NEOM Empowers 600 Students to Unlock Future Career Opportunities 

NEOM CSR launches a specialist training program to empower a new generation of students. (SPA)
NEOM CSR launches a specialist training program to empower a new generation of students. (SPA)
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NEOM Empowers 600 Students to Unlock Future Career Opportunities 

NEOM CSR launches a specialist training program to empower a new generation of students. (SPA)
NEOM CSR launches a specialist training program to empower a new generation of students. (SPA)

NEOM CSR, the Corporate Social Responsibility department of the “land of the future” taking shape in northwest Saudi Arabia, has launched a specialist training program to empower a new generation of students. 

Organized in partnership with KEYSS Project (Knowledge Exchange for Youth Supporting Society) and in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, the National Program for Community Development (Tanmiah) and non-governmental organizations, the initiative has been established to enable students in the NEOM and Tabuk region to reach their full potential. 

Targeting 600 male and female students, including high school students from the NEOM and Tabuk area and freshman students from the University of Tabuk, the eight-week program aims to assist young people to pursue their college education with confidence and prepare them for impactful careers post-graduation. 

With the support of 50 teachers and advisors, the students in the program will be guided to the most relevant and sought-after majors that align with the future job market and encouraged to explore their personal strengths through interactive meetings that foster self-learning.  

As part of the initiative, a guidebook on tactical decision-making on the professional, academic and personal levels will be distributed to participants. 

Empowering a new generation through education is at the heart of NEOM’s social responsibility efforts, in line with Saudi Vision 2030 and the Human Capability Development Program. NEOM has launched several educational initiatives since its inception, including a scholarship program with 379 beneficiaries to date, English language programs and career-building opportunities. 



Drought Has Dried Major Amazon River Tributary to Lowest Level in over 122 Years

 A part of the Negro River is dry at the port in Manaus, Amazonas state, Brazil, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024, amid severe drought. (AP)
A part of the Negro River is dry at the port in Manaus, Amazonas state, Brazil, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024, amid severe drought. (AP)
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Drought Has Dried Major Amazon River Tributary to Lowest Level in over 122 Years

 A part of the Negro River is dry at the port in Manaus, Amazonas state, Brazil, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024, amid severe drought. (AP)
A part of the Negro River is dry at the port in Manaus, Amazonas state, Brazil, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024, amid severe drought. (AP)

One of the Amazon River's main tributaries has dropped to its lowest level ever recorded, Brazil's geological service said Friday, reflecting a severe drought that has devastated the Amazon rainforest and other parts of the country.

The level of the Negro River at the port of Manaus was at 12.66 meters on Friday, as compared with a normal level of about 21 meters. It is the lowest since measurements started 122 years ago.

The previous record low level was recorded last year, but toward the end of October.

The Negro River's water level might drop even more in coming weeks based on forecasts for low rainfall in upstream regions, according to the geological service's predictions.

Andre Martinelli, the agency's hydrology manager in Manaus, was quoted as saying the river was expected to continue receding until the end of the month.

Water levels in Brazil's Amazon always rise and fall with its rainy and dry seasons, but the dry portion of this year has been much worse than usual.

All of the major rivers in the Amazon basin are at critical levels, including the Madeira River, the Amazon River's longest tributary.

The Negro River drains about 10% of the Amazon basin and is the world's sixth-largest by water volume. Manaus, the biggest city in the rainforest, is where the Negro joins the Amazon River.

For locals, the drought has made basic daily activities impossible. Gracita Barbosa, 28, works as a cashier on a floating shop on the Negro River.

She's out of work because boats that once stopped there can no longer navigate the river due to the low water levels.

Barbosa can no longer bathe in the river and now has to travel longer distances to collect drinking water.