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Saudi Arabia, China to Cooperate on Parks, Reforestation and Anti-Desertification

A view of the Saudi-Chinese Forum for Product Exports and Agricultural Sustainability. (SPA)
A view of the Saudi-Chinese Forum for Product Exports and Agricultural Sustainability. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia, China to Cooperate on Parks, Reforestation and Anti-Desertification

A view of the Saudi-Chinese Forum for Product Exports and Agricultural Sustainability. (SPA)
A view of the Saudi-Chinese Forum for Product Exports and Agricultural Sustainability. (SPA)

A recent Saudi delegation’s visit to China marked a significant step toward deepening environmental cooperation between the two countries, with a focus on reforestation technologies and combating desertification, said Khaled Alabdulkader, CEO of the National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification (NCVC).

Alabdulkader said the visit, led by Environment, Water and Agriculture Minister Abdulrahman Al-Fadley, included high-level meetings and site visits to explore China’s pioneering experiences in land reclamation and vegetation cover development.

In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, Alabdulkader described the trip as “rich and beneficial,” revealing that a memorandum of understanding was signed between the NCVC and China’s Gansu Desert Control Research Institute.

The agreement follows a Saudi Cabinet resolution passed in December 2023 authorizing the minister to negotiate and sign the MoU to strengthen cooperation in combating desertification.

The Saudi delegation met with executives from major Chinese firms to discuss launching joint investment projects in Saudi Arabia, including initiatives in natural resource management, rangeland rehabilitation, and the development of desert parks and eco-resorts, said Alabdulkader.

The discussions also explored transferring tree-planting technologies and desertification control methods as part of the Kingdom’s broader push to promote green economic growth and sustainability, he added.

“We aim to localize these technologies to help achieve our environmental goals and enhance sustainability in Saudi Arabia,” Alabdulkader said, expressing hope for expanded collaboration and further agreements building on the outcomes of the visit.

Talks also covered advanced techniques in mangrove cultivation, which are critical for coastal protection and boosting vegetation, as well as environmental protection innovations and the economic potential of invasive plants, including converting them into eco-friendly products.

Additionally, Alabdulkader held discussions with a Chinese environmental design company to explore cooperation on national park and wetland development in Saudi Arabia.

The visit, reported by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), aimed to strengthen the strategic partnership between Saudi Arabia and China in the sectors of environment, water, and agriculture.

The visit also sought to open new export channels for Saudi products to the Chinese market and facilitate the introduction of more than 20 new food products from Saudi Arabia.

As part of the official visit, the Saudi delegation participated in the Saudi-Chinese Forum for Exporting Saudi Products and Agricultural Sustainability.

The forum concluded with the signing of 57 agreements and MoUs between 36 Saudi and Chinese entities, with investments exceeding SAR 14 billion ($3.7 billion).

These included 26 export agreements and 14 MoUs between the National Center for Palms and Dates and various Chinese companies and government agencies, aiming to boost global visibility and exports of Saudi dates and date-based products.

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Varieties

Need a Smile? This Livestream Features 6 Puppies All Day Long

In this image taken from video puppies of the Lagotto Romagnolo dog Hilkka sleep in Finland, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026. (Breeder's album, Julia Kiiskinen/Yle - The Finnish Broadcasting Company via AP)
In this image taken from video puppies of the Lagotto Romagnolo dog Hilkka sleep in Finland, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026. (Breeder's album, Julia Kiiskinen/Yle - The Finnish Broadcasting Company via AP)
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Need a Smile? This Livestream Features 6 Puppies All Day Long

In this image taken from video puppies of the Lagotto Romagnolo dog Hilkka sleep in Finland, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026. (Breeder's album, Julia Kiiskinen/Yle - The Finnish Broadcasting Company via AP)
In this image taken from video puppies of the Lagotto Romagnolo dog Hilkka sleep in Finland, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026. (Breeder's album, Julia Kiiskinen/Yle - The Finnish Broadcasting Company via AP)

Every wiggle and wobble, every snuffle and squeak of six newborn puppies snuggling together in Finland is captured by cameras monitoring their development in the first weeks of their lives. For science, of course.

Even though the puppies mostly nap and nurse — no fetching yet — they've entranced millions of Finnish viewers and others around the world through " Pentulive," a 24/7 slow TV livestream from Finland’s national public broadcaster, Yle. "Pentu” means puppy in Finnish.

The puppies' mother, a 5-year-old Lagotto Romagnolo dog named Hilkka, gave birth to four males and two females on Oct. 10. The puppies have brown and white fur and weighed roughly 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) each Thursday.

“They are just opening their eyes and their ears,” Pirjo Koskinen, a Yle science journalist who came up with the idea for “Pentulive,” told The Associated Press on Thursday. “They are taking their first clumsy steps.”

The slow TV show is in its sixth season and expected to break viewership records again. In less than two weeks, the livestream had more than 6 million views on social media alone in the country of 5.7 million people. A naming ceremony is set for Saturday.

The programming incorporates science through chat sessions with viewers three times a week, as well as a podcast and online articles detailing the dogs' development. The audience can watch the puppies grow day by day and track their milestones alongside Yle's science journalists and the breeder.

The scientific benefits extend to humans, too.

Seeing the puppies attempt to make a mad dash to their mother for milk, for example, can trigger an increase in levels of a hormone called oxytocin in a human brain, Koskinen said. Also known as the love hormone, it can help create social bonding as well as reduce anxiety.

The show is also an escape from the stresses of the rest of the world for viewers and Yle's journalists alike. One look at those wagging tails and little pink noses and it's hard not to smile, said Jyri Loikkanen, Yle’s producer of “Pentulive.”

Loikkanen, who often watches the livestream to decompress from his workday, said a commenter wrote on social media comparing the US considering livestreaming the firing squad execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Malik Hasan to Finland streaming puppies.

“I think it’s pretty much a sign of the times that people crave for this kind of small escape,” Loikkanen said, from the “doom and gloomy news what we are experiencing at the moment: The politics, the economics, war and strife et cetera.”

The puppies will be adopted mid-December by people chosen by the breeder. Yle keeps the breeder's name and location anonymous for their privacy and so that they can focus on the dogs' well-being. The puppies' new families are selected before the livestream begins each year.

The slow TV style of programming began in 2009 with Norwegian public broadcaster NRK’s minute-by-minute airing of a seven-hour train trip across the southern part of the country. It has since spread with productions in the United Kingdom, China and elsewhere.

In Sweden, for example, remote cameras for “The Great Moose Migration” capture dozens of moose as they swim across the Ångerman River, some 300 kilometers (187 miles) northwest of Stockholm, in the annual spring migration toward summer grazing pastures.

Varieties

Prince William, Wannabe DJ and Film-Lover, Appears on UK Chat Show

Britain's Prince William meets with the public on a street during a royal visit to the Aberfan Disaster Memorial Garden to mark the 60th anniversary of the 1966 disaster, in which 109 children and five teachers were killed at Pantglas Junior School when a coal spoil tip collapsed onto the Welsh village, Britain, October 21, 2026. (Reuters)
Britain's Prince William meets with the public on a street during a royal visit to the Aberfan Disaster Memorial Garden to mark the 60th anniversary of the 1966 disaster, in which 109 children and five teachers were killed at Pantglas Junior School when a coal spoil tip collapsed onto the Welsh village, Britain, October 21, 2026. (Reuters)
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Prince William, Wannabe DJ and Film-Lover, Appears on UK Chat Show

Britain's Prince William meets with the public on a street during a royal visit to the Aberfan Disaster Memorial Garden to mark the 60th anniversary of the 1966 disaster, in which 109 children and five teachers were killed at Pantglas Junior School when a coal spoil tip collapsed onto the Welsh village, Britain, October 21, 2026. (Reuters)
Britain's Prince William meets with the public on a street during a royal visit to the Aberfan Disaster Memorial Garden to mark the 60th anniversary of the 1966 disaster, in which 109 children and five teachers were killed at Pantglas Junior School when a coal spoil tip collapsed onto the Welsh village, Britain, October 21, 2026. (Reuters)

Prince William talked about his ‌love of Christopher Nolan films and how he once wanted to be a DJ as he appeared on a British television chat show on Friday to promote his annual award for climate change innovation.

The heir to the throne, 44, has in recent years regularly appeared in less formal settings in a bid to connect with younger audiences, including Radio One, one of UK's biggest stations for under 30s, and sports podcasts.

William surprised celebrity guests including actors Cate Blanchett and Hannah Waddingham when he joined them ‌on the ‌sofa for an episode of the BBC's Graham ‌Norton ⁠Show, which is ⁠due to air later on Friday.

Asked about how he relaxes, he said he and his family together enjoy reality show The Celebrity Traitors, while he personally turns to music and films.

"I'm a big fan of everything Christopher Nolan does. His films are fantastic – The Dark Knight series is psychologically dark and deep and I ⁠absolutely love that," William said.

"He takes concepts that ‌are completely out there and ‌makes them incredibly entertaining."

Before accepting that his future job would be that ‌of king, he said he had wanted to be a ‌policeman.

"Then I went through a phase of wanting to be a DJ – I wasn’t very good," he said.

William has in recent years sought to provide insights into his personal life, without creating waves by ‌giving too much away about the challenges of life in the public eye.

Two years ago, both ⁠his father, ⁠King Charles, and his wife Kate began treatment for cancer. His wife is now in remission, while Charles's treatment continues.

He has also been estranged from his brother Prince Harry for about six years, after Harry published a book detailing the breakdown of their relationship and repeatedly criticized the royal family.

Talking about The Earthshot Prize, which he set up six years ago to award five winners £1 million each to fund their ideas to save the environment, William said the aim was to bring optimism into an issue which can otherwise feel depressing.

"There are some amazing people out there doing things to protect the world," he said.

Varieties

Monet’s ‘Iris’ Becomes Most Expensive Artwork Sold at Auction in France, Sotheby’s Says

This photograph shows French painter Claude Monet's "Iris", 1924–1925, during a preview of 28 Impressionist works of the Schlumberger Collection unveiled ahead of the October 22, 2026, sale at Sotheby's auction house in Paris on September 17, 2026.
This photograph shows French painter Claude Monet's "Iris", 1924–1925, during a preview of 28 Impressionist works of the Schlumberger Collection unveiled ahead of the October 22, 2026, sale at Sotheby's auction house in Paris on September 17, 2026.
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Monet’s ‘Iris’ Becomes Most Expensive Artwork Sold at Auction in France, Sotheby’s Says

This photograph shows French painter Claude Monet's "Iris", 1924–1925, during a preview of 28 Impressionist works of the Schlumberger Collection unveiled ahead of the October 22, 2026, sale at Sotheby's auction house in Paris on September 17, 2026.
This photograph shows French painter Claude Monet's "Iris", 1924–1925, during a preview of 28 Impressionist works of the Schlumberger Collection unveiled ahead of the October 22, 2026, sale at Sotheby's auction house in Paris on September 17, 2026.

Claude Monet's "Iris" was sold late on Thursday for €50 million ($56.05 million), becoming the most expensive work of art sold at auction in France, Sotheby's said.

The painting, completed toward ‌the end ‌of Monet's ‌life, attracted ⁠frantic bidding with six ⁠people battling it out for 45 minutes for the piece, before the final two continued ⁠to scrabble for a ‌further ‌20 minutes.

"Iris" finally went ‌to an Asian ‌collector who bid over the phone.

The painting was one of several works ‌up for auction from the Schlumberger Collection ⁠and ⁠had been expected to sell between €22 million and €30 million.

The previous French auction record was set in 2010, by Amedeo Modigliani's "Head of a Caryatid," which sold for €43.2 million.