Saudi Arabia Overwhelmingly Leads ALECSO Executive Council Until 2026

Saudi representative Hani Al-Moqbil was re-elected as the Chairman of the Executive Council of ALECSO from 2024 to 2026 (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi representative Hani Al-Moqbil was re-elected as the Chairman of the Executive Council of ALECSO from 2024 to 2026 (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Arabia Overwhelmingly Leads ALECSO Executive Council Until 2026

Saudi representative Hani Al-Moqbil was re-elected as the Chairman of the Executive Council of ALECSO from 2024 to 2026 (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi representative Hani Al-Moqbil was re-elected as the Chairman of the Executive Council of ALECSO from 2024 to 2026 (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia won Saturday the chairmanship of the Executive Council of the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO) for the third time in a row.

The Kingdom’s representative, Hani Al-Moqbil, was elected president for the 2024-2026 term with an overwhelming majority, securing 18 votes compared to two votes for Morocco.

One member-state abstained from voting. Qatar was elected as the vice president, while Jordan will serve as the rapporteur.

This decision followed a council meeting held after the conclusion of the 27th General Conference of ALECSO, which wrapped up in Jeddah on Friday.

Members praised the positive outcomes and collaborative efforts achieved during Saudi Arabia's previous two presidencies since July 2021.

Arab states on the council highlighted the importance of continuing ALECSO’s forward-looking vision. They praised recent achievements as a major milestone, boosting the organization's role in education, culture, and science across the Arab world.

Saudi Arabia was commended for creating a roadmap that enabled effective collaboration within ALECSO. This teamwork has turned plans into reality, promoting collective efforts, member synergy, and unified execution of initiatives.

Saudi Culture Minister Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan shared on “X” that during Saudi Arabia’s leadership of the ALECSO Executive Council in under three years, they initiated over 10 projects and partnerships. He expressed pride in the Kingdom’s re-election for a third consecutive term.

Established in 1970 and based in Tunis, ALECSO is one of the Cairo-based Arab bloc's organizations that seeks to develop Arab culture, education and science at both national and regional levels.



Chinese Travel More during Dragon Boat Holiday but Spending Lags

Spectators watch as participants take part in a dragon boat tug-of-war competition in the waters of Xujiachong harbour to mark the Dragon Boat festival, in Yichang, Hubei province, China May 31, 2025. China Daily via REUTERS
Spectators watch as participants take part in a dragon boat tug-of-war competition in the waters of Xujiachong harbour to mark the Dragon Boat festival, in Yichang, Hubei province, China May 31, 2025. China Daily via REUTERS
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Chinese Travel More during Dragon Boat Holiday but Spending Lags

Spectators watch as participants take part in a dragon boat tug-of-war competition in the waters of Xujiachong harbour to mark the Dragon Boat festival, in Yichang, Hubei province, China May 31, 2025. China Daily via REUTERS
Spectators watch as participants take part in a dragon boat tug-of-war competition in the waters of Xujiachong harbour to mark the Dragon Boat festival, in Yichang, Hubei province, China May 31, 2025. China Daily via REUTERS

Chinese people travelled more over the three-day Dragon Boat holiday this year, but spending remained below pre-pandemic levels, government data showed on Tuesday - indicators that are closely watched as barometers of consumer confidence.

Consumption in the world's second-largest economy has suffered amid sputtering growth and a prolonged property crisis, with uncertainty from the US-China trade war also weighing on consumer confidence.

The latest data painted a mixed picture for China's consumer economy. Travelers took an estimated 119 million domestic journeys from Friday to Monday, up 5.7% from the same holiday period last year, according to the Ministry for Tourism and Culture.

Overall spending over the period rose to 42.73 billion yuan ($5.94 billion, a year-on-year increase of 5.9%, but the average amount spent per traveler was a little under 360 yuan ($50), according to Reuters calculations, remaining stubbornly below 2019 levels of around 410 yuan per trip.

The Dragon Boat Festival took place from May 31 to June 2 - and is celebrated throughout the country with local dragon boat races. Many people take the opportunity to have short holidays, crowding train stations and airports around the country.

Cross-border journeys rose 2.7% to 5.9 million, with 231,000 foreign nationals entering the country visa-free during the holiday, broadcaster CCTV said late on Monday.

China has been expanding its visa policy, with citizens of 43 countries granted visa-free access, while visa-free transit for up to 240 hours in China is available for 54 countries.

Rail lines saw the peak of return passenger flow on June 2, with authorities adding 1,279 trains to more than 11,000 passenger trains overall across the country, while road travel was up 3% year-on-year, with 600 million car journeys recorded, mostly travelling short distances.

Chinese also boosted spending on entertainment over the holiday, with cinema box office revenue reaching 460 million yuan ($63.9 million), surpassing last year’s 384 million yuan, according to data from online ticketing platform Maoyan.

Tom Cruise’s latest movie "Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning" topped charts, and generated 228 million yuan, half of the total revenue during the holiday period, which was seen as a positive indicator for the upcoming summer season.