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Variety of Saudi Initiatives Aim to Break Coronavirus Isolation

Streets are deserted in Jeddah amid curfew in Saudi Arabia over the coronavirus. (SPA)
Streets are deserted in Jeddah amid curfew in Saudi Arabia over the coronavirus. (SPA)
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Variety of Saudi Initiatives Aim to Break Coronavirus Isolation

Streets are deserted in Jeddah amid curfew in Saudi Arabia over the coronavirus. (SPA)
Streets are deserted in Jeddah amid curfew in Saudi Arabia over the coronavirus. (SPA)

The majority of Saudi families are abiding by the lockdown, despite precautions being eased in light of new developments in the COVID-19 pandemic. With a near-total suspension of all activities, the lockdown has provided most people with ample free time, and this has pushed many to think of productive, useful and entertaining ways to keep themselves busy, such as learning, sports and other activities.

The increased free time due to the lockdown has led to a rise in on-demand broadcast programs and video game purchases. Also, universities, vocational schools and several Saudi educational and government bodies have set up remote workshops and tutorials to make use of the lockdown. Since the Saudis started the lockdown more than one month ago, several remote workshops were launched by universities and vocational schools and even some institutions and companies specialized in certain sectors. These were not limited to Saudis as a substantial portion of them was open to the public all over the world.

The workshops and tutorials were diverse in what they taught, including technical, administrative, journalistic, legal, economic and business workshops in addition to self-development and language courses, among others. The workshops tackled cybersecurity, cybercrimes, legal proceedings, preparing media campaigns, management and executive planning.

The Saudi Ministry of Culture launched several competitions under the lockdown, such as Literature of Isolation that was launched by the Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission to encourage creativity. The initiative aimed to allow writing enthusiasts to share creative works, such stories, novels, diaries and poems, that they had written on during the lockdown.

Last week, the Saudi Human Rights Commission launched, in collaboration with the United Nations Human Rights Commission, an online workshop to develop young leaders in the domain of human rights. The ten-day program was prepared by a team of young leaders who are qualified to introduce the culture of human rights and implement sophisticated volunteering initiatives to serve humanity in several countries, in addition to developing skills in modern communication.

These workshops went on to provide sessions in different domains and did not stop after precautionary measures to prevent gatherings were put in place. Instead, they converted them into online workshops with remote attendees delivered by different government bodies and research institutes.

The Saudi initiatives were not limited to educational programs and literature competitions, but also included sports activities. The Saudi Sports Union launched the Your Home is Your Gym initiative, described by Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed, the President of the Union, as the Saudis’ weapon against the coronavirus, as it aims to build a healthier and more active society.

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Saudi Arabia Advances Global Environmental Leadership with IUCN Green List Milestone

Several of the Kingdom's reserves have earned certification on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Green list - SPA
Several of the Kingdom's reserves have earned certification on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Green list - SPA
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Saudi Arabia Advances Global Environmental Leadership with IUCN Green List Milestone

Several of the Kingdom's reserves have earned certification on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Green list - SPA
Several of the Kingdom's reserves have earned certification on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Green list - SPA

Saudi Arabia Advances Global Environmental Leadership with IUCN Green List MilestoneThe Kingdom of Saudi Arabia continues to strengthen its international standing in environmental protection and sustainability, underpinned by the wise leadership’s prioritization of environmental affairs within national development priorities, in line with Saudi Vision 2030, SPA reported.

These efforts are reinforced by the Saudi Green Initiative, which targets the protection of 30% of the Kingdom's terrestrial and marine areas by 2030.

In a milestone reflecting effective natural resource management, several of the Kingdom's reserves have earned certification on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Green List following a rigorous evaluation process, demonstrating the Kingdom's sound governance, effective management, and measurable conservation outcomes.

Saudi Arabia's environmental achievements represent a comprehensive institutional framework that has transformed natural reserves from restricted geographical zones into an integrated national system balancing environmental stewardship with development imperatives, serving as a model for future generations.

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Saudi Arabia Launches ‘Shams,’ 1st Arab Satellite to Monitor Space Weather from Distant Orbit

The satellite represents a milestone in Saudi innovation (Saudi Space Agency)
The satellite represents a milestone in Saudi innovation (Saudi Space Agency)
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Saudi Arabia Launches ‘Shams,’ 1st Arab Satellite to Monitor Space Weather from Distant Orbit

The satellite represents a milestone in Saudi innovation (Saudi Space Agency)
The satellite represents a milestone in Saudi innovation (Saudi Space Agency)

The Saudi Space Agency announced the successful launch of its new satellite, Shams, and established contact with it as part of the Artemis II mission, marking the Kingdom’s emergence as both the leading Arab partner in the program and the first to deploy a dedicated national mission to study space weather.

The satellite represents a milestone in Saudi innovation. Developed domestically by Saudi engineers, Shams has evolved from a national ambition into a scientific platform designed to monitor solar activity and radiation and their effects on Earth, with implications for safeguarding global communications and navigation systems.

The Artemis program, led by NASA in partnership with dozens of countries, aims to return humans to lunar orbit for the first time in more than 50 years, paving the way for future missions to Mars. Saudi Arabia joined the Artemis Accords in 2022 alongside more than 60 nations to help establish a framework for space exploration and strengthen its role in the sector.

The Artemis II mission will carry four astronauts on the first crewed flight to orbit the Moon aboard the Orion spacecraft, launched by the Space Launch System (SLS), the most powerful rocket ever operated. Shams is included as one of the mission’s scientific payloads.

The satellite will operate in a highly elliptical orbit (HEO), ranging from approximately 500 km to 70,000 km above Earth. This trajectory enables broad monitoring of solar and radiation activity, advancing space weather research and supporting critical applications.

Space laboratory to tackle radiation and solar activity challenges

Shams is designed to study space weather through four scientific areas: space radiation, solar X-rays, Earth’s magnetic field and high-energy solar particles. It will also collect data to support the development of protection technologies for future human spaceflight and improve understanding of solar particle behavior and magnetic fields.

The mission is expected to enhance the reliability and sustainability of key sectors such as communications, aviation and navigation by providing data that improves operational readiness and strengthens the security of critical infrastructure.

The Saudi Space Agency said the project aims to boost scientific research, develop future solutions and support a knowledge-based economy through the localization of advanced technologies, in line with Saudi Vision 2030. It also seeks to reinforce Saudi Arabia’s global standing in the space sector and empower national talent in space science and technology.

Data from Shams is expected to improve early warning systems for solar storms that can disrupt internet services, telecommunications and navigation signals. The findings could also help protect power grids and energy infrastructure from severe solar activity that can cause outages or damage.

By improving monitoring of radiation and solar winds, the mission may contribute to safer air travel and future crewed missions to the Moon and Mars, while opening new avenues in medicine, energy and science.

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What to Know about the Artemis 2 Mission's Moon Flyby

03 April 2026: A partial views of Earth taken by NASA astronaut and Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman from a window on the Orion spacecraft as it heads to the Moon. The picture was released on the third day of the first mission since 1972 to send people around the moon. Photo: Reid Wiseman/Nasa/Planet Pix via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
03 April 2026: A partial views of Earth taken by NASA astronaut and Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman from a window on the Orion spacecraft as it heads to the Moon. The picture was released on the third day of the first mission since 1972 to send people around the moon. Photo: Reid Wiseman/Nasa/Planet Pix via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
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What to Know about the Artemis 2 Mission's Moon Flyby

03 April 2026: A partial views of Earth taken by NASA astronaut and Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman from a window on the Orion spacecraft as it heads to the Moon. The picture was released on the third day of the first mission since 1972 to send people around the moon. Photo: Reid Wiseman/Nasa/Planet Pix via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
03 April 2026: A partial views of Earth taken by NASA astronaut and Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman from a window on the Orion spacecraft as it heads to the Moon. The picture was released on the third day of the first mission since 1972 to send people around the moon. Photo: Reid Wiseman/Nasa/Planet Pix via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

For the first time in more than half a century, astronauts will fly around the Moon on Monday, marking the high point of the Artemis 2's lunar mission.

Here's what you need to know about the event according to AFP:

- Live broadcast -

The flyby will last around seven hours, starting Monday around 2:45 p.m. eastern US time (1845 GMT) and ending around 9:20 p.m. (0120 GMT).

NASA will broadcast the flyby live on its website, as well as on YouTube, Amazon and Netflix, with commentary from both the astronauts aboard the mission and experts at the Mission Control center in Houston, Texas.

Given the lengthy distance -- further than any humans have ever traveled from Earth -- NASA has cautioned that the livestream video quality may be poor at times.

- Radio silence -

There will be a period of around 40 minutes during the flyby where all communication with Artemis 2 will be cut off as the astronauts pass behind the Moon.

"It'll be exciting, you know, in a slightly scary way, when they go behind the moon," Derek Buzasi, a professor of astronomy and astrophysics at the University of Chicago, told AFP.

The academic recalled during the Apollo missions to the Moon, "we all held our breaths a little bit."

- History-making milestones -

The Artemis 2 mission represents several first, as it will be the first time a woman, Christina Koch, a Black person, Victor Glover, and a non-American, Jeremy Hansen, will reach the Moon.

Until now, only the Apollo-era astronauts, all of whom were white American men, reached the Moon, between 1968 and 1972.

Shortly before the start of the flyby, the Artemis 2 crew will also reach the furthest distance humans have ever traveled from Earth.

The spacecraft is expected to surpass the Apollo 13 distance record by 4,102 miles (6,600 kilometers) and will reach a maximum distance from the planet of 252,757 miles (406,772 kilometers).

- Moon the size of a basketball -

Apollo flights flew some 70 miles (110 kilometers) above the lunar surface, but the Artemis 2 crew will be over 4,000 miles (6,500 kilometers) away at their closest approach.

The spaceship will actually swing around the Moon without entering its orbit by following a carefully planned trajectory.

The distance from the Moon will allow astronauts on board to see the complete, circular surface of the Moon, including regions near both poles.

The Moon will appear to the astronauts "about the size of a basketball held at arm's length," Noah Petro, head of NASA's planetary geology lab, told AFP.

- Far side of the Moon -

The flyby will see the Artemis 2 crew pass behind the far side of the Moon, which is not visible to Earth.

The astronauts of the Apollo mission also flew behind the Moon, but they were too close to witness it in entirety.

The Artemis 2 crew will therefore be able to see regions of the Moon that had previously only been captured by robotic imagers.

The four astronauts have gone through years of training to observe and describe the geological formations they observe as accurately as possible.

NASA scientists hope the observations recorded by the crew will provide information about the composition of the Moon and its history, as well as the wider solar system by extension.

- Solar eclipse -

Toward the end of the flyby, the astronauts will experience a rare phenomenon: a solar eclipse.

For about 53 minutes, their spacecraft will perfectly align with the Moon and the Sun, causing the star to disappear from view.

The astronauts will then have the chance to study the solar corona, the outermost layer of the Sun's atmosphere, which will become visible as a sort of glowing halo.

They will also be on the lookout for possible flashes of light caused by meteorites crashing into the surface of the Moon.

- 'Earthrise' redux -

The Artemis 2 astronauts will also see the Earth disappear and reappear behind the Moon.

Their position will potentially allow them to recreate the famous "Earthrise" photograph from the Apollo 8 mission in 1968.

The iconic photograph taken by astronaut William Anders captured the bright blue Earth against the vast darkness of space, with the Moon's cratered surface in the foreground.