Saudi Arabia

The National Reef Foundation has launched an initiative to empower rural women by building their skills in managing small and medium-sized enterprises and improving product quality to meet local market demand

The Ibex Reserve became the first protected area in the Kingdom to be added to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's Green List

Rayyanah Barnawi, the first Arab female astronaut, was officially recognised for her pioneering space flight by Guinness World Records; she said 'this trip does not just represent me, but rather the entire Arab world and all Saudis'

King Abdulaziz University announced the launch of the second Student Film Festival, 4-5 December at the King Faisal Hall for Conferences, to promote student creativity in filmmaking

'Our Guests are Our Priority' initiative aims to improve the quality of services offered to national and international tourists throughout the Kingdom by strengthening the adherence of accommodation facilities to licensing and classification standards

The Holy Makkah Municipality has launched a digital reforestation initiative that, through a platform, allows citizens to choose the tree of their choice, select the location, make payments online and have the trees planted in their name

The National Centre for Land Cover Development and Combating Desertification will now hold a workshop with international experts on monitoring soil productivity dynamics and trends in soil organic carbon stocks in highly arid areas

The Disabled Children's Association's Khotwa Summer Club programme, an eight-day programme aimed at providing a range of recreational, educational, social and craft activities for children with disabilities, has been completed

The General Authority for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises launched its e-Commerce Week, in which more than 40 public and private entities will participate to raise awareness of the importance of e-commerce and the impact on businesses

Nahj, a non-profit organisation, launched its summer training programme to empower young people until 15 August in Riyadh and Jeddah through partnerships with companies in fields including healthcare, law, business development, engineering and technology

The Saudi General Food Security Authority disbursed the first instalment of payments to local wheat farmers who supplied their allocated quantities for the 2024 season; $78,7 million was deposited in the bank accounts of 792 farmers

Coffee production in the Jazan region received a boost after the National Centre for Prevention and Control of Plant Pests and Animal Diseases, 'Weqa', and the authorities offered a workshop to increase the number of trees