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SGS Unveils Establishment of Earth Sciences Data Analysis Center using AI Techniques

SGS Unveils Establishment of Earth Sciences Data Analysis Center using AI Techniques
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SGS Unveils Establishment of Earth Sciences Data Analysis Center using AI Techniques

SGS Unveils Establishment of Earth Sciences Data Analysis Center using AI Techniques

The Saudi Geological Survey (SGS) inaugurated on Thursday the works for establishing the Earth Sciences Data Analysis Center, one of the projects of the General Geological Survey Program, using artificial intelligence techniques during the founding meeting of the project implementation committee.

The event took place in the presence of several specialists from the public and private sectors, and experts from different countries around the world.

SGS spokesperson Tariq Aba Al-Khail said that the meeting focused on the participation of local and international bodies, companies specialized in data and mining from leading countries, such as Canada, Australia, Britain, South Africa, and China, as well as Saudi universities.

He added that the center's establishment aims to launch an advanced Saudi platform for earth sciences, which analyzes and develops all data and maximizes the benefit of its use, and build an extensive data system in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for earth sciences.

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Nepal Hosts Hot Air Balloon Festival

Hot air balloons rise in sky during the international festival at Pokhara in Nepal on December 25, 2024. (Photo by PRAKASH MATHEMA / AFP)
Hot air balloons rise in sky during the international festival at Pokhara in Nepal on December 25, 2024. (Photo by PRAKASH MATHEMA / AFP)
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Nepal Hosts Hot Air Balloon Festival

Hot air balloons rise in sky during the international festival at Pokhara in Nepal on December 25, 2024. (Photo by PRAKASH MATHEMA / AFP)
Hot air balloons rise in sky during the international festival at Pokhara in Nepal on December 25, 2024. (Photo by PRAKASH MATHEMA / AFP)

With Nepal's snowy Himalayan peaks as a backdrop, the sky above Pokhara transformed into a vibrant canvas of colors for the country's first hot-air balloon festival.

Tourism is a major earner for Nepal, which saw over a million foreign visitors this year after a post-pandemic bounceback, and investments are being made in hotels and airports to cater to travelers.

"We felt that we must bring a balloon festival like this to Nepal," Sabin Maharjan, an organizer of the event, told AFP.

Hot-air balloons from more than 10 countries participated in the festival.

"A ride here can be very exciting as you can see mountains, hills and lakes," Maharjan added.

"All passengers tell us that they are very happy -- such a festival will boost our tourism."

The balloons created a mesmerizing display against a stunning sight of the snow-capped Annapurna range.

"It is spectacular," American balloon pilot Derek Hamcock, 67, said.

"As soon as you go above the small range here you see all the Himalayas. Unbelievable, every time you see them it is unbelievable."

Balloons shaped as a rat and a frog from were among those joining in the fun, slowly drifting with the breeze.

"You never know where you are going," said Diego Criado del Rey, 29, a balloon pilot from Spain.

"So it is pretty much you and the nature -- not fighting, but being together. You go where the nature tells you."

Nepal's Civil Aviation Authority issued a notice for the skies over Pokhara for a duration of nine days to allow balloon flights.

Although more than two centuries have passed since France's Montgolfier brothers made the first manned flight, ballooning can still capture the imagination.