Saudi Govt Stresses Kingdom’s Support to Earthquake Victims

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz chairs the cabinet meeting in Riyadh. (SPA)
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz chairs the cabinet meeting in Riyadh. (SPA)
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Saudi Govt Stresses Kingdom’s Support to Earthquake Victims

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz chairs the cabinet meeting in Riyadh. (SPA)
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz chairs the cabinet meeting in Riyadh. (SPA)

The Saudi government stressed on Tuesday its solidarity and support to the victims of the devastating earthquake that struck Syria and Türkiye last week.

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz chaired the cabinet meeting that was held in Riyadh.

The government stressed that it stands by its brothers in Syria and Türkiye to help them overcome the disaster.

The ministers were briefed on the telephone call Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, held with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Crown Prince Mohammed condoled him over the victims of the earthquake.

The cabinet reviewed the latest humanitarian developments related to the disaster and the Kingdom’s relief efforts towards the people of Syria and Türkiye.

It has dispatched teams to help in the rescue efforts. It has sent a number of planes loaded with relief, such as medical aid, logistic support and food. It also launched a public donation campaign dedicated to helping the victims.

The humanitarian gesture is an extension of Saudi Arabia’s role in constantly standing by people suffering from crises and disasters across the globe.

The ministers were briefed on the telephone calls Crown Prince Mohammed held with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Kuwaiti Crown Prince Sheikh Mishal al-Jaber al-Ahmad Al Sabah.

The ministers reviewed the economic conferences and various events that were held in the Kingdom over the past week. They hailed Crown Prince Mohammed’s support to the digital and technological field that has helped bolster the Kingdom’s standing as a pivotal hub for innovation and technology.

They went over the outcomes of the LEAP 23 conference during which investments topping USD 9 billion were announced with the aim to support the future technologies and startup sectors.

The cabinet also highlighted the announcement that the Kingdom was sending two male and one female astronaut to space, saying it was evidence of its interest in building national capacities for manned space flights.

They will fly to the International Space Station (ISS) during the second quarter of 2023.



BIE: Expo Riyadh Participation Applications to Open in June

The flag of Saudi Arabia
The flag of Saudi Arabia
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BIE: Expo Riyadh Participation Applications to Open in June

The flag of Saudi Arabia
The flag of Saudi Arabia

Dimitri Kerkentzes, Secretary-General of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), said his visit to Riyadh aimed to finalize the Kingdom’s registration file this week before submitting it to BIE member states in March for executive committee approval.

The file would then be presented to the General Assembly in June for final endorsement.

Once the General Assembly grants its approval, he said, Saudi Arabia will be able to issue official invitations for countries worldwide to apply for participation in Expo 2030.

Kerkentzes highlighted the potential presence of augmented reality technologies at Riyadh Expo 2030, saying they could play a powerful role in shaping the event and setting a benchmark for future World Expos.

Expressing keen enthusiasm, Kerkentzes said he was eager to see how these technologies would be integrated, noting that the Saudi team organizing Riyadh Expo 2030 was giving significant consideration to their inclusion.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat on the sidelines of his technical visit to Riyadh, Kerkentzes explained that visitors to world expos seek interactive and immersive experiences.

There are aspects of the virtual world that we cannot replicate in the physical realm, he said.

The Secretary General of BIE said his visit aimed to finalize the Expo 2030 registration process, emphasizing the importance of this procedural step in shaping the event’s execution.

According to Kerkentzes, this step will determine how we implement what was envisioned during the bidding phase.

He stressed that since Saudi Arabia won the bid to host Expo 2030 a year and a half ago, the BIE has been working closely with the Saudi government, the Royal Commission for Riyadh City, and the newly established Expo organizing company to finalize the official framework.

The framework will allow countries to assess their participation and plan their presence at the event.