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RIYADH: The Royal Commission of AlUla on Monday announced the start of the much-anticipated Summer Fruits of AlUla Season.

The first event in the annual Khayrat AlUla harvest celebrations runs from July 22 to 28 at Al-Manshiyah Farmers Market.

It highlights the produce of local farmers and productive families, and includes events for the display of dates, citrus, pomegranates and honey.

The initiative supports the commission’s goals of driving economic growth through community engagement and development projects tied to AlUla’s harvest cycles.

AlUla is home to more than 5,000 farms and more than 50,000 trees. Its mango farms cover 125,000 hectares and yield over 1,125 tonnes, including the sanarah and zubda varieties.

The region also produces over 3,141 tonnes of figs, grapes, and pomegranates across more than 348 hectares.

Khayrat AlUla is held annually to celebrate the region’s centuries-old agricultural heritage, known for its high quality, distinctive produce.

The event reflects a deep-rooted culture of farming, passed down through generations, balanced with modern sustainability practices that safeguard natural resources.

The commission places strong emphasis on agriculture as a pillar of local economic development, which includes a boost for the tourism industry.

RIYADH: Eight-month-old Saudi conjoined twins who were separated last week by Saudi surgeons from the Saudi Conjoined Twins Program remain in stable condition, Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah confirmed on Monday.

Al-Rabeeah, who heads the program’s medical and surgical team and serves as the supervisor general of KSrelief, said that conjoined twins Yara and Lara are showing positive signs of healing after undergoing surgery last week at King Abdullah Specialist Children’s Hospital in King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh.

“All the twins’ vital signs have returned to normal, and they remain on artificial respiration in the intensive care unit,” he said.

“Their intestinal functions have begun to resume, and nutrition will gradually be introduced through a nasogastric feeding tube. The twins are under close observation and are receiving antibiotics to prevent infection,” he added.

Al-Rabeeah noted that the surgical wounds are healing well and expressed hope that artificial respiration could be discontinued within the next four days, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Yara and Lara were conjoined at the lower abdomen and pelvis, sharing parts of the small intestine, colon, urinary, and reproductive systems, as well as a pelvic bone. They were born on Nov. 5, 2024, weighing a total of 10 kg, with independent upper and lower limbs.

The surgery on July 17 lasted 12.5 hours over nine stages. It involved a team of 38 specialists, including pediatric surgeons, anesthesiologists, urologists, plastic surgeons, orthopedists and other support staff.

The Saudi Conjoined Twins Program has assessed 150 cases from 27 countries over 35 years, separating 65 of those cases. Yara and Lara are the 16th successful separation of Saudi twins among 45 nationals that the program has examined, the SPA added.