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Razan Al-Ajmmi plans to open international school in Saudi Arabia
People should visit ‘to see the beauty of the land from the sky,’ she says
Razan Al-Ajmmi, Saudi Arabia’s first licensed woman skydiver, has the lofty ambition of opening a school to help others take to the skies.
She outlined her plans during a recent interview on The Mayman Show by Arab News.
“I want to have like international competitions. I want to see the people around the world coming to Saudi Arabia, to my country, to see the beauty of the land from the sky,” she said.
Al-Ajmmi said it was difficult for her to start skydiving because Saudi Arabia has no schools, which forced her to seek training and jumps abroad.
She was determined to follow her passion. “If I don’t have something in my place, in my home, it doesn’t mean that is like an excuse or (should) stop me,” she said.
Al-Ajmmi said her first jump, about four years ago, was just a spontaneous try. After that experience, she quickly became a fan of the sport. “After the first jump, and when I just landed, I went to my instructor, and I say: ‘Hey man, I want to be a skydiver. I want this,’” she said.
Al-Ajmmi said she enjoys everything about the extreme sport, including the mental and physical challenges.
“I always like (having) freedom to do what I want to do in my life. And the idea of flying in the sky and you just fly, there is no rules, nothing except the safety rules. And you can do everything in the sky. This is what I like in the skydiving, I just go out from the plane and being in the sky, flying, move my body and do whatever I want to do,” she said.
Al-Ajmmi said she had to go through several levels of training to get an A-license, which requires a minimum of 25 jumps. The top level is a D-license, which is achieved after getting A and B accreditations.
All skydivers must complete an Accelerated Freefall course, a kind of bootcamp. This is for beginners to learn freefall techniques, canopy control, and emergency procedures, which would lead to solo jumps, she explained.
She recognizes the risks associated with skydiving and stressed that split-second decisions are often needed to prevent major errors and accidents. She said safety measures include the automatic opening of a second parachute.
The adrenaline enthusiast has advice for those wanting to try the sport. “Always try before (making) decisions. If you have a chance … just use them, take them, try and work hard. Life is not easy. Nothing is easy. You cannot take your things like by (an) easy way. What comes easy, goes easy.”
Yasmine Idriss hopes her ‘heroine’s journey’ will inspire others to take the road less traveled.
Earlier this year, Yasmine Idriss sat down with Arab News just before setting off to Iceland to cycle the country’s Ring Road on the journey of a lifetime. Now, she has become the first Arab woman to complete the grueling trip.
Initially, she thought her time on the road — which runs for almost 1,400 km — would give her the chance to plan her next career move. Little did she know she would pedal her way to much deeper enlightenment.
Her entire journey, from raging winds to sweet serenity, is captured in a documentary film titled “Threshold,” due out in 2024.
“I open up quite a bit (in the film) about what this was for me and what the ‘heroine’s journey’ is. The heroine’s journey isn’t just a woman going through the hero’s journey. (It) has a lot more surrender embedded in it, and that’s a huge theme of what Iceland was for me,” she told Arab News.
While Idriss knew there was no way to replicate the effects of Iceland’s biting winds during her training period, she hadn’t expected them to be quite as fierce as they were — she faced the highest winds of the entire season and was blown off track in all directions. With oncoming traffic on one side and sharp rocks on the other, she prayed for stability.
HIGHLIGHTS
• Yasmine Idriss’s entire journey is captured in a documentary film titled ‘Threshold’ due out in 2024.
• Kathi Hendrick helped create the narrative for the documentary while Madison Hoffmann is the lead filmmaker.
“It was a very brutal welcoming to what this Ring Road journey was going to be about,” she said.
With the exception of just two days in her three-week trip, the wind was constant — not stopping “even for a second,” she said. While most life challenges come in waves, ebbing and flowing, the continuous assault brewed frustration.
“Why? What is the purpose? What can I be learning from this? Why is this so hard?” Idriss says she wondered.
Her close friend — and one of her two companions on the road — Kathi Hendrick, said to her: “Wind stops inertia, wind forces you to move, it forces you to be awake, otherwise you would fall.”
The physical challenges paralleled the emotional. Realizing that she was exerting more strength than needed, she surrendered.
“The muscles that needed to be working were working, and the muscles that didn’t need to be working were relaxed. Psychologically, how that translated was: I just let anything that needed to happen, happen,” she explained.
I feel proud to be able to represent Saudi women. I don’t feel like I’m the first. There are so many amazing Saudi women who have paved the way for me, (who have) done amazing things (and) are doing amazing things.
Yasmine Idriss, Cyclist
Hendrick supported the cyclist on the trip and helped create the narrative for the upcoming documentary, while Madison Hoffmann, also a good friend, was the lead filmmaker.
Idriss said: “Somehow the three of us were mirroring each other’s experiences. Each of us was going through something very similar; even though I was on a bike and they were in the van, there was a sort of synchronicity that was happening. It was just really beautiful to see the magic that can happen when women come together in a supportive way.”
The trip was meant to help clarify what the next chapter of her life would look like. Idriss had just left her position as the head of a sustainable footwear company, which she thought was her dream job.
Removing herself from the responsibilities of daily life, and being disconnected from family and friends, ignited a deep transformation, as trips of this nature tend to do. “Over 20 days on the bike, it was an inward journey,” she said.
While there was no hiding from the elements, there was no avoiding the self either. From ending a close relationship to facing difficult questions, “everything was brought to light,” Idriss said, adding that that was exactly what she needed.
Idriss is now advocating for time away to recharge and innovate in a hyper-productive society, packed with intense working hours and social commitments.
She explained: “For Vision 2030, we’re developing like crazy. We’re one of the fastest developing countries in the world, and it’s happening with such beautiful leadership. We also need rest, and we need space, and we need to take care of ourselves in order to be as productive as our communities need us to be right now.”
While she primarily embarked on the journey for her own self-exploration, she humbly hopes to drive others to do the same.
“I feel proud to be able to represent Saudi women. I don’t feel like I’m the first. There are so many amazing Saudi women who have paved the way for me, (who have) done amazing things (and) are doing amazing things,” she said. “If I can be a mirror for the world to look at what women are doing in Saudi Arabia, then that would be a huge privilege. And if I can inspire others to go on their own road, whether that’s a walk in the neighborhood, or climbing Mount Everest like Raha Moharrak, then I have accomplished my mission.”
Immersing herself in the landscapes of Iceland, with all the challenges and revelations that it brought, inspired her to “(bring) this work to others and invite others into similar journeys of transformation in a very different form. This is what I’m working on next.”
source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)
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Yasmine Idriss has made history as the first Arab woman to complete the grueling 1,400 km cycling trip along the Nordic Ring Road. (Supplied)
It is now recognized as the largest falconry competition in the world, with 2,654 falcons participating.
The King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival 2023 has set a new world record by entering in the Guinness World Records for the third time in its history, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Saturday.
It is now recognized as the largest falconry competition in the world, with 2,654 falcons participating.
The festival was held between Nov. 28 and Dec. 14 and was organized by the Saudi Falcons Club at its headquarters in Malham, north of Riyadh.
The accomplishment stands as a testament to the backing of the Saudi leadership in safeguarding the Kingdom’s cultural heritage.
In its inaugural year, the festival secured a Guinness World Record with 1,723 falcons, and in the following year in 2019, it repeated this feat by including 2,350 falcons.
The event drew falconers from the Kingdom, Gulf countries and across the world, who competed for the festival’s awards over 17 days. Falconers vied for places in the Al-Mazayen and Al-Milwah competitions, with prizes exceeding SR33.6 million ($8.91 million).
As part of efforts to enhance the ancient falconry heritage of the Kingdom, the Saudi Falcons Club is partnering with the Royal Commission for AlUla governorate to organize the first AlUla Falconry Cup 2023.
The competition will be held in AlUla governorate from Dec. 28 to Jan. 5, with prizes worth up to SR60 million in the Al-Milwah and Al-Mazayen competitions. These represent the largest financial prizes in the history of falconry competitions in the world.
source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)
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The festival was held between Nov. 28 and Dec. 14 and was organized by the Saudi Falcons Club at its headquarters in Malham, north of Riyadh. (SPA)
Saudi Arabia has the competitive advantage of becoming a global leader in green minerals, according to the vice minister for mining affairs at the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources.
Addressing a news conference for the third edition of the Future Minerals Forum scheduled from Jan. 9-11 in Riyadh, Khalid Al-Mudaifer emphasized that the Kingdom holds a unique competitive edge as a central hub for mineral processing encompassing green minerals, steels, aluminum, copper and magnesium.
“Saudi Arabia is a place to convene the world. Our demand for minerals and our transformation in minerals make us the place for the convening,” Al-Mudaifer told Arab News in an interview.
He also underlined that the Kingdom boasts substantial natural resources estimated to be around $1.3 trillion.
A significant share of these resources includes phosphate, constituting 25 percent of the estimated wealth.
“Saudi Arabia is the third largest producer of phosphate fertilizer … this is considered almost 7 percent of the world,” Al-Mudaifer asserted.
Reaffirming the Kingdom’s competitive advantages, Al-Mudaifer also underscored that the process of making phosphate involves specific infrastructure needs, including gas for ammonia and nitrogen production and sulfur, which Aramco produces through its oil and gas operations.
These competitive advantages have enabled the Kingdom to build its phosphate industry on the back of investments of over SR60 billion ($16.2 billion).
“We have announced, or there is work to enable phosphate four and three, for which another SR40 billion will be invested in the future,” Al-Mudaifer added.
The goal is to position the Kingdom as the second or third-largest supplier of phosphate fertilizers globally.
Additionally, he noted that the private sector has played a significant role, investing more than SR120 billion in these initiatives.
At the same time, the government has also contributed over SR50 billion to enhance and support the growth of the phosphate industry.
This approach illustrates a collaborative effort between the private and public sectors to boost Saudi Arabia’s capabilities and competitiveness in the global phosphate fertilizer market.
During the news conference, Al-Mudaifer revealed that 95 countries and over 20 organizations worldwide will participate in the FMF.
“For the first time, we will have the Saudi Geological Survey participate in this conference,” he said, adding that there would be over 75 sessions from Jan. 10-11.
In October, during the Middle East and North Africa Climate Week 2023, Al-Mudaifer highlighted Saudi Arabia’s strategy for becoming a powerhouse in the sector, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
He emphasized that by leveraging the Kingdom’s strategic location, advanced infrastructure and strong local demand, the government is charting a path toward securing the minerals necessary for its national industrial transformation.
“Saudi Arabia is committed to the transition to green energy, as demonstrated by the development of a mining and mineral industries strategy designed to address critical challenges,” he had said then.
The Kingdom has pledged to achieve net-zero emissions by 2060. It has undertaken $1 billion of climate change initiatives to hit this target, including working toward a regional carbon capture and storage center, an early storm warning hub and cloud seeding programs.
source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)
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Khalid Al-Mudaifer emphasized that the Kingdom holds a unique competitive edge as a central hub for mineral processing encompassing green minerals, steels, aluminum, copper and magnesium. AN
NEOM’s water and electricity subsidiary ENOWA has developed a blueprint for the world’s first renewable, high-voltage smart grid, Peter Terium, the company’s CEO, told Arab News.
In an interview on the sidelines of the 2023 UN Climate Change Conference, Terium said that the “grid of microgrids” will allow ENOWA to supply the NEOM region with sizable, 100 percent renewable electricity that simultaneously provides a 50 percent reduction of the corridor footprint.
According to the CEO, the principle of smart grids is simple, as they are traditionally used on a small scale in buildings. However, the sheer size of the development and the scope of coverage needed for the nine to 10 million individuals who will be residing in NEOM adds to the difficulty of the undertaking.
“That’s a huge achievement given it’s the size that makes it complex. You know, one windmill, a refrigerator, and a television are all 100 percent renewable. But a NEOM within the Kingdom that eventually is going to have nine to 10 million inhabitants. That’s very sizable,” Terium said.
In order to ensure minimum disturbance to the natural terrain and minimize visual disruption, the CEO noted that this would require limiting the number of corridors and implementing part of the grid to operate underground.
To achieve 100 percent renewable electricity in NEOM, Terium emphasized the crucial role of an efficient grid, highlighting that individuals often underestimate that all solar and wind farms require connectivity to “bring the electrons to the customer.”
Another key element, the CEO underscored, is storage. In order to ensure the stabilization, backup, and security of its renewable supply, the giga-project is implementing a portfolio of storage solutions.
The development is investing “billions and billions of Saudi riyals” to ensure that its first customers have access to green electricity, sustainable water, and reliable quality electricity through its grid and storage.
“One example is already for sure and we are expanding into the market with that, which is the world’s largest closed-loop pump, hydro storage, and it combines the traditional form of water-based hydro storage, so a small upper lake and a lower lake,” Terium said.
“That has two effects. First of all, it reduces the evaporation of the water. So that’s an economic effect. But the second effect is that it is a great attractor for birds. Birds and wildlife. So we have a major positive solution for storage that is pretty sizable, the largest in the world,” he added.
Considering the challenges ahead, the CEO highlighted that the development isn’t exclusively centered on creating new technologies. Instead, their key focus is to ensure that the electricity supplied to the NEOM region is renewable, dependable, and affordable.
While not entirely cheap, mature large-scale solar and wind technologies remain affordable, underscored Terium, and will thus be primarily implemented into the framework of connectivity used by the futuristic city.
“The NEOM region has a combination of very intensive solar irradiation and very abundant wind profiling — the solar during the day and the wind mainly in the evening. That makes it a perfect combination to take these two cheapest renewable technologies and get as much as possible out of them,” he outlined.
While the existing infrastructure for electricity amounted to half a gigawatt to 1 GW, the company has “ramped that up” to 3 GW with the aim of 5-6 GW in the near future.
According to Terium, the first tenders of solar and wind power plants have already been established, and the large green hydrogen plant being built will amount to 5-6 GW of installed capacity for power generation by the year 2026.
Due to the size of the NEOM development, the executive underscored that ENOWA is currently at about 5 percent completion of its infrastructure, with the goal of accelerating to 10 percent in the coming 12 to 18 months.
He said: “NEOM is going to be a large undertaking. And what we do is build the infrastructure in line with the growth of NEOM. So that’s why the percentage of 5 or 10 percent sounds low, but it is connected to the size, eventually, of NEOM. And then again, five or 10 eventually of a massive undertaking is already a huge project.”
The company is working with the Kingdom’s Ministry of Energy and collaborating with entities like the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in its energy-centric ventures. Alongside KAUST, ENOWA will be installing the first carbon capture capacity into a gas-fired plant in the Kingdom. The executive said: “That is one example, but there are many other ones and all the institutions that are there in the Kingdom we work with, but also outside of the Kingdom.”
Through collaboration, it hopes to bring some of its ideas on how to scale renewable energy to the region through its renewable energy approaches and Saudi Arabia’s green hydrogen strategy, a part of which is the NEOM green hydrogen plant.
Terium said: “The Kingdom has now embarked upon a hydrogen strategy and a renewable energy strategy, but it may take advantage of some of the lessons learned that we had in the early stage. And we can bring in some of our ideas of how you can do that bigger and at a larger scale.”
What is important, according to the CEO, is that hydrogen needs to reach its customers, and there are more cost-effective solutions than shipping it in the form of ammonia.
Thus the decision to build a pipeline corridor infrastructure to Europe is something “that only a country like Saudi Arabia can do because that’s a job and a size which is even way too big for even NEOM.”
Razan Al-Rajhi is riding high after completing a 100 km endurance race in France.
Saudi jockey Razan Al-Rajhi is riding high after completing a 100 km endurance race in France — less than a year after taking to the saddle.
And her achievement in Le Pertre was recently celebrated at an event organized by the Al-Sarim Al-Battar Academy at its stable in Janadriyah, on the northern outskirts of Riyadh.
The academy offers a program dedicated to training female jockeys.
Al-Rajhi told Arab News: “The endurance race in France was challenging, but I was determined to demonstrate that Saudi women are capable of achieving anything.”
Just 11 months ago, Al-Rajhi did not know how to ride a horse but was determined to learn. She raced twice in Bahrain before applying for the event in France, where she qualified and earned her first star.
More than 60 riders from Europe also took part.
Al-Rajhi leads a team of 15 girls. She said: “As beginners in this field, we support and inspire each other. My girls work hard, push themselves, and I’m proud of their dedication.”
For world cup race qualification, she must now complete 120 km for her second star, and 160 km for her third.
Hatem Hassanein, an international referee, coach, and academy owner, said Al-Rajhi, the only Arab female participant in the championship, amazed jockeys, participants, and judges with her skills.
“I teach girls to ride horses while also helping them build bravery and commitment,” he added.
Al-Rajhi is preparing for the 2024 Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Endurance Cup in AlUla, an international endurance racing world cup.
source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)
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Al-Rajhi is the first female horse rider from the program to participate in European races, specifically in France in the Le Pertre region, after obtaining the approval of the Saudi Federation to participate in this tournament in which more than 60 male and female riders from various European countries participated, achieving the distance required of them. (Supplied)
Dr. Najm: Award is ‘culmination of a long journey and diligent work in the field of heart surgery’
Doctor attributes success to ‘great education’ he received in Saudi Arabia
Saudi surgeon Dr. Hani Najm has been named the first winner of the Great Arab Minds award in medicine, which was launched by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, vice president and prime minister of the UAE, and ruler of Dubai, in January 2023.
The award, which celebrates the most brilliant minds in the Arab world and their positive impacts on society, acknowledges accomplishments across six categories: engineering and technology, medicine, economics, architecture and design, natural sciences, and literature and arts.
It was presented to the Saudi surgeon in recognition of his outstanding contributions to pediatric and adult cardiac surgery, as well as his innovations in surgery to treat congenital heart diseases.
The doctor is credited with the design and development of a flexible, growth-compatible heart valve to be used inside a child’s body. It can be implanted in the heart and adjusts according to a child’s growth over the years, sparing infants and children the risks of multiple surgical procedures.
Najm participated in over 10,000 surgical operations in newborns, children, and adults with heart diseases, managing complex and critical cases.
Born in Riyadh, Najm graduated from the College of Medicine, King Saud University in 1985. He was trained in general surgery, cardiothoracic surgery, and pediatric congenital heart surgery in Canada.
For 17 years, he headed the Children’s Heart Center at the King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh and was a pioneer in performing critical heart surgeries for patients in the Kingdom, sparing them the need to travel abroad for treatment. He was also one of the first surgeons to perform an artificial heart transplant in Saudi Arabia.
He headed the Saudi Heart Association, served as editor in chief of the Journal of Saudi Heart Association, and was an associate professor at King Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh. He is also an international lecturer in the field of congenital heart surgery.
He joined Cleveland Clinic in 2016 as the chair of pediatric and congenital heart surgery and is currently a member of many national and international professional organizations, including the Gulf Heart Association, the Board of Trustees of the American College of Cardiology, and the European Society of Cardiothoracic Surgery.
Speaking to Arab News, Najm said: “This award is the culmination of a long journey and diligent work in the field of heart surgery. I did not expect this much success in the beginning.
“This award will reflect greatly on my work and on the work of eminent Arab scholars, who in turn will aspire and work hard to obtain the award … a source of pride for all Arabs.
“When I came to the US, one of my most important goals was to be an ambassador for my country. I was striving to gain the trust of the team, the hospital, and the community. Everyone knew that I was coming from a different society, so I worked hard to prove myself and (show) that my recruitment was the right move,” he said.
Najm dedicated this award to his homeland, which he said opened the doors for him to the best centers in the world for training.
He underlined that the excellence he has achieved is the result of the great education he received in Saudi Arabia.
He also thanked his wife and children for supporting him during this journey and the many long hours he spent in the hospital for surgeries.
In a message to Saudi doctors, Najm said: “You have a high level of professionalism, just like all the doctors in the world. The root of my distinction is the education I got from King Saud University, on which I built my scientific and practical experiences. You are the seeds of success, and you can get global recognition, especially in light of the great support provided by our country.”
source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)
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Saudi surgeon Dr. Hani Najm joined Cleveland Clinic in 2016 as the chair of pediatric and congenital heart surgery. (acc.org)
Prince Khalid bin Bandar Al-Saud was appointed via unanimous decision.
Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Britain was elected on Monday as president of the International Maritime Organization General Assembly by its member states, the Kingdom’s embassy to the UK announced.
During a meeting of its 33rd session in London, the IMO members appointed Prince Khalid bin Bandar Al-Saud via a unanimous decision.
The IMO is the United Nations’ specialized agency with responsibility for the safety and security of shipping and the prevention of marine and atmospheric pollution by ships.
The meeting in the British captial was opened by secretary-general Kitack Lim, who highlighted the organization’s achievements during the current biennium, including the adoption of the 2023 IMO GHG Strategy, and emphasized the need to decarbonize and digitalize shipping in the years ahead.
source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)
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During a meeting of its 33rd session in London, the IMO members appointed Prince Khalid bin Bandar Al-Saud as president via a unanimous decision. (X/@SaudiEmbassyUK)
Mujtaba Hussein Salem and Majed Abdullah Al-Majed claimed first place in a World Robot Olympiad final
General director of Al-Ahsa Education Hamad bin Muhammed Al-Issa: This is certainly a win for the Kingdom and its people
Two Saudi secondary school students have claimed first place in a World Robot Olympiad final in Panama.
Mujtaba Hussein Salem and Majed Abdullah Al-Majed, both from Al-Ahsa, triumphed against student competitors from around the world in the Virtual Robot Challenges category.
Elementary students Fatima Ali Al-Rashid and Fatima Akil Salem finished fifth in the Future Innovators category.
Scores of students in different age groups competed in a variety of categories at the international olympiad, held from Nov. 7-9.
Hamad bin Muhammed Al-Issa, general director of Al-Ahsa Education, described the Saudi students’ performance as a “significant accomplishment.”
Many teams of Al-Ahsa students have performed well while representing the Kingdom in global competitions, he added.
“Not only are our students drawn to the world of artificial intelligence, but they also lead in this field worldwide. This is certainly a win for the Kingdom and its people,” he said.
“To every loyal teacher who has provided support, and to every school principal who has worked hard to unleash the students’ potential in all fields, I hope your efforts will be blessed and I wish you all the best, as such achievements do not happen out of nowhere or by chance, but are the results of dedicated work and innovative students who don’t know the meaning of impossible and can face any challenge.”
Student instructor Khaled Al-Massoud told Arab News that the students’ performance is an “accomplishment for the country.”
The two winners told Arab News that support provided by the Kingdom played a key role in their victory.
Intensive training under the supervision of Al-Massoud “helped us reach the highest levels in the Olympiad,” they added.
source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)
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Mujtaba Hussein Salem and Majed Abdullah Al-Majed, both from Al-Ahsa, triumphed in the Virtual Robot Challenges category. (Supplied)
When a Saudi Arabian athlete rowed her boat over 6.2 miles of open water in 57 minutes and 24 seconds, she smashed the Guinness World Record.
Kariman Abuljadayel tried to break the record in the Red Sea off the coast of Jeddah after being the first Saudi woman to compete in the 100-meter event at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.
She claimed that the endeavour was hampered by the intense heat and other issues.
Abuljadayel told Guinness World Records, “That day had a strong current that slowed the boat down. I was forced to put in more effort to just maintain the movement let alone move fast for the sake of breaking the record.” She said, “I will be honest, I wanted to quit, it was too much, but a strong voice of determination within me that drove me to continue rowing and break through the imaginary barriers.”
According to GWR, the athlete broke the record for the quickest time to row 10 kilometers (open water) in rowing.
“I want express my appreciation to my mother, Suraya Alshehry,” Kariman said. “Who nurtured this early passion and guided it before it faded. She is my role model and hero.”
source/content: bolnews.com (headline edited)
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source: Fastest time to row 10km (open water) – Guinness World Records / youtube.com
