SMIIC Board of Directors Extends Saudi Arabia's Chairmanship

SMIIC board of directors extends Saudi Arabia's chairmanship. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
SMIIC board of directors extends Saudi Arabia's chairmanship. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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SMIIC Board of Directors Extends Saudi Arabia's Chairmanship

SMIIC board of directors extends Saudi Arabia's chairmanship. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
SMIIC board of directors extends Saudi Arabia's chairmanship. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The General Assembly of the Standards and Metrology Institute for Islamic Countries (SMIIC) agreed to postpone the institute's elections and to extend the term of the chairmanship of the Board of Directors of the Governor of the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization Dr. Saad bin Abdullah Al-Qasabi until the end of 2021.

The decision was made as Al-Qasabi presided over the meetings of the SMIIC's General Assembly and Board of Directors, which were held virtually with the participation of delegations of 39 Islamic countries, and three other countries with observer membership.

The Kingdom took part in the summit through a delegation chaired by Saud bin Rashid Al Askar, deputy governor for conformity at Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO).

The meeting discussed several topics, to ensure business continuity and facilitation at the institute during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as memberships of Yemen, Chad and Bangladesh.

The gatherers approved the strategic plan of the Islamic institution 2020-2021 and the budget for the year 2021, as well as countries’ contributions to the same year.



Syria to Receive Electricity-generating Ships from Qatar, Türkiye

FILE PHOTO: A view shows electricity pylons in Kiswah, Damascus suburbs, Syria September 8, 2021. REUTERS/Yamam al Shaar/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A view shows electricity pylons in Kiswah, Damascus suburbs, Syria September 8, 2021. REUTERS/Yamam al Shaar/File Photo
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Syria to Receive Electricity-generating Ships from Qatar, Türkiye

FILE PHOTO: A view shows electricity pylons in Kiswah, Damascus suburbs, Syria September 8, 2021. REUTERS/Yamam al Shaar/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A view shows electricity pylons in Kiswah, Damascus suburbs, Syria September 8, 2021. REUTERS/Yamam al Shaar/File Photo

Syria will receive two electricity-generating ships from Türkiye and Qatar to boost energy supplies hit by damage to infrastructure during President Bashar al-Assad's rule, state news agency SANA quoted an official as saying on Tuesday.
Khaled Abu Dai, director general of the General Establishment for Electricity Transmission and Distribution, told SANA the ships would provide a total of 800 megawatts of electricity but did not say over what period.
"The extent of damage to the generation and transformation stations and electrical connection lines during the period of the former regime is very large, we are seeking to rehabilitate (them) in order to transmit energy,” Abu Dai said.
According to Reuters, he did not say when Syria would receive the two ships.
The United States on Monday issued a sanctions exemption for transactions with governing institutions in Syria for six months after the end of Assad's rule to try to increase the flow of humanitarian assistance.
The exemption allows some energy transactions and personal remittances to Syria until July 7. The action did not remove any sanctions.
Syria suffers from severe power shortages, with state-supplied electricity available just two or three hours a day in most areas. The caretaker government says it aims within two months to provide electricity up to eight hours a day.