Saudi Arabian Record – Arabian Records (1st post : Eid Al Fitr – 01st Shawwal 1439 (AH) / 15th June 2018 ) / (BETA testing – Research

SAUDI ARABIA : Saudi official Khalid Al-Zahrani elected vice chair of ‘Codex Alimentarius Commission’ the organization that sets standards for global food trade

Saudi Food and Drug Authority says selection of Khalid Al-Zahrani by Codex Alimentarius Commission is a ‘milestone’ and ‘testament to our commitment to global food safety

Al-Zahrani has represented the Kingdom on several international committees, including at the World Trade Organization

Saudi official Khalid Al-Zahrani was chosen on Wednesday to be vice chair of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, which sets the standards for the international food trade that are designed to ensure products are safe and protect consumer health.

Representatives of the Saudi Food and Drug Authority who were present for the vote at the commission’s 47th annual session in Geneva, Switzerland, congratulated Al-Zahrani on his election.

“This is a significant milestone for Saudi Arabia and a testament to our commitment to global food safety and standards,” said Hisham Aljadhey, the authority’s CEO.

“By assuming the role of vice chair of Codex, (Saudi Arabia) aims to further strengthen international collaboration, promote sustainable food practices and ensure the well-being of consumers worldwide.”

Al-Zahrani has served as the Codex chairperson for the Near East region since 2020 and was reelected to the position in 2023.

He also represented Saudi Arabia on several international committees, including the World Trade Organization’s Technical Barriers to Trade, the Gulf Cooperation Council Standardization Organization, and the International Organization for Standardization’s Food Products Committee.

He works closely with the Kingdom’s Food and Drug Authority, which aims to prioritize sustainability and enhance efficiency, inclusiveness and transparency within food systems. The authority was recognized in January by the World Health Organization as one of the first five countries in the world to eliminate the use of industrially produced trans fats in food, alongside Denmark, Lithuania, Poland and Thailand.

“Al-Zahrani’s election highlights the exceptional quality of Saudi staff at the SFDA and the authority’s efforts in food-safety legislation and oversight,” the authority said.

The Codex Alimentarius (Latin for “Food Code”) is a collection of internationally recognized standards, codes of practice, guidelines and other recommendations related to food production, labeling and safety, published by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization and the WHO.

source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)

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Khalid Al-Zahrani and the CEO of the Saudi Food and Drug Authority, Hisham Aljadhey, during the vote at the Codex Alimentarius Commission in Geneva. (Supplied)

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SAUDI ARABIA: Yasser Al Misehal – the Saudi Football Chief joining Fifa Council

Saudi Arabia Football Federation president will be part of powerful arm of world football’s governing body.

Saudi Arabia on Wednesday returned to the powerful Fifa Council with their federation head Yasser Al Misehal getting elected at the AFC Congress held in Bahrain.

Who is Yasser Al Misehal?

Al Misehal is the president of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF), and has presided over a period of unprecedented change and progress in Saudi football, under the patronage of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The men’s national team pulled off one of the biggest shocks in tournament history when they beat tournament favourites Argentina at the World Cup in Qatar late last year, a feat Al Misehal described in a December interview with The National as “one of the most historical moments for the Saudi nation “.

A member of both Fifa’s and the Asian Football Confederation’s Disciplinary Committees, Al Misehal also served as chairman of the Saudi Pro League from June 2016 to October 2017.

According to his LinkedIn page, Al Misehal studied Sport Management at Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi from 2014 to 2015 and has a Bachelor’s degree in finance from King Fahad University of Petroleum and Minerals.

An avid sports fan since childhood, Al Misehal is an honorary member of Al Ettifaq Football Club.

How has he changed Saudi football?

Under Al Misehal’s patronage Saudi football has undergone major changes. Saudi age-group sides have enjoyed recent success, with the Under-23s clinching the Asian Cup in Uzbekistan in June, and the U20s triumphing at the Arab Cup on home soil in August.

According to the SAFF, the organisation is responsible for the development and up-skilling of more than 3,000 national coaches – more than at any time in the country’s history – and 1,700 referees across the kingdom.

In the past three years, Saudi Arabia has invested heavily in women’s football as both grass-roots player development and the establishment in 2021 of a first women’s national team. The kingdom has also introduced an inaugural women’s football league and girls’ school league.

Latest figures show there are now 520 registered players across 25 clubs in the league, and almost 50,000 girls in the inaugural schools’ league.

Meanwhile, the Saudi Pro League is able to attract superstars like Cristiano Ronaldo, who in December joined Riyadh-based Al Nassr on what is believed to be the most lucrative contract in world football.

What is the Fifa Council?

The Fifa Council is the main decision-making body of the organisation, outside the Fifa Congress. The council is a supervisory body that sets the vision for the organisation and for global football.

It has members from six confederations, with the AFC getting seven spots in the 37-member council.

Al Misehal’s elevation to the Fifa Council restores Saudi Arabia’s presence in the decision-making position at world football’s governing body after an absence of 21 years. Al Misehal will automatically become a member of the Asian Executive Office, too.

What next for Saudi Arabia?

Saudi Arabia has grand plans for football. On Wednesday, the country won the hosting rights for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup. Saudi Arabia was the only country left in the race after India withdrew their candidature as potential hosts .

The 2023 Asian Cup will be hosted by Qatar. It was previously set to be held in China but the country withdrew because of its Covid-19 guidelines. Qatar won the tournament’s last edition, in 2019, which was hosted by the UAE.

Saudi Arabia is also looking host the 2026 women’s Asian Cup, which will be another milestone in the journey of women’s sports in the kingdom.

However, the biggest target is said to be a bid for the hosting rights of the 2030 Fifa World Cup, with Saudi Arabia reported to be considering a joint proposal with Egypt and Greece.

source/content: thenationalnews.com (headline edited)

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Saudi Arabia Unveils Guinness World Record-Breaking Riyadh Season Postage Stamp

Saudi Arabia has officially unveiled a special Riyadh Season stamp that set a new Guinness World Record.

Measuring an incredible 64 square feet 7 square inches, it broke the record for the biggest special stamp in the world on Feb. 14. The public finally got a glimpse of it when Saudi Post displayed it at Boulevard Riyadh City, one of the special Riyadh Season zones.

“By revealing this stamp, the world’s largest special stamp, we broke Walt Disney’s record, set in 2019,” Bandar Al-Toaimi, Saudi Post’s general manager of corporate communications, told Arab News.

“We are so delighted it has been achieved by Saudi capabilities; from concept to design and implementation, it was all done by Saudi talents devoted to Riyadh season.”

The special stamp celebrates Riyadh Season, which was introduced in 2019 and has become one of the biggest events in the Saudi entertainment calendar. The design includes a winter wonderland scene, the Riyadh Season logo, a hot air balloon, a fountain, a racing car and fireworks.

source/content: arabnews.com

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Exhibition Celebrates Late Calligrapher and Artist Mohammad Bajnaid

Mohammad Salem Bin Abdul Basit Bin Abdul Rahman Bin Junaid Bajnaid (aka) Mohammad Bajnaid – Artist. Calligrapher.

Saudi artist and calligrapher Mohammad Salem Bajnaid contributed to the design and embroidery of the Kiswah — the cloth that is draped over the Kaaba in Makkah on the day that pilgrims leave for Mount Arafat during the Hajj.

Sharbatly House Museum in Historic Jeddah is currently hosting an exhibition celebrating the work of the renowned Saudi artist and calligrapher Mohammad Salem Bajnaid.

The show is part of Saudi Arabia’s Year of Arabic Calligraphy, launched by the Ministry of Culture with the support of the Quality of Life Program

The new exhibition in Jeddah runs until December and features 21 works from throughout Bajnaid’s career, some of which are Quranic verses and prophetic hadiths.

The show is split into four main areas: The Ancient House, Family bonds, Knowledge, and Patience.

It has been curated by the artist’s grandson, Salem Fouzi Bajnaid, who told Arab News: “The credit behind all the efforts in setting up this event goes to (the artist’s) family and friends, in cooperation with the ministry of culture. We’ve witnessed such an amazing response on the first few days, with art admirers from everywhere coming to appreciate the work being displayed here.”

Bajnaid, who died in October 2019, was widely recognized as one of the most talented calligraphers in the Arab and Islamic world. He contributed to the design and embroidery of the Kiswah — the cloth that is draped over the Kaaba in Makkah on the day that pilgrims leave for Mount Arafat during the Hajj — and was also the creator of the Kingdom’s gift to the United Nations for its headquarters in New York in 1982.

website :msalembajnaid.com/

source/content: arabnews.com

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Saudi Artist Ajlan Gharem Wins Jameel Prize 6 for Cage-Like Mosque Installation : September 2021

Ajlan Gharem. Artist.

The sixth Jameel Prize winner is artist Ajlan Gharem from Saudi Arabia, recognised for his work Paradise Has Many Gates, an installation from 2015 of a mosque structure constructed from chain-link wire and thereby resembling a cage.

The Jameel Prize is a collaboration between Art Jameel in Riyadh and the V&A in London. It recognises contemporary art and design inspired by Islamic tradition. This year’s prize was announced via a virtual ceremony on Wednesday, with Fady Jameel, chairman and founder of Art Jameel, presenting the award.

Gharem was among eight finalists shortlisted from more than 400 applicants.

Born in Khamis Mushait, Saudi Arabia, in 1985, Gharem lives in Riyadh and works as a mathematics teacher. He and his brother Abdulnasser, who is also an artist, founded the non-profit arts organisation Gharem Studio in 2013 to bring young artists in the kingdom together.

source/content: thenationalnews.com

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Ajlan Gharem’s monumental wire structure ‘Paradise Has Many Gates’ is now at Gharem Studio. Photo: Gharem Studio / pix: thenationalnews.com

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World’s Largest Coral Garden in the Red Sea, Saudi Arabia

Officials in Saudi Arabia have announced a joint project to establish the largest coral garden in the world at NEOM, the futuristic mega-city being built in the Kingdom’s northwest.

NEOM and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) said that the project that will cover 100 hectares on Shusha Island on the shores of the Red Sea.

The Shusha Island Coral Park will become a global center to showcase innovations to protect and restore coral reefs and accelerate conservation solutions, helping to reduce the effects of climate change, a statement issued by Saudi Press Agency said.

Shusha Island is home to more than 300 species of coral and 1,000 species of fish.

The project is scheduled to be completed in 2025, making NEOM a world leader in restoring and developing coral reefs.

source/content: arabnews.com

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A picture shows coral reefs at the Obhor coast, 30 kms north of the Red Sea city of Jeddah, 20 December 2007. AFP PHOTO/HASSAN AMMAR (Photo by HASSAN AMMAR / AFP) / pix: arabnews.com

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Winners of 12th Makkah Award for Excellence honored : June 09th, 2021

The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) won the award for its work during the COVID-19 pandemic, by providing digital support and assistance to the authorities managing the crisis, state news agency SPA reported.

The launch of the “Tawakkalna” and “Tabaud” applications — released three weeks after development — contributed significantly to helping the relevant authorities combat the epidemic, by providing services necessary for citizens, residents and visitors.

The recipients of the 12th Makkah Award for Excellence were honored by the region’s governor, Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, during a ceremony on Wednesday June 09th, at the Jeddah International Exhibition & Convention Center.

source/content : arabnews.com

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Oldest Human Settlement in Arabian Peninsula – Shuweihtia Village, Saudi Arabia

Archaeological teams discovered 16 settlements, which contained around 2,000 stone tools, such as knives, hammers, arrowheads along with other polyhedral and spherical tools

Recent excavations have revealed that Shuweihtia Village in Jouf is the oldest human settlement in the Arabian Peninsula, dating back 1.3 million years.

Located 45 kilometers north of Sakaka city, the administrative capital of Jouf, Shuweihtia extends to Wadi Wasseh in the north of the village.

The village goes back to the Paleolithic era in the Old Stone Age.

source/content: arabnews.com

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Saudi Students Win 4 Medals at ‘International Mendeleev Chemistry Olympiad’ (IMChO) 2021

Four Saudi students, represented by The King Abdul Aziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity (Mawhiba) and the Education Ministry, won the prestigious International Mendeleev Chemistry Olympiad (IMChO) 2021.

The students, Mohammed Al-Hadlaq, Mohammed Al-Hudaithi, Abdulaziz Al-Juaid, and Saeed Baghdadi, won bronze medals. The number of awards won by Saudi Arabia at the IMChO has now reached 18 — three silver and 15 bronze medals.

IMChO is a major international competition for students in chemistry. It started in the then-USSR as the All-Union Olympiad in Chemistry in 1967.

Now more than 30 countries participate in IMChO and an international jury of leading chemical scientists around the world make up the tasks for the Olympiad.

source/content : arabnews.com

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International Medical Center -Jeddah, receives Silver King Abdul Aziz Award : January 2021

The International Medical Center (IMC) in Jeddah won the Silver King Abdul Aziz Award 2020 in the category of private health facilities.

The IMC is the only private hospital to win in this category.

The King Abdul Aziz Quality Award is the culmination of a track record of local, regional and international awards won by the IMC.

These include: United Nations Social Responsibility Report Award, Best Healing Environment in the Middle East Award, Best Hospital Design in the Middle East Award, King Khalid Award for Responsible Competitiveness, Makkah Award for Excellence, and Saudi General Investment Authority Award.

source: arabnews.com

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Dr. Walid Fitaihi, CEO of IMC / pix: arabnews.com

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