Saudi Researcher Plants Cotton in Al-Makhwah’s Shada Mountain

Cotton cultivation requires minimal irrigation and care, similar to other agricultural crops, and the trees can grow up to 4 meters high and produce all year round - SPA
Cotton cultivation requires minimal irrigation and care, similar to other agricultural crops, and the trees can grow up to 4 meters high and produce all year round - SPA
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Saudi Researcher Plants Cotton in Al-Makhwah’s Shada Mountain

Cotton cultivation requires minimal irrigation and care, similar to other agricultural crops, and the trees can grow up to 4 meters high and produce all year round - SPA
Cotton cultivation requires minimal irrigation and care, similar to other agricultural crops, and the trees can grow up to 4 meters high and produce all year round - SPA

Al-Baha region is one of the rich agricultural areas in the Kingdom due to its natural resources, favorable climate, fertile soil, and abundant groundwater.
Thanks to the unlimited support from the Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture, successful agricultural experiments have emerged among farmers in various provinces.
“Some may think that cotton trees only grow in Egypt and other producing and exporting countries,” Nasser Al-Shadwi, a historical researcher and environmental activist, told the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
However, cotton trees actually grow naturally in some mountains in the south of the Kingdom, Al-Shadwi said, adding that the production of these trees is abundant in this area.
Al-Shadwi said his decision to revive cotton farming in the Shada Mountain, Al-Makhwah governorate, was influenced by his grandmother's stories about their cultivation of cotton trees on a farm in front of their house and spinning cotton during that time.
Al-Shadwi decided to reattempt cotton farming, which proved to be remarkably successful.
The cultivation of cotton, coffee, and other agricultural crops is an eye-catcher for tourists and visitors to the mountains, representing the beautiful aspects of rural life and enhancing the region’s identity.



Pope Leo XIV Is Back on Social Media, with a Message of Peace 

Pope Leo XIV leaves the Augustinian General House in Rome after a visit, Tuesday, May 13, 2025. (AP)
Pope Leo XIV leaves the Augustinian General House in Rome after a visit, Tuesday, May 13, 2025. (AP)
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Pope Leo XIV Is Back on Social Media, with a Message of Peace 

Pope Leo XIV leaves the Augustinian General House in Rome after a visit, Tuesday, May 13, 2025. (AP)
Pope Leo XIV leaves the Augustinian General House in Rome after a visit, Tuesday, May 13, 2025. (AP)

Pope Leo XIV has taken over the Vatican’s official social media handles, with a first Instagram post on Tuesday repeating the first words he said to the world as pope: “Peace be with you all!”

The @Pontifex – Pope Leo XIV post featured some of the photos that have documented the first days of history’s first American pope.

The Vatican said it was archiving the posts from Pope Francis’ 12-year papacy. On X, the new account didn’t appear to be active Tuesday.

The Vatican launched the @Pontifex handle in 2012 during the pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI. It now comes in nine languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, French, German, Polish, Arabic, and Latin -- and counts a combined 52 million followers.

Past popes didn’t actually send the posts, which were curated by the Vatican.

The former Cardinal Robert Prevost occasionally posted on X in an account started in 2011. It had been dormant since July 2023, but came back to life earlier this year to share criticism of Trump administration migration policies and comments by Vice President JD Vance.