NCVC, KAUST Discuss Mechanisms to Establish Genetic Data Bank for Saudi Arabia's Wild Plants

The online meeting aimed at discussing key mechanisms for drawing genetic maps of wild plants. SPA
The online meeting aimed at discussing key mechanisms for drawing genetic maps of wild plants. SPA
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NCVC, KAUST Discuss Mechanisms to Establish Genetic Data Bank for Saudi Arabia's Wild Plants

The online meeting aimed at discussing key mechanisms for drawing genetic maps of wild plants. SPA
The online meeting aimed at discussing key mechanisms for drawing genetic maps of wild plants. SPA

Saudi Arabia’s National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification (NCVC) is cooperating with King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), represented by the Center for Desert Agriculture, by holding meetings and discussions on the implementation of the genome mapping project for endangered plants in the Kingdom intended to preserve, re-propagate and cultivate such plants.

The CEO of NCVC, Dr. Khaled bin Abdullah Al-Abdulqader, and a team of the center's experts held an online meeting with a team of scientists and specialized researchers from KAUST, headed by Professor Rod Wing, Director of the university's Center for Desert Agriculture.

The meeting aimed at discussing key mechanisms for drawing genetic maps of wild plants, which include a list of the most important plant species, such as juniper, ficus, and lavender, in addition to tree species such as al-Ghada, al-Ruta, and others.



Australian Hiker Found Alive after Surviving for Two Weeks on Berries and Muesli Bars

A general view of Cooma Hospital where hiker Hadi Nazari was transferred to for a health check in Cooma, New South Wales, Australia, 08 January 2025. (EPA)
A general view of Cooma Hospital where hiker Hadi Nazari was transferred to for a health check in Cooma, New South Wales, Australia, 08 January 2025. (EPA)
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Australian Hiker Found Alive after Surviving for Two Weeks on Berries and Muesli Bars

A general view of Cooma Hospital where hiker Hadi Nazari was transferred to for a health check in Cooma, New South Wales, Australia, 08 January 2025. (EPA)
A general view of Cooma Hospital where hiker Hadi Nazari was transferred to for a health check in Cooma, New South Wales, Australia, 08 January 2025. (EPA)

An Australian student missing for two weeks near the country's tallest mountain was found on Wednesday, after surviving by foraging for berries, drinking water from a creek and finding two muesli bars left behind by other hikers, police said.

Hadi Nazari, a 23-year-old university student from Melbourne, went missing from his group of friends on December 26 in the Kosciuszko National Park.

Nazari was found on Wednesday afternoon by a group of hikers who alerted the authorities, police in the state of New South Wales said.

“This is the fourteenth day we've been looking for him and for him to come out and be in such good spirits and in such great condition, it’s incredible," NSW Police Inspector Josh Broadfoot said.

The student was in "really good spirits" with no significant injuries, he added.

More than 300 people had searched for Nazari across rugged bushland, police said. The national park is home to the 2,228 meter (7,310 foot) Mount Kosciuszko.