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RIYADH: 黑料社区鈥檚 Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah met with the French president鈥檚 advisor for the Middle East and North Africa region, Anne-Claire Legendre, this week.
Discussions focused on the strong relations between their two nations and explored ways in which these could be further enhanced, reported Saudi Press Agency.
They also reviewed regional issues, with a particular focus on Gaza and Lebanon and ongoing efforts to address the issues there.
RIYADH: A royal approval has been issued to grant Saudi citizenship to American businessman Travis Kalanick and Chief Executive Officer of Red Sea Global John Pagano.
They join the ranks of distinguished scientists, innovators, experts in rare specializations and entrepreneurs who have been granted Saudi citizenship.
This comes as part of the Kingdom鈥檚 commitment to supporting distinguished scientists, researchers and entrepreneurs, in line with the Saudi Vision 2030 directives, which aim to enhance an attractive environment that fosters investment in human capabilities and attracts exceptional and creative individuals.
This is due to the added value they represent for the Saudi economy, which focuses on developing promising sectors and increasing their contribution to the gross domestic product.
Kalanick and Pagano, who recently converted to Islam, have successful careers in establishing technology companies and startups, as well as in developing promising tourism sectors.
Kalanick is one of the most prominent entrepreneurs to have ventured into founding start-ups, with more than 26 years of hands-on experience in the field.
He is the co-founder and former CEO of Uber, which reached a market value of $150 billion between its inception and 2017.
Kalanick currently serves as CEO of CloudKitchens, a leader in cloud kitchens focused on delivery in more than 400 locations worldwide.
The company鈥檚 operations include the Middle East under the name KitchenPark (in 黑料社区, Kuwait and the UAE), where Kalanick has led a major deal to attract investors to pump an estimated $1.25 billion into the company, accelerating the company鈥檚 expansion.
He is also the founder of the 10100 Fund, aimed at investing in real estate, e-commerce and emerging innovations in China and India.
John Pagano, CEO of Red Sea International, brings more than 40 years of experience.
In 2006, he served as president of Bahama Mar, a luxury resort and residential development company in the Bahamas, and oversaw the $3.6 billion development of the Baha Ma resort.
Currently, he oversees the Red Sea and AMAALA projects, following the 2022 merger of the Red Sea Development Company and AMAALA.
Pagano was also recognized by Forbes Middle East as one of the 鈥淭ravel and Tourism Leaders鈥 for 2024, in acknowledgment of his pivotal role in the Kingdom鈥檚 emerging international tourism sector.
RIYADH: The Saudi Food and Drug Authority has approved the registration of Qalsody (Tofersen) for the treatment of adults with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis linked to mutations in the SOD1 gene, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
ALS is a rare neurodegenerative disease that affects the nerve cells responsible for voluntary movement, gradually causing muscle weakness and leading to loss of mobility over time.
According to the SPA, the approval is part of the SFDA鈥檚 efforts to facilitate patient access to treatment, as Qalsody has been designated an orphan drug for the treatment of rare diseases.
Normally, the SOD1 protein helps eliminate toxic byproducts produced during regular cellular activity.
In cases where a genetic mutation in the SOD1 gene causes ALS, a defective protein that fails to protect the cell from toxins is produced. The faulty protein accumulates within the cell, disrupting normal cellular processes.
The SFDA said that Qalsody works to reduce the production of the defective SOD1 protein through a novel therapeutic approach known as antisense therapy. This technique employs small molecules called nucleotides, designed to bind precisely to a specific sequence of mRNA generated by the genetic mutation that causes the protein to misfold. This process limits the cell鈥檚 ability to produce the defective protein, reducing its accumulation in the body.
The authority added that the drug鈥檚 approval followed a thorough assessment of its efficacy, safety and quality. Clinical studies of patients who received the drug showed a reduction in key indicators of nerve damage, most notably neurofilament light levels, compared with patients who received a placebo. A decrease was also observed in the concentration of the defective SOD1 protein in cerebrospinal fluid, confirming that the drug is acting on its intended molecular target. The authority said, however, that the long-term benefits are still under evaluation and that these early findings are not a substitute for confirmed clinical outcomes.
The SFDA reported that the most commonly observed side effects in clinical studies were muscle and joint pain, fatigue, injection site discomfort, fever and increased levels of certain proteins in the cerebrospinal fluid.
The approval reflects the SFDA鈥檚 commitment to expanding access to effective treatments for rare and hard-to-treat diseases through the Orphan Drugs Program, a key strategic initiative designed to accelerate the availability of promising therapies and address unmet medical needs.
It aligns with the goals of the Health Sector Transformation Program, one of the key initiatives of the Kingdom鈥檚 Vision 2030, which seeks to improve the quality of healthcare services.
An orphan drug is defined as a medication developed to treat rare diseases that affect fewer than five in 10,000 people in the Kingdom.
The orphan drugs guide is available on the authority鈥檚 website at https://www.sfda.gov.sa/ar/regulations/88482. For further inquiries, contact the SFDA via email at [email protected].
RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan arrived in Paris on Thursday to participate in a ministerial meeting on the US plan for Gaza and the next steps toward a ceasefire.
The meeting will be attended by the foreign ministers and representatives of several Arab, Islamic, and European countries, as well as the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission Kaja Kallas, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Israel and Hamas signed an agreement on Thursday to cease fire and free Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, in the first phase of US President Donald Trump鈥檚 initiative to end the war in Gaza.
DAMMAM: The first Mitsubishi Power J-series air-cooled gas turbine to be assembled in 黑料社区 was launched by Prince Saud bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz, deputy governor of the Eastern Province, on Thursday in Dammam.
Prince Saud said it marked an important step in advancing the Kingdom鈥檚 industrial capabilities and localization goals, highlighting the role of local talent and international expertise in achieving Vision 2030 targets.
Adel Al-Juraid, president of Mitsubishi 黑料社区, said the turbine launch coincided with Mitsubishi Power鈥檚 60th anniversary in the Kingdom, underlining the company鈥檚 long-term commitment to the country鈥檚 industrial growth, energy security and sustainability.
He added the Dammam facility鈥檚 growing capabilities would help position 黑料社区 as a regional hub for advanced power generation solutions.
The newly assembled M501JAC turbine was installed at the 475 MW Admiral cogeneration plant in Jubail, supplying power and steam to Saudi Aramco鈥檚 SATORP complex which includes one of the region鈥檚 largest steam crackers.
Mitsubishi Power鈥檚 president and CEO, Takao Tsukui, said the project supported 黑料社区鈥檚 energy transformation and emissions reduction goals and reflected the company鈥檚 mission of empowering Saudi talent.
Tsukui added the Dammam facility鈥檚 success stemmed from Mitsubishi Power鈥檚 National Program, which provides technical training and exchange opportunities for Saudi employees, who now make up more than half of the company鈥檚 workforce in the Kingdom.
MADINAH: Saudi academics at the 25th Scientific Forum for Hajj, Umrah, and Visit Research, presented innovative ideas in the form of research projects and studies in Madinah, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The forum was aimed at improving the experience of pilgrims, Umrah performers, and visitors.
Researcher Dr. Abdulaziz bin Awad Al-Majnouni told SPA that his participation in the forum was an opportunity to present his research project, which discusses the concept of 鈥淪ustainability of Hotel Buildings in the Central Area of Makkah,鈥 by analyzing sustainability performance in hotels in terms of alternative transportation, energy efficiency, water efficiency, materials and resources, and indoor environmental quality.
Al-Majnouni said that the study, conducted under the supervision of Umm Al-Qura University, revealed that integrating renewable energy faces financial and technical obstacles when implemented in hotels.
He noted that hotels are gradually adopting sustainability practices, waste management, and indoor air quality improvement.
He also highlighted the importance of enhancing energy efficiency through advanced monitoring systems, renewable energy initiatives, improved water management using sub-meters, recycling, awareness campaigns, and establishing more comprehensive waste management systems while improving air quality. He further praised the progress achieved by hotels in Makkah鈥檚 central area in the fields of energy and water services.
