Saudi Oil Sustainability Program Launches Empowering Africa Initiative

The Empower Africa Initiative was announced during Climate Week in Riyadh (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The Empower Africa Initiative was announced during Climate Week in Riyadh (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Oil Sustainability Program Launches Empowering Africa Initiative

The Empower Africa Initiative was announced during Climate Week in Riyadh (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The Empower Africa Initiative was announced during Climate Week in Riyadh (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Oil Sustainability Program of the Saudi Ministry of Energy launched the "Empowering Africa" initiative in cooperation with the Ministries of Communications and Information Technology and the Ministries of Health.

The initiative aims to provide clean energy, connectivity, e-health, and e-learning solutions to improve lives and advance sustainable development in Africa.

Empowering Africa builds on the Clean Fuel Solutions for Cooking Program, a vital Middle East Green Initiative (MGI) component.

The initiative represents a milestone in advancing sustainable development and improving the lives of millions of people. It will empower communities across Africa.

Saudi Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz said on the sidelines of the MENA Climate Week 2023 that energy is a human right, indicating that the program enables energy access.

Additional information on the program will be revealed during COP28 in Dubai.

The initiative offers solutions to vulnerable populations globally, many facing dire consequences due to traditional and hazardous cooking practices, such as coal and wood usage.

Clean cooking solutions have the potential to save countless lives by mitigating the health risks associated with these cooking fuels.

Launched in 2021 as part of the MGI, Clean Fuel Solutions for Cooking provides cleaner cooking fuels, including Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), solar power, and biodigesters, to 750 million people worldwide.

The collaborative effort among Saudi institutions underscores the Kingdom's commitment to one of its most ambitious initiatives, which will forge a brighter future for African communities, and signifies the Kingdom's steadfast commitment to addressing worldwide challenges.

It encourages public involvement and advances international regulatory collaboration to pursue a brighter, more sustainable future for all.



Washington Urges Israel to Extend Cooperation with Palestinian Banks

A West Bank Jewish settlement is seen in the background, while a protestor waves a Palestinian flag during a protest against Israel's separation barrier in the West Bank village of Bilin in 2012. (AP)
A West Bank Jewish settlement is seen in the background, while a protestor waves a Palestinian flag during a protest against Israel's separation barrier in the West Bank village of Bilin in 2012. (AP)
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Washington Urges Israel to Extend Cooperation with Palestinian Banks

A West Bank Jewish settlement is seen in the background, while a protestor waves a Palestinian flag during a protest against Israel's separation barrier in the West Bank village of Bilin in 2012. (AP)
A West Bank Jewish settlement is seen in the background, while a protestor waves a Palestinian flag during a protest against Israel's separation barrier in the West Bank village of Bilin in 2012. (AP)

The United States on Thursday called on Israel to extend its cooperation with Palestinian banks for another year, to avoid blocking vital transactions in the occupied West Bank.

"I am glad that Israel has allowed its banks to continue cooperating with Palestinian banks, but I remain convinced that a one-year extension of the waiver to facilitate this cooperation is needed," US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Thursday, on the sidelines of a meeting of G20 finance ministers in Rio de Janeiro.

In May, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich threatened to cut off a vital banking channel between Israel and the West Bank in response to three European countries recognizing the State of Palestine.

On June 30, however, Smotrich extended a waiver that allows cooperation between Israel's banking system and Palestinian banks in the occupied West Bank for four months, according to Israeli media, according to AFP.

The Times of Israel newspaper reported that the decision on the waiver was made at a cabinet meeting in a "move that saw Israel legalize several West Bank settlement outposts."

The waiver was due to expire at the end of June, and the extension permitted Israeli banks to process payments for salaries and services to the Palestinian Authority in shekels, averting a blow to a Palestinian economy already devastated by the war in Gaza.

The Israeli threat raised serious concerns in the United States, which said at the time it feared "a humanitarian crisis" if banking ties were cut.

According to Washington, these banking channels are key to nearly $8 billion of imports from Israel to the West Bank, including electricity, water, fuel and food.