Deputy Makkah governor to honor Qur’an competition winners on Wednesday

Winners of the 44th King Abdulaziz International Competition for the Memorization, Recitation and Interpretation of the Qur’an will be honored at the Grand Mosque on Wednesday. (@AlharamainSA)
Winners of the 44th King Abdulaziz International Competition for the Memorization, Recitation and Interpretation of the Qur’an will be honored at the Grand Mosque on Wednesday. (@AlharamainSA)
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Updated 20 August 2024

Deputy Makkah governor to honor Qur’an competition winners on Wednesday

Winners of the 44th King Abdulaziz International Competition for the Memorization of the Qur’an will be honored at Grand Mosque.
  • 174 contestants from 123 countries participated in this year’s contest
  • The prize pool for the competition is SR4 million ($1,065,996)

RIYADH: The deputy governor of Makkah will honor the winners of the 44th King Abdulaziz International Competition for the Memorization, Recitation and Interpretation of the Qur’an at the Grand Mosque on Wednesday.

The supervisor of the competition, the Kingdom’s Minister of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance Abdullatif bin Abdulaziz Al Al-Sheikh, said 174 contestants from 123 countries participated in this year’s contest, the highest number participating in the competition’s history. 

The minister said the competition highlights the Kingdom’s care for the holy Qur’an and those who  memorize it.

Al-Sheikh thanked Makkah Gov. Prince Khalid Al-Faisal and Deputy Gov. Prince Saud bin Mishal bin Abdulaziz for their support and assistance in making the current edition of the competition a success. 

The prize pool for the competition is SR4 million ($1,065,996).


Tuwaiq Academy introduces 200 new training camps and programs

Tuwaiq Academy introduces 200 new training camps and programs
Updated 31 sec ago

Tuwaiq Academy introduces 200 new training camps and programs

Tuwaiq Academy introduces 200 new training camps and programs

JEDDAH: Riyadh-based technology institution Tuwaiq Academy has introduced more than 200 new training camps and programs in 10 different fields, the Saudi Press Agency announced on Monday.

The new programs are offered both in-person in Riyadh and remotely, with professional certifications created in partnership with global organizations.

Outstanding participants will also have access to employment opportunities upon completion.

The academy’s programs are open to a wide range of participants, including university students and graduates, employees and school students.

Camps and courses cover key areas such as programming, cybersecurity, data science, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, user experience, virtual worlds, mechatronics engineering, game development, drones and other modern technologies.

CEO Abdulaziz Al-Hammadi said the academy collaborates with more than 60 leading global technology partners, including Meta, Google, Nvidia, Amazon and Huawei to deliver training camps, many of which are being offered for the first time in the region.

“These programs provide a learning experience tailored to the needs of the labor market, with accredited professional certifications that strengthen and empower national capabilities, while contributing to the objectives of the Human Capability Development Program under Saudi Vision 2030,” he added.

All programs are available for free registration through the academy’s official website: https://tuwaiq.edu.sa/

Since its establishment, Tuwaiq Academy has graduated more than 35,000 students, with more than 80 percent of its bootcamp graduates securing employment within six months through the Tuwaiq Employment Program.

In addition to its training camps and professional programs, the academy organizes regular competitions, activities and an employment league used to place its graduates in advanced technology roles in different industries.


Syrian business delegation due in Riyadh

Syrian business delegation due in Riyadh
Updated 18 August 2025

Syrian business delegation due in Riyadh

Syrian business delegation due in Riyadh
  • The visit follows up on the Syrian-Saudi Investment Forum held last month in Damascus

RIYADH: A Syrian delegation of private sector representatives and government officials are due in Riyadh on Monday as further strengthens its commitment to re-engage with the conflict-ravaged country and support its reconstruction efforts.

The delegation will be led by Mohammad Nidal Al-Shaar, Syria’s Minister of Economy and Industry, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The visit follows up on the Syrian-Saudi Investment Forum held last month in Damascus, with more than 100 Saudi companies and 20 government entities joining the event, that yielded $6.4 billion worth of investment deals.

The 47 investment pledges ranged from real estate, infrastructure, finance, telecommunications and information technology, energy, industry, tourism, trade and health.

Among these include $1.07 billion worth of pledges from Saudi telecommunications companies including Saudi Telecom Co., GO Telecom, digital security firm Elm and cybersecurity company Cipher; while the $2.93 billion investment deals included the construction of three new cement plants to support Syria’s reconstruction efforts.


Saudi king, crown prince offer condolences to Pakistani president over flood victims 

Saudi king, crown prince offer condolences to Pakistani president over flood victims 
Updated 18 August 2025

Saudi king, crown prince offer condolences to Pakistani president over flood victims 

Saudi king, crown prince offer condolences to Pakistani president over flood victims 
  • Pakistani officials have said at least 274 lost their lives in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where torrential rains and cloudbursts triggered massive flooding on Friday

RIYADH: 's King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Monday condoled with Pakistan over the victims of floods that struck the country's north, resulting in deaths, injuries, and missing persons.

In a cable to President Asif Ali Zardari, King Salman extended his "deepest condolences and sincere sympathy" to the families of the victims and the people of Pakistan as a whole, praying for the "speedy recovery of the injured and safe return of the missing."

The crown prince sent a similar cable to Zardari, according to the Saudi Press Agency, or the SPA.

Pakistani officials have said at least 344 lost their lives, mostly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where torrential rains and cloudbursts triggered massive flooding on Friday.  More than 150 were reported still missing.

 

 

Homes were flattened by torrents of water that swept down from the mountains in Buner, carrying boulders that smashed into houses like explosions.

The government said that while an early warning system was in place, the sudden downpour in Buner was so intense that the deluge struck before residents could be alerted.

Lt. Gen. Inam Haider, chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority, told a hastily convened news conference in Islamabad that Pakistan was experiencing shifting weather patterns because of climate change. 

Since the monsoon season began in June, Pakistan has already received 50 percent more rainfall than in the same period last year, he added.

(With Agencies)

 


Saudi, UAE foreign ministers hold call

Saudi, UAE foreign ministers hold call
Updated 17 August 2025

Saudi, UAE foreign ministers hold call

Saudi, UAE foreign ministers hold call

RIYADH: Saudi foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan spoke with his UAE counterpart on Sunday, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

During the call, Prince Faisal and Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan reviewed Suadi-Emirati relations and discussed topics of common interest, SPA added.


Riyadh university offers English courses

Riyadh university offers English courses
Updated 17 August 2025

Riyadh university offers English courses

Riyadh university offers English courses
  • The two tracks of the course consist of a 12-week study program, with a total of 30 training hours, designed for first-level students, and an 18-week study program, also with a total of 30 training hours, designed for second-level students

RIYADH: The English Language Institute at Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University in Riyadh has opened registration for its preparatory English course, aimed at equipping female students with the necessary academic language skills to enroll in the university’s graduate programs.

The course is designed to enable students wishing to join graduate programs at the university to meet admission requirements through an intensive training program that focuses on developing academic English language skills within a learning environment supervised by specialized faculty members.

The two tracks of the course consist of a 12-week study program, with a total of 30 training hours, designed for first-level students, and an 18-week study program, also with a total of 30 training hours, designed for second-level students.

Both tracks are divided between in-person attendance and self-learning.

A certificate of completion will be awarded to students who achieve a score of 70 percent or higher in all assessments.

This initiative comes as part of the English Language Institute’s efforts to contribute to the objectives of Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University’s 2025 Strategic Plan, which aims to support and empower female students linguistically by offering specialized preparatory programs that enhance their path toward graduate studies and strengthen their academic competence.

Registration for the two tracks are open until Aug. 24.

More information about the course can be found through the following link: https://pnu.edu.sa/ar/MediaCenter/Pages/AdvertisementDetails.aspx?RequestID=480