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Saudi Arabia Participates in Int'l Conference on Combating Sand, Dust Storms

File Photo: Dust storm in Baghdad/ AP
File Photo: Dust storm in Baghdad/ AP
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Saudi Arabia Participates in Int'l Conference on Combating Sand, Dust Storms

File Photo: Dust storm in Baghdad/ AP
File Photo: Dust storm in Baghdad/ AP

CEO of the National Center of Meteorology (NCM) has highlighted the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's significant efforts to mitigate climate change and combat sand and dust storms, citing the Saudi Green Initiative, introduced by the Saudi Crown Prince in March 2021, which is designed to tackle both local and global environmental challenges.

In a key address at the International Conference on Combating Sand and Dust Storms held in Tehran Dr. Ayman bin Salem Ghulam emphasized that the Kingdom took the lead in recognizing the pressing need for collective action.

It demonstrated its commitment through various initiatives and investments, including the establishment of the National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification in March 2019.

This initiative aims to increase green areas and rehabilitate degraded plant sites, SPA reported.

Dr. Ghulam further stated that the Kingdom's ambitious plans involve planting 10,000,000,000 trees and restoring over 40,000,000 hectares of degraded lands in the coming decades. These efforts are designed to combat desertification, reduce carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere, and promote biodiversity, he said.

He indicated that the Kingdom launched the Middle East Initiative in April 2021, as part of its support for the Saudi Green Initiative. This initiative aims to plant 50,000,000,000 trees, which is equivalent to five percent of the global afforestation target – the most comprehensive program of its kind worldwide.

Dr. Ghulam further mentioned that the Kingdom has set up the Regional Climate Change Center, the Sand and Dust Storm Warning Regional Center, and the Regional Cloud Seeding Program as integral components of the Green Middle East Initiative.

Moreover, the Kingdom has made significant investments in research and technology in collaboration with regional and international partners. He added that the Kingdom has also signed agreements with neighbouring countries to strengthen cooperation in early warning systems, research, and technology transfer.

He emphasized that these efforts underscore the Kingdom's dedication to sustainable development and its commitment to tackling challenges related to climate change, sand, and dust storms.

He also highlighted the recent recognition by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) of the consultation and evaluation system for warning of sand and dust storms for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries as one of its regional headquarters.

Additionally, he said the Sand and Dust Storm Warning Regional Center received accreditation as one of its regional centres by the WMO.

The CEO of the National Center of Meteorology called for attending the Saudi-hosted first international conference on sand and dust storms in the Arabian Peninsula next March, and the 16th for the parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification end of next year.

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Why Does Trump Want to End US Daylight Saving Time?

Members of the public on a snow covered National Mall in Washington, DC, USA, 06 January 2025. (EPA)
Members of the public on a snow covered National Mall in Washington, DC, USA, 06 January 2025. (EPA)
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Why Does Trump Want to End US Daylight Saving Time?

Members of the public on a snow covered National Mall in Washington, DC, USA, 06 January 2025. (EPA)
Members of the public on a snow covered National Mall in Washington, DC, USA, 06 January 2025. (EPA)

Daylight saving time, a practice affecting almost 400 million people across North America, is once again in the spotlight as debates over its necessity continue. This twice-a-year ritual of adjusting clocks forward in spring and back in autumn has been ingrained in American, Canadian and Cuban life for more than a century. However, US President-elect Donald Trump has pushed for an end to daylight saving time, which he has called inconvenient and costly.

WHAT DID TRUMP SAY ABOUT DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME?

Trump said his Republican Party would work to end daylight saving time after he takes office on Jan. 20.

"The Republican Party will use its best efforts to eliminate Daylight Saving Time, which has a small but strong constituency, but shouldn't!" Trump wrote on social media. "Daylight Saving Time is inconvenient, and very costly to our Nation."

Trump's billionaire allies Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, whom he picked to lead a new Department of Government Efficiency, have endorsed Trump's plan.

In 2022, the US Senate passed a bill called the Sunshine Protection Act that would make daylight saving time permanent. It stalled in the House of Representatives because lawmakers could not agree on whether to keep standard time or permanent daylight saving time.

Republicans, who control both chambers of Congress, could revive the bill or introduce a new one.

WHEN DO THE CLOCKS CHANGE?

Any changes that Trump and the Republicans may enact probably would not take effect immediately.

Daylight saving time in the United States and some other countries is due to start on March 9 at 2 a.m. local time, meaning people will lose an hour of sleep. Mornings will be darker but it will stay light until later in the evening. Daylight saving time is scheduled to end on Nov. 2. The saying "spring forward, fall back" serves as a helpful reminder for adjusting clocks.

Daylight saving time in the United States always starts on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November.

In the UK and other European countries, daylight saving time, also known as summer time, begins on the last Sunday in March and ends on the last Sunday in October. This year it will start on March 30 and end on Oct. 26.

WHEN IS THE SHORTEST DAY OF THE YEAR IN 2025?

The shortest day of 2025 will be on Dec. 21, which marks the winter solstice. Daylight hours vary significantly across latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere. Areas near the North Pole will be plunged into complete darkness while southern regions will still get more than 10 hours of sunshine.

WHY WAS DAYLIGHT SAVING CREATED IN THE US AND HOW DID IT START?

The modern idea of changing the clocks with the seasons can be traced back to at least the late 19th century, when New Zealand entomologist George Hudson proposed it to conserve energy and extend summer daylight hours, something that would have benefited his hobby of collecting insects after work. The idea was slow to gain traction until World War One, when European states sought any strategies to conserve fuel. Germany was the first country to adopt daylight saving time in 1916. The United States followed in 1918.

The practice went through many variations before the United States standardized it in 1966 in a law called the Uniform Time Act, which allows states to opt out of it but not to stay on daylight saving time permanently.

WHY IS DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME CONTROVERSIAL?

A common myth is that the United States adopted daylight saving time to benefit farmers, but in reality many farmers are opposed to the practice for being disruptive to their schedules.

The original motivation to conserve fuel is also under debate, as studies have found little, if any, energy savings from the shift, according to the US Congressional Research Service.

Opponents point to other studies that have found adverse health effects linked to daylight saving time, such as a spike in fatal traffic accidents, heart attacks, strokes and sleep deprivation in the days after clocks are moved forward an hour every March.

A March 2023 YouGov poll found that 62% of Americans want to end the practice of changing clocks, though only 50% prefer to keep permanent daylight saving time.

DO ALL US STATES OBSERVE DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME?

No. Hawaii and Arizona, with the exception of its Navajo Nation region, do not observe daylight saving time. The US territories of American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands also observe permanent standard time.

While daylight saving time is widespread across the United States, 19 states have passed legislation to permanently use daylight saving time if Congress were to allow it, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.