Saudi Arabia News Gazette

Bangkok: The Saudi Deputy Ambassador to Thailand, Abdulaziz Al-Khudair, received the head of the Thai Hajj mission, Arun Boonchom, and the pilgrims hosted by the Guests of the Two Holy Mosques Program for Hajj, Umrah, and Visit at the embassy in Bangkok yesterday. The religious attaché at the Kingdom's embassy, Majid Al-Daayan, was also present. Al-Khudair congratulated everyone on the completion of the Hajj rituals and praised the efforts of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance in providing services to pilgrims aimed at educating and guiding them according to the Qur'an and Sunnah. He emphasized that these efforts reflect the Kingdom's commitment to serving Islam and Muslims. The hosted pilgrims expressed their gratitude to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, for his generous hosting, which enabled them to perform the fifth pillar of Islam at his own expense. They also praised the efforts of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs through the Guests of the Custo dian of the Two Holy Mosques Program for Hajj, Umrah, and Visit. Source: Saudi Press Agency

Abha: The land patrols of the Border Guards in Al-Raboah sector of the Asir region have intercepted an attempted smuggling operation involving 33,000 narcotic tablets. Preliminary statutory procedures were completed, and the seized items were handed over to the competent authority. Security authorities call on the public to report any information concerning drug smuggling or selling by calling 911 in Makkah, Riyadh, and the Eastern regions, and 999 in the rest of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. They may also contact the General Directorate of Narcotics Control (GDNC) at 995 or via email at 995@gdnc.gov.sa. All reports will be treated with strict confidentiality. Source: Saudi Press Agency

Caretaker Minister of Culture, Judge Muhammad Wissam al-Murtada, patronized on Sunday a field tour through the streets and neighborhoods of the ancient city of El-Mina and a cruise to the Palm Islands Reserve, organized by the Municipality of El-Mina, within the activities of 'Tripoli - Capital of Arab Culture', in cooperation with its cultural figures and the Palm Islands Reserve Committee. Participating in the tour were the Ambassadors of Qatar, Sultanate of Oman and Algeria, and the Deputy Ambassadors of Iraq and Morocco, the Russian Ambassador's Advisor, First Secretary at the Palestinian Embassy, ??and several prominent figures and officials from the North Governorate. The first stop was at the El Mina Municipality headquarters, where an expanded meeting was held in the municipal hall and speeches were given that stressed cooperation and coordination to advance the city and attract investment and tourists. In his word addressing the participating guests, Minister al-Murtada welcomed them in the beauti ful city of Tripoli and assured that its people are determined to promote and advance it and work to reflect its exceptional facets. He highlighted the importance of this historical and archaeological city, hoping for taking practical steps that would contribute to developing the tourism sector and attracting investors to create vital projects that would ensure job opportunities for unemployed young men and women in the region. He said: 'Our presence here today with the ambassadors of the friends of Lebanon, Tripoli and the people of Lebanon, is to say that Tripoli is beautiful and alive and not a city that triggers panic...On the contrary, whoever visits it would feel its unparalleled impact...Therefore, the Arab brothers and the foreign ambassadors visit it to see its condition, and it is the duty of every Lebanese not to be deprived of the cities of Tripoli and Al-Mina, and to discover the greatness, splendor and beauty of Tripoli...' Source: National News Agency - Lebanon

Riyadh: The Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee (SOPC), in collaboration with the Saudi Olympic Academy, celebrated the 2024 World Olympic Day on Sunday. The celebration coincides with the founding of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on June 23 each year and is celebrated by 206 Olympic committees worldwide. The event took place at the Ministry of Sports Hall in the Prince Faisal bin Fahd Olympic Complex in Riyadh. The event was attended by the SOPC Vice President, Prince Fahd bin Jalawi bin Abdulaziz bin Musaed, and the French Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Ludovic Pouille, along with various sports federations, committees, and associations. It included the practice of various sports such as archery, table tennis, badminton, cycling, camel racing, judo, handball, rowing, basketball, weightlifting, lacrosse, and boccia. Meanwhile, Prince Fahd bin Jalawi honored several Olympic and Paralympic athletes who participated in the accompanying panel discussion, as well as the participating organizations. The French ambassador expressed his gratitude and appreciation to the SOPC for inviting him to participate in the event, wishing success to all Saudi athletes who will compete in the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Source: Saudi Press Agency

Tunis: The 24th edition of the Arab Radio and Television Festival, held in Tunis, the capital of Tunisia, has come to a close. The festival was organized by the Arab States Broadcasting Union (ASBU) in collaboration with the Tunisian Radio and Television Establishment and ArabSat. President of ASBU and CEO of the Saudi Broadcasting Authority (SBA) Mohammed bin Fahd Al-Harthi awarded the winners of the 24th edition. The SBA achieved four radio and TV awards, including the second prize in the health programs category for the "Mental Health: Violence in Schools' program. In the TV category, Saudi Arabia won three awards, including the second prize in the news category for talk shows, honoring the Saudi street program on its episode about Vision 2030. The first prize in the general documentary films and programs category went to "Heritage in the Maqam of Hijaz." Additionally, the Saudi social drama series 'Al-Arbaji 2' secured the second position in the social series category. Furthermore, the SBA was awarded the second prize in the 2024 news exchange competition and the second prize in the 2024 program exchange competition. Meanwhile, the festival honored the judging panels for its radio and television competitions and distributed the exchange awards. The festival also featured the TV and radio program market and the ASBU Exhibition, where member institutions, private TV and radio networks, and production companies showcased their latest media, artistic, and cultural productions. Source: Saudi Press Agency

Caretaker Minister of Economy, Amin Salam, wrote today on his platform 'X' account: 'The collapse of the rooftop of the house in the Sports City area in Beirut serves as a warning and a reminder to the Beirut Municipality that there are more than 10,460 buildings in the capital that need restoration, according to the survey conducted by the Building Safety Network in 2013 within the GIS program, in cooperation with the Ministry of Interior." "We call on all municipalities to conduct a comprehensive field survey to assess the condition of buildings in all regions, as it is the only way to avoid future disasters," Salam added, stressing that "urgent measures must be taken to ensure the safety of buildings and their residents, as time is not in our favor.' Source: National News Agency - Lebanon