Author: Editorial Team

BURAIDAH — The Buraidah International Dates Carnival opened on Saturday near the Palm Center south of Buraidah, drawing farmers, traders and importers from within Saudi Arabia and abroad. Held under the patronage of Qassim Emir Prince Dr. Faisal bin Mishaal and organized by the National Center for Palms and Dates, the carnival will run for 75 days until Oct. 14. Recognized as one of the world’s largest dates markets and listed in the Guinness World Records, the annual event serves as a major economic platform for the Kingdom’s dates industry, attracting participants and visitors from across the region. The carnival…

Madinah continues to attract visitors during the summer vacation with its religious, cultural, and historical assets, alongside entertainment venues and quality experiences that offer an integrated journey combining worship, knowledge, and exploration of the city’s heritage.  The Prophet’s Mosque remains the city’s central landmark, with integrated services in its surroundings and adjacent area, including accommodation, markets, and service facilities. Nearby enrichment attractions, most notably the Exhibition of the Architecture of the Prophet’s Mosque and the Exhibition of the Prophet’s Biography and Islamic Civilization, document its history through modern display methods.  Visitors can explore historical sites linked to the Prophet’s biography,…

Ryan Kalember, Chief Strategy Officer at Proofpoint. Proofpoint, a leading cybersecurity and compliance company, recently announced that it has been selected to join the OpenAI Daybreak Cyber Partner Program, a collaborative initiative designed to help trusted cybersecurity organisations integrate advanced AI capabilities into defensive security operations, products, and services on behalf of their customers. As cyber threats continue to evolve in scale and sophistication, security teams face growing pressure to investigate incidents faster, analyse larger volumes of data, and respond effectively to increasingly complex attacks. Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming a critical tool for defenders, helping security teams improve operational…

RIYADH — Irish Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Gerry Cunningham paid a farewell visit to Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Eng. Waleed El Khereiji on Sunday at the ministry’s headquarters, marking the end of his tenure in the Kingdom. During the meeting, El Khereiji expressed his appreciation for Cunningham’s efforts to strengthen and deepen relations between the two friendly countries and wished him continued success. Source: Saudi Gazette

Saudi Arabia’s national health regulator has approved the registration of Foundayo (orforglipron) on Sunday, August 2, 2026, to help reduce excess body weight, as oral medications to fight obesity gain more popularity in the Gulf region. In a statement, the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) stated that the decision improves the quality of healthcare in the Kingdom in alignment with the goals of the Health Sector Transformation Programme, one of the key initiatives of Saudi Vision 2030. According to the latest data shared by the Saudi Ministry of Health, the obesity rate among adults in the Kingdom (18 years…

SEOUL — South Korea recorded its hottest day since modern weather observations began in 1904, with temperatures soaring to 42.5C (108.5F) on Sunday, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration. The record temperature was measured in the southeastern city of Yangsan, about 310 kilometers southeast of Seoul, surpassing all previous national records. Yangsan has endured temperatures above 40C (104F) for five consecutive days, fueling concerns that temperatures could climb even higher. In nearby Gyeongju, temperatures reached 40.2C (104.4F), marking the first time this year the city has exceeded the 40C threshold. The South Korean government activated a Level 2 emergency response…

JEDDAH — Thundery rain showers are forecast to persist across several regions of Saudi Arabia through the end of the week, according to the National Center for Meteorology (NCM). The forecast is based on the Saudi Numerical Model displayed in an animated weather map released by the NCM. According to the map, light to moderate rain is expected to affect southern parts of Jazan and Asir from late Sunday afternoon until the evening. No rainfall is forecast overnight, although light showers are expected near Najran city on Monday morning. By Monday afternoon, light showers will return to southern Najran and…

King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) has delivered over 100,000 free medical services through its Specialized Hospital for Ophthalmology in Marib Governorate, Yemen, providing specialized eye care to patients in need.  From August 2025 to July 2026, the hospital examined 42,167 beneficiaries, conducted pre-operative laboratory tests for 14,633 cases, diagnosed 8,491 cases using advanced medical devices, performed 5,322 surgeries covering a range of eye conditions, and distributed 32,012 prescription glasses, bringing total free services to 102,625. The hospital also dispensed 56,352 medication units during the same period.  The initiative forms part of Saudi Arabia’s humanitarian efforts through KSrelief…

Sumit Dhawan, CEO of Proofpoint. Proofpoint, Inc., a leading cybersecurity and compliance company, launched Active Exploits Protection, a new solution that empowers organisations to defend against the growing exposure to AI-accelerated cyber threats. Based on real-world threats observed across Proofpoint’s telemetry, it identifies vulnerabilities actively abused in the wild and automatically translates that intelligence to enable immediate protection across the primary attack paths. Advanced AI models, including frontier systems capable of autonomously discovering software vulnerabilities, are dramatically increasing the speed at which they are discovered and weaponised. The patch cycle is no longer the security clock, with time-to-active targeting collapsing from…

Abu Dhabi-based healthcare group PureHealth reported a 20 per cent increase in net profits to Dh1.2 billion in the first half of 2026, driven primarily by its Dh3.3 billion (€800 million) acquisition of Greek-based Hellenic Healthcare Group (HHG). Group revenue increased 9 per cent to Dh14.9 billion, while EBITDA increased 24 per cent to Dh2.9 billion due to its growing contributions from higher-margin international operations, which accounted for 33 per cent of the group’s revenues. In its international care portfolio, revenue increased 56 per cent to Dh5.0 billion in this period, primarily due to the Dh3.3 billion (€800 million) consolidation…