Author: Editorial Team
Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority (Nazaha) President Mazen Al-Kahmous led Saudi Arabia’s delegation to the first European Regional Conference of the International Association of Anti-Corruption Authorities (IAACA) held in Budapest, Hungary, where he highlighted the Kingdom’s comprehensive strategic approach to combating transnational corruption under Vision 2030. Al-Kahmous emphasized the country’s focus on transparency, accountability, and international cooperation, noting Saudi Arabia’s pioneering initiative to collect data for measuring corruption objectively. He urged the IAACA Executive Committee to support scientific tools for measuring corruption and praised the Kingdom’s active participation in global mechanisms such as the GlobE Network. The Executive Committee approved the…
Assistant Speaker of the Shura Council Dr. Hanan Al-Ahmadi highlighted Saudi Arabia’s successful experience in women’s empowerment during the Second Asian Women’s Forum in Uzbekistan. She affirmed that extensive legislative and institutional reforms under Vision 2030 have made women’s empowerment a fundamental pillar of the Kingdom’s transformation, leading to significant rankings in global empowerment indicators. Al-Ahmadi noted that Saudi women have moved beyond empowerment into leadership roles across diverse sectors, including science, culture, sports, and technology, where their participation now exceeds global averages. She specifically pointed to the historic 2013 milestone of women joining the Shura Council, which mandated that…
WASHINGTON — The FBI announced Thursday it is offering a $200,000 reward for information leading to the apprehension and prosecution of a former counterintelligence agent who was indicted who was charged in 2019 with spying for Iran. In an announcement Thursday, the FBI said it is still trying to locate Monica Witt, who it believes defected to Iran in 2013. “The FBI has not forgotten and believes that during this critical moment in Iran’s history, there is someone who knows something about her whereabouts,” Daniel Wierzbicki, special agent in charge of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Counterintelligence and Cyber Division,…
ROME —Five Italian nationals have died following a scuba diving accident in the Maldives, Italy’s foreign ministry said on Thursday. The incident occurred in the Vaavu Atoll, where the group had been attempting to explore a series of underwater caves at a depth of around 50 meters (165 feet), the foreign ministry statement said. Four of the divers were part of a University of Genoa team, including professor of ecology Monica Montefalcone, her daughter and two researchers. The Maldives’ military said one body had been found in a cave about 60m underwater, and the other four divers were believed to…
On the edges of the northwestern Farasan Islands, sculpted rocks stand alongside white sands and clear waters, while Khutab Beach, affiliated with Al-Suqayd Center, stretches as one of the coastal sites that still preserves its natural calm and pristine features, revealing a tourist destination that combines natural beauty with promising tourism development potential. Khutab Beach is located about 45 kilometers from Farasan Governorate and includes several scattered beaches whose natural features vary between sandy bays, rock formations, and calm waters. Among the most notable are Al-Marqad, Al-Mashi, Al-Sayilah, and Al-Sharmayn beaches, in addition to other coastal sites that give the…
RIYADH — Saudi Arabia condemned the repeated provocative practices by Israeli occupation officials at Al-Aqsa Mosque, including the latest storming of the mosque compound by an Israeli official under police protection and the raising of the Israeli flag inside its courtyards. In a statement issued on Thursday, the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs reaffirmed the Kingdom’s categorical rejection of any actions that undermine the historical and legal status of Jerusalem and its holy sites. The ministry stressed Saudi Arabia’s call on the international community to put an end to such practices, which it said violate international laws and norms. The…
RIYADH — The Royal Commission for Riyadh City announced that the Western Station of the Riyadh Metro will begin operations on Friday, marking the completion of the project’s four major iconic stations. The launch represents another milestone in Riyadh’s expanding public transport network and reinforces the capital’s transformation toward a more integrated and sustainable urban mobility system. The Western Station is the largest among the four iconic stations of the Riyadh Metro project, which also include King Abdullah Financial District Metro Station, STC Al Olaya Metro Station, and Qasr Al Hokm Metro Station. The station has received LEED Gold certification…
Makkah Health Cluster’s hospitals in the holy sites have obtained institutional accreditation from the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties as seasonal training centers during the Hajj season, in a first-of-its-kind step among seasonal training centers. The accreditation reflects Makkah Health Cluster’s leadership in developing the health education and training system. It contributes to enhancing the quality of clinical training and raising the efficiency of health practitioners according to the highest approved institutional standards. The institutional accreditation covered East Arafat Hospital, Namira Hospital, Jabal Al-Rahmah Hospital, Mina Emergency Hospital, Mina Al-Wadi Hospital, Mina Al-Jisr Hospital, and Mina New Street Hospital. The…
RIYADH — The Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA) foiled an attempt to smuggle 426,162 amphetamine pills through the Al Haditha Border Crossing after the narcotics were discovered hidden inside a truck entering the Kingdom. ZATCA spokesperson Hamoud Al-Harbi said the shipment was uncovered after the truck underwent customs procedures and inspection using security technologies and detection methods. He explained that the pills were concealed inside cavities within the truck’s spare tires. Al-Harbi stressed that ZATCA continues to strengthen customs control across all border crossings to protect society and safeguard national security by combating smuggling attempts in coordination with the…
RIYADH — Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court has called on Muslims across the Kingdom to sight the crescent moon marking the beginning of the month of Dhul Hijjah on the evening of Sunday, May 17, 2026. In a statement issued on Friday, the court urged anyone who sights the crescent with the naked eye or through binoculars to report to the nearest court and register their testimony, or contact the nearest center for assistance in reaching the court. The announcement follows Supreme Court ruling No. 206/H dated 29/10/1447H, which declared Saturday, April 18, 2026, as the completion of the month of…