Saudi Arabia

FIFA announced Saudi Arabia as the host for the 2034 World Cup, prompting backlash from rights groups due to the country's human rights record

Over 75% of the world's landmass is drying up permanently, according to a report released at the UN summit in Riyadh on combating desertification

An eight-year-old inventor, Lama Al-Badin, from Dammam, won an international competition to design a pair of glasses that help blind people by beating almost 1.000 entries from 19 countries in the 'Glasses of the Future' competition

Nadhmi al-Nasr, the head of the Neom project, the huge 'futuristic city' under construction in Saudi Arabia at the behest of Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has unexpectedly resigned; two other managers had resigned in recent months

The Saudi Falcons Club's Hadad programme announced a strategic partnership with NEOM to improve falcon habitat in the NEOM nature reserve

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