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Saudi Arabia to Organize Int'l Forum on Afforestation Techniques

Saudi Arabia will host the International Exhibition and Forum on Afforestation Technologies from May 29-31. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Arabia will host the International Exhibition and Forum on Afforestation Technologies from May 29-31. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Arabia to Organize Int'l Forum on Afforestation Techniques

Saudi Arabia will host the International Exhibition and Forum on Afforestation Technologies from May 29-31. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Arabia will host the International Exhibition and Forum on Afforestation Technologies from May 29-31. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia will host the International Exhibition and Forum on Afforestation Technologies in Riyadh from May 29-31, under the patronage of Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz.

The Forum is organized by the National Center for Vegetation Development and Combating Desertification (NCVC) in coordination and cooperation with the Ministry of Environment. It will be held at the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center.

The Forum seeks to develop, protect, and sustain the vegetation cover according to Vision 2030.

Minister of Environment, Water, and Agriculture and Chairman of the Board of Directors of NCVC Abdulrahman al-Fadhli extended his appreciation to the Crown Prince for patronizing the event.

The Minister stressed that organizing this event is important to Saudi Arabia for its intensified efforts and increasing attention to the vegetation cover.

He noted that it is also the central pillar of the National Environment Strategy that represents a roadmap to realize the goals of Vision 2030 in protecting and developing the environment.

The forum confirms the Kingdom’s international pioneering role in the environmental field and its announcements of global ecological initiatives that seek to establish vegetation cover.

NCVC CEO Khaled Al-Abdulkader explained that the exhibition and Forum include several comprehensive and integral aspects of forestry and technologies for combating desertification.

These include afforestation, combating desertification, irrigation techniques, water sources and technologies, nurseries, environmental waste recycling, soils, environmental monitoring and protection, development and investment of forests and parks, and plant pest control.

He added that the exhibition seeks to provide a platform to encourage government and semi-government institutions, non-profit commissions, companies, and organizations to become targeted stakeholders to combat desertification and increase vegetation cover area.

It will welcome local and international companies to display the latest technology and innovation in combating desertification, mitigating its effects, and developing and protecting vegetation.

It will also build bridges of communication between experts, significant investors, company heads, decision-makers, technical solution providers and academics, researchers specializing in the environment sector, and climate experts.

The expo welcomes experts in climate and participants getting acquainted with models for success worldwide to benefit from them and attract international expertise suitable for the environment.

The International Exhibition and Forum on Afforestation Technologies aims to achieve a set of investment objectives, including highlighting investment opportunities in the environmental sector.

It also seeks to conclude several agreements and memoranda of understanding and launch local and research partnerships with local, regional, and international universities with research centers.

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Schengen Visa Applications in Saudi Arabia Grew by 23% in 2024

Visa applicants are seen at the Visa Center in Riyadh to complete their application procedures. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Visa applicants are seen at the Visa Center in Riyadh to complete their application procedures. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Schengen Visa Applications in Saudi Arabia Grew by 23% in 2024

Visa applicants are seen at the Visa Center in Riyadh to complete their application procedures. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Visa applicants are seen at the Visa Center in Riyadh to complete their application procedures. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

As travel and tourism continue to grow, despite the challenges faced by local, regional, and international businesses and projects, VFS Global has revealed that demand for Schengen visas in Saudi Arabia has increased significantly by 23% this year.

In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, Zubin Karkaria, founder and CEO of VFS Global, said that the company has managed the visa procedures for the Saudi Ministry of Tourism’s Trailblazers program, which works to send 100,000 students to Europe for training in the tourism and travel sectors.

He added: “Our strategy aims to provide long-term value to all stakeholders, including the Saudi government and its citizens, contributing to Saudi Arabia’s vision of creating a diverse and sustainable economy by applying some of our modern solutions to our operations in the Kingdom.”

Karkaria emphasized that Saudi Arabia is a key market for VFS Global’s business, noting that the company has expanded its presence and services in the Kingdom over the years through strategic partnerships to facilitate visa services for travelers. These partnerships include agreements with chambers of commerce, the Public Investment Fund (PIF), and Aramco.

He further stated: “VFS Global strictly adheres to service-level agreements with its government clients, managing non-judicial and administrative tasks related to visa applications, passports, and consular services.”

As international travel grows in emerging markets, there has been an increasing need for specialized services to meet the demands of governments and visa applicants globally. “This led us to develop an approach that benefits both parties, where we handle all administrative procedures necessary for visa processing,” Karkaria explained.

According to him, VFS Global enjoys a long-standing partnership with governments in the European Union, working closely with them in the countries where they operate to provide visa application services. He noted the ongoing rise in demand for international travel and visa issuance.

“The initial challenge during the COVID-19 pandemic, which directly impacted travel and related sectors, was dealing with the volatile business environment. We quickly recognized both the severity of the crisis and the opportunity to transform our operations to prepare our organization for the future,” he said.

He continued: “For instance, by April 2020, 3,196 of our 3,384 visa application centers worldwide were temporarily closed in response to the global crisis. However, within just seven months, we resumed operations at 1,600 centers, representing more than half of our global network, enabling us to serve over 50 government clients across 129 countries while implementing new health and safety measures to protect both staff and visa applicants.”

Karkaria said that over the past 23 years, the company played a critical role in helping its clients manage the rapid growth in visa demand in a cost-effective and highly secure manner.

He added: “We have also developed innovative solutions tailored to our government clients, such as LIDProTM, which allows them to process visa applications from multiple locations via a centralized electronic hub.” VFS Global is the trusted partner of 67 government clients and operates in 151 countries.

Karkaria stated that the company supports travel to the Kingdom by providing Saudi visa services since 2023.

“Through our partnership with the Saudi Visa and Travel Solutions company, we operate and manage Saudi visa service centers in 45 countries worldwide,” he told Asharq Al-Awsat.

He added: “We are committed to supporting Saudi Arabia’s ambitious plans to develop and grow tourism by expanding Saudi visa services in partnership with the Saudi Visa and Travel Solutions company. We are also in the process of appointing relationship managers for key government and private sector entities.”

Karkaria noted that Saudi Arabia has recently launched an educational visa to boost the education sector by supporting international institutions in establishing branches in the Kingdom and attracting international students to study and reside in the country.

In this context, VFS Global will help international institutions establish branches in Saudi Arabia and assist potential Saudi students in pursuing their careers at various international universities through professional guidance and recruitment services.

VFS Global established its visa application center operations in Saudi Arabia in 2005, providing visa and passport services on behalf of 31 governments through a network of 95 visa application centers.

The company operates in 14 locations across Saudi Arabia, including Riyadh, Jeddah, Khobar, Abha, Hail, Jubail, Makkah, Jazan, Qassim, Al-Kharj, Tabuk, Madinah, Najran, and Al-Jawf.

Karkaria stated, “We see tremendous potential in artificial intelligence to accelerate and improve visa application procedures. Our partnership with the Responsible AI Institute reflects our strong commitment to using this technology in a reliable and ethical manner, applying the highest security standards.”

“Most importantly, we are committed to using AI in accordance with the regulations and procedures implemented by the governments we work with. We are ready to help our government clients integrate AI into the visa application process,” he added.