades, highlighting the impact of digital innovation and the internet.
According to Saudi Press Agency, the session focused on anime’s shift from traditional television broadcasts and DVDs to digital platforms, including live streaming, instant subtitling and cloud-based production.
Streaming giants such as Netflix, Crunchyroll, and Funimation were highlighted as pivotal players in the transition, offering translated or dubbed episodes immediately upon release and funding original series such as “Devilman Crybaby” and “Cyberpunk: Edgerunners.”
Speakers in the session, including Manga Productions CEO Essam Bukhary, said that social media and online forums have opened the door to unprecedented engagement among fans, as well as community and cultural interaction, since audiences now take part in evaluating episodes.
Concerns were raised that heavy dependence on technology could erode the handcrafted aesthetic that defines traditional anime.
Saudi Arabia’s burgeoning interest in manga and anime, which dates back to the 1970s, is helping to usher in a revolution in cultural production.
Japanese art forms have captivated audiences of all ages, gaining significant popularity in recent years. Their ability to combine entertainment, culture and education has made them of great interest to Saudi society.
To support this interest, the General Entertainment Authority has hosted events like the Saudi Anime Expo, drawing international visitors.
In line with these efforts, the ministries of culture and education launched the Manga Education program to nurture student talent, as well as integrate arts and culture into public education.
