Arab News

RIYADH: The Saudi Human Resources Development Fund’s workshop, which was held in cooperation with the Diriyah Gate Development Authority, saw the participation of 15 education offices. The workshop aimed at reviewing vocational guidance initiatives and analyzed needs in the education sector. It focused on developing plans to be presented to school students and mentors. Those in charge of the education offices were briefed on the ideas at the event, which took place at the headquarters of the DGDA. Discussions were also held regarding the skills and needs of the labor sector to help equip students with the necessary capabilities. Career guidance initiatives aim to empower students through integrated counseling and training, in order to help develop their skills and increase their readiness to enter the labor market. The workshop was an extension of efforts to consolidate the concept of vocational guidance and its methods to serve the country and society in line with Saudi Vision 2030, which stipulates in its programs and objectives the promotion and development of human capabilities.

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Real Estate Development Fund deposited more than SR925 million ($246.2 million) in the accounts of Sakani beneficiaries in March 2023.   The Sakani program was launched in 2017 by the REDF to facilitate homeownership in the Kingdom, by developing new housing stock, allocating plots and homes to nationals and financing their purchase.  The deposit, which also comes from the Ministry of Municipal, Rural Affairs and Housing and the REDF, is in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 which aims to increase the proportion of citizens who own a home to 70 percent.   Mansour bin Madi, CEO of REDF, stated that the total amount deposited in the accounts of Sakani beneficiaries since the announcement of the transformation program in June 2017 until March 2023, exceeded SR46.2 billion.   He also said that the total fund for the current month of March was allocated to support the profits of various housing contracts.   Bin Madi explained that the fund launched the second phase of product governance and provided an electronic service that allows the beneficiaries with self-construction projects to update the stages of building their homes.   This is to emphasize the importance of the beneficiaries' commitment to direct the stages of building their housing and follow up on the stages.   He added this is to ensure that the fund supports and facilitates are provided to the beneficiaries during the time period specified in the financing contracts and housing support regulations. 

RIYADH: Global energy giant Saudi Arabian Oil Co. has inked a deal with China’s Norinco Group and Panjin Xincheng Industrial Group to form a joint venture to construct a refinery and petrochemical complex in the Asian giant’s Liaoning province.  Saudi Aramco will own 30 percent stakes in the joint venture called Hujain Aramco Petrochemical Co., while Norinco Group and Panjin Xincheng Industrial Group will hold 51 percent and 19 percent shares respectively, said a press release. It noted that the facility in the city of Panjin will combine a 300,000 barrels per day refinery and a petrochemical plant with an annual production capacity of 1.65 million metric tons of ethylene and 2 million metric tons of paraxylene.  “We see a major win-win opportunity to build a world-leading, integrated downstream sector in China, with special emphasis on the high conversion of liquids directly into chemicals as part of our broader liquid-to-chemicals business expansion plans,” said Aramco CEO Amin Nasser.  He added: “This important project will support China’s growing demand across fuel and chemical products. It also represents a major milestone in our ongoing downstream expansion strategy in China and the wider region, which is an increasingly significant driver of global petrochemical demand.” Aramco will supply up to 210,000 barrels per day of crude oil feedstock to the Liaoning refinery project. The construction of this new refinery will begin in the second quarter of 2023, and it is expected to be fully operational by 2026. Norinco Group Deputy General Manager Zou Wenchao said that the new venture will “play an important role in deepening economic and trade cooperation between China and Saudi Arabia and achieving common development and prosperity.” “The project is of great significance for Panjin to promote increasing chemicals and specialty products, strengthening the integration of the refining and chemical industry. It is a symbolic project for Panjin as it seeks to accelerate the development of an important national petrochemical and fine chemical industry base,” said Jia Fei, Panjin Xincheng chairman of the board.

DUBAI: More than 500 people flocked to London’s Victoria and Albert Museum on Friday for an ‘Open Iftar’ event organized by the Ramadan Tent Project charity. “Ramadan 2023 marks 10 phenomenal years of the Ramadan Tent Project and our signature Open Iftar events. Over the past nine years, our humble tent on a patch of green grew and grew, before it traveled to landmark locations,” the project said. Similar events will take place this year at Shakespeare’s Globe theater, Wembley Stadium, Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge stadium and the Royal Albert Hall. “The theme to mark our 10-year anniversary is ‘Belonging’. For the past decade we’ve connected and convened over half a million people from all backgrounds. Our passion in bridging between different communities is rooted in sharing our authentic selves with the world.  “True belonging shouldn’t require you to change who you are – rather, it’s to celebrate who you are,” read an additional statement on the website. Since 2013, the Open Iftar events have hosted more than 500,000 people across the UK at some of the country’s most iconic cultural spaces including Trafalgar Square, the BALTIC Museum, Bradford’s Centenary Square and Coventry Cathedral.