‘Imagine the Future’ Conference: Saudi Arabia Receives Int’l Praise for Education during Pandemic

Officials attend the inauguration of the Global Conference for Giftedness and Creativity ... Imagine the Future 2020 in Riyadh. (SPA)
Officials attend the inauguration of the Global Conference for Giftedness and Creativity ... Imagine the Future 2020 in Riyadh. (SPA)
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‘Imagine the Future’ Conference: Saudi Arabia Receives Int’l Praise for Education during Pandemic

Officials attend the inauguration of the Global Conference for Giftedness and Creativity ... Imagine the Future 2020 in Riyadh. (SPA)
Officials attend the inauguration of the Global Conference for Giftedness and Creativity ... Imagine the Future 2020 in Riyadh. (SPA)

The inaugural Global Conference for Giftedness and Creativity ... Imagine the Future 2020 kicked off in Riyadh on Sunday with panelists and keynote speakers from across the globe.

The two-day event is co-organized by the King Abdulaziz and his Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity (Mawhiba) and the G20 Saudi Secretariat General.

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz sponsored the event and he was represented at the conference by Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz, Governor of Riyadh Region.

Executive Director of UNICEF Henrietta H. Fore was among the panelists. She underscored Saudi Arabia’s success in maintaining education amid the pandemic, saying it has set a global example.

Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman stressed that the Kingdom was seeking to implement educational plans and ideas on the ground, and was not sufficing with just making proposals.

Vision 2030 has provided the necessary support for the ambitious plans of the education sector and it is now bearing fruit, he remarked.

Vision 2030 boasts several programs dedicated to developing the education sector, he added. This has helped empower the youth and invest in their abilities to serve the nation.

Minister of Education Dr. Hamad Al-AlSheikh said that the education sector clearly succeeded in overcoming the challenges posed by the pandemic.

He stressed that distance learning will continue according to the best standards, highlighting the solid electronic infrastructure that was already in place that helped contribute to this success.

This success can help the education sector on the global scale, he stated.

The conference will attract international, regional and national speakers from scientists, future advisors and decision makers to provide keynotes, and discussion sessions. The conference also includes “Mawhiba Virtual World” science exhibition. Aramco and SABIC are the conference strategic knowledge partners, who have a long history of supporting and nurturing the gifted and creative youth.



Kuwait Foils Biggest Drug Operation in Its History

Sheikh Fahad Yousef Saud Al-Sabah, Kuwait's First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior. (KUNA)
Sheikh Fahad Yousef Saud Al-Sabah, Kuwait's First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior. (KUNA)
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Kuwait Foils Biggest Drug Operation in Its History

Sheikh Fahad Yousef Saud Al-Sabah, Kuwait's First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior. (KUNA)
Sheikh Fahad Yousef Saud Al-Sabah, Kuwait's First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior. (KUNA)

Sheikh Fahad Yousef Saud Al-Sabah, Kuwait's First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, announced on Wednesday the foiling of the largest drug bust in Kuwait's history, consisting of approximately 5 tons of raw "Lyrica" powder and nearly 4 million capsules ready for sale, worth around 150 million Kuwaiti dinars, or around $486.8 million US dollars.

Speaking as part of a national drug prevention campaign, he said that Tuesday's bust also included an integrated factory for producing the psychotropic substance Lyrica, alongside equipment for filling and distributing capsules.

The bust reflects the magnitude of the danger of drugs to society, he added.

"The quantity seized was ready to be sold, but the suspect did not act to distribute it out of fear of falling under the jurisdiction of the new law."

Al-Yousef stressed that the new drug law "has contributed to boosting deterrence, making drug dealers think twice before attempting to harm any citizen or resident on Kuwaiti soil."

"Combating drugs is at the forefront of the Ministry of Interior's priorities, which continues to crack down on smugglers and distributors, tighten surveillance and seizure measures, and dry up the sources of this scourge," he said.


Saudi Arabia Offers Condolences over Tragic PIMS Hospital Fire in Pakistan

People gather outside a nursery in the gynecology ward following a fire at a hospital in Islamabad, Pakistan, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026. (AP)
People gather outside a nursery in the gynecology ward following a fire at a hospital in Islamabad, Pakistan, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026. (AP)
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Saudi Arabia Offers Condolences over Tragic PIMS Hospital Fire in Pakistan

People gather outside a nursery in the gynecology ward following a fire at a hospital in Islamabad, Pakistan, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026. (AP)
People gather outside a nursery in the gynecology ward following a fire at a hospital in Islamabad, Pakistan, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026. (AP)

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's sincere condolences and sympathy to the families of those who died, as well as to the government and people of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, following the tragic fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) hospital in Islamabad, which claimed the lives of several newborn babies, SPA reported.

In a statement, the ministry said Saudi Arabia stands in solidarity with the victims' families and the government and people of Pakistan following this tragic incident, wishing Pakistan and its people security and safety.


Saudi Arabia Welcomes Integration of SDF into Syrian Military Institutions

Saudi Arabia Welcomes Integration of SDF into Syrian Military Institutions
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Saudi Arabia Welcomes Integration of SDF into Syrian Military Institutions

Saudi Arabia Welcomes Integration of SDF into Syrian Military Institutions

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's welcome of the integration of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) into the Syrian Arab Republic's military institutions, noting that the move would contribute to enhancing security and stability in Syria and for its brotherly people, SPA reported.

In a statement, the ministry said that the Kingdom reiterates its support for the steps taken by the Syrian government to fulfill the aspirations of the Syrian people and continue the path toward unity and development.

The Kingdom also wished the Syrian Arab Republic and its brotherly people security, peace, and prosperity.