The House of Representatives, in its session held today, Wednesday, completed the first reading of the draft law on service and retirement for the Mujahideen of the Popular Mobilization Forces.
Source: National Iraqi News Agency
Construction Begins on King Abdulaziz Park, a Green Riyadh Landmark
Riyadh’s skyline is set to dramatically change as construction commences on King Abdulaziz Park, a cornerstone of the ambitious Green Riyadh initiative, according to a press release issued today by the Royal Commission for Riyadh City. The project was greenlit by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, following a proposal by HRH Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, who also chairs the Royal Commission for Riyadh City.
Spanning an impressive 4.3 million square meters and slated for completion in three years, the park will be a verdant oasis north of the capital, bordered by King Salman bin Abdulaziz Road, Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz Road, Prince Badr bin Abdul Mohsen Road, and Anas bin Malik Road. Its strategic location near King Khalid International Airport and Princess Noura bint Abdulrahman University, coupled with excellent public transport links, ensures easy accessibility for residents and visitors alike.
Accord
ing to the release, a global design competition yielded a winning concept that harmoniously blended with the local environment. The park will feature six distinct botanical zones, including a 200,000-square-meter botanical garden showcasing over 200 native plant species. Other areas will recreate highland, plain, plateau, and desert landscapes, fostering biodiversity and creating a haven for wildlife.
More than two million trees and shrubs carefully selected for Riyadh’s climate will be planted to achieve the ambitious target of 65% shade coverage. The park’s irrigation system will utilize recycled water, minimizing environmental impact.
Beyond its ecological benefits, King Abdulaziz Park will be a vibrant community hub. It will boast 24 children’s play areas, 30 sports facilities, and over 115 kilometers of pedestrian, jogging, and cycling paths, encouraging residents to live healthier lifestyles. Green terraces, squares, and open-air theaters will host events and festivals, while restaurants and shops wil
l cater to visitors.
As a flagship project of the Saudi Green Initiative, King Abdulaziz Park is a significant step towards realizing Saudi Vision 2030’s goal of planting 10 billion trees nationwide. By increasing Riyadh’s green spaces to 9% and the per capita green space to 28 square meters, the park will help mitigate climate change, improve air quality, and enhance the city’s global standing as a desirable place to live.
Source: Saudi Press Agency
The capacity at Al-Mundhiriya crossing in Diyala increased to 100 visitors per day
The Supreme Committee supervising the Arbaeen visit decided to increase the capacity for visitors to enter through a border crossing northeast of Baquba, the center of Diyala Governorate.
A government source told the correspondent of the National Iraqi News Agency (NINA) that the Supreme Committee supervising the Arbaeen visit decided to increase the capacity of Al-Mundhiriya border crossing northeast of Baquba to 100,000 visitors per day.
He added that the government effort and the Husseini processions will be on alert with the start of the Arbaeen pilgrimage until the visitors leave Iraqi territory. Noting that a higher committee was formed to provide logistical support and follow up on the mechanism of the flow of private transportation to transport Iranian visitors.
Source: National Iraqi News Agency
Arab League Welcomes Beijing Declaration to End Division, Enhance Palestinian National Unity
The Arab League has welcomed the Beijing Declaration, which aims to end division, achieve reconciliation, and enhance Palestinian national unity.
In a statement today, Arab League Assistant Secretary-General for Palestine and the Occupied Arab Territories Ambassador Saeed Abu Ali said that the Arab League appreciates China’s historical stances supporting the Palestinian cause through various forms, which reflect the depth and strength of Arab-Chinese relations.
He added that the Arab League commends the efforts and initiatives of the Chinese leadership and its ongoing commitment to supporting the rights of the Palestinian people, their unity, and their just and legitimate struggle to end the Israeli occupation and establish an independent Palestinian state with East Al-Quds as its capital, in accordance with relevant international legitimacy resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative.
Source: Saudi Press Agency
Extinguishing a fire in a caravan inside the Ministry of Higher Education building
Civil defense teams extinguished a fire that broke out in a caravan inside the courtyard of the Ministry of Higher Education building, without any human casualties.’
Source: National Iraqi News Agency
Saudi Ambassador to Egypt Discusses with KSrelief Delegation Gaza Aid
The Saudi Ambassador to Egypt, Saleh bin Eid Al-Husseini, met today with a delegation from the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) led by the Director of the Center’s Branches Department,
Mubarak bin Saeed Al-Dosari.
During the meeting, both parties concentrated on working together to deliver Saudi humanitarian aid to those impacted by the crisis in the Gaza Strip. They also explored ways to collaborate with Egyptian authorities to guarantee the prompt and efficient delivery of assistance.
Source: Saudi Press Agency
With 27 sailors on board, most of them Russians and Spaniards, a fishing ship sank off the Falkland Islands
Eight sailors were killed when a fishing ship sank off the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic Ocean. There were 27 people on board, including 8 Russian citizens and 10 Spaniards, according to Spanish media.
A government delegation from Galicia, a region located in northwestern Spain, reported from the Falkland Islands maritime authorities that there were ’14 survivors, eight dead and five missing.’
For its part, the maritime authorities in the Falkland Islands have not yet announced any death toll following the sinking of the boat “Argus Georgia” due to a strong storm, which had 27 crew members on board.
Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albarez said that “ten passengers of Spanish origin were on board,” adding that “some of them were scientists.”
Two Spanish citizens were killed and two others were missing, according to the authorities of the Galicia region, from which the two deceased sailors came.
The British newspaper “The Guardian” said, “Among the crew members were 10 Spanish citizens, inclu
ding the captain, and local media reported that the boat was also carrying crew members from Russia, Indonesia, Uruguay and Peru.”
The government of the Falkland Islands, a small archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean whose sovereignty is disputed by the United Kingdom and Argentina, announced that rescue operations were underway.
The Galician authorities said that “all the survivors are in good health and only a small number of minor injuries were reported,” noting that the survivors are on their way to Port Stanley, the capital of the archipelago, to be admitted to the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital.
Source: National Iraqi News Agency
Riyadh to Host 12th Gulf Municipal Works Conference on October 6-8
Riyadh will host the 12th session of the Gulf Municipal Works Conference on the theme of ‘Sustainable Municipal Work’ from October 6 to 8, 2024. The event will have official participation from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and representation from various government agencies, institutions, and companies related to municipal affairs. The conference is under the patronage of the Minister of Municipalities and Housing, Majed Al-Hogail.
The main focus of the conference and the accompanying exhibition is to emphasize the role of urban planning and design in enhancing the sustainability of municipal work. Additionally, it aims to highlight the significance of economic resources in utilizing information technology and geographical applications to ensure the continuity of municipal work. The event will also showcase distinguished experiences, practices, partnerships, and notable research in the field of municipal work sustainability. Furthermore, it will help identify the necessary skills required for
human resources to achieve sustainability in municipal business.
The conference invites government agencies specializing in municipal affairs, municipalities in the GCC countries, city development bodies, universities, research centers, and relevant institutions to participate by submitting working papers via the following link: https://www.gmwconference.com/web/submi-entries.
Source: Saudi Press Agency
The Ministry of Interior discusses with the Czech Ambassador security relations and exchange of experiences
The Undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior for Police Affairs, Lieutenant General Adel Abbas Al-Khalidi, discussed with the Czech Ambassador to Iraq, Petr Štepanek, the strengthening of bilateral relations between the two countries, especially security ones.
The Ministry of Interior stated in a statement: ‘The meeting discussed, in the presence of the Director of Arab and International Cooperation in the Ministry, Major General Alaa Ashour, strengthening bilateral relations, especially security relations between the two countries, as well as exchanging experiences in combating organized crime and others.’
Al-Khalidi pointed out that the efforts of the Iraqi Ministry of Interior are focused on strengthening its relations with various friendly and brotherly countries and global security institutions, in a way that serves the interests of countries and strengthens global security.
Source: National Iraqi News Agency
National Competitiveness Center Issues 4 Guides for Legislative Projects
The National Competitiveness Center (NCC) has meticulously crafted four comprehensive guides for specialists and stakeholders involved in legislative undertakings in the Kingdom, designed to raise the quality of legislative and regulatory work.
These guides aim to foster an environment conducive to progress by promoting collaborative efforts and helping the country’s economy and development.
One guide, disseminated via the “Estitlaa” platform”, provides an extensive framework for drafting legislative proposals for systems or regulations. It includes detailed guidelines and prescribed tasks to be adhered to in the process of formulating a proposal, starting with the presentation of the initial idea, formulation of legal obligations, assessment of the status of the proposal, jurisdiction, initial framework, legislative structure, comparative analyses, anticipated impact of the proposal and strategies for submitting the proposal for public feedback, and to the relevant authority.
The aim is to ensure the prop
osal’s quality and equip government agencies personnel with the necessary expertise to carry out these tasks proficiently.
Another guide focuses on the provision of legal consultations. It aims to optimize the preparation and delivery of legal advice, which is a foremost responsibility of government agencies legal departments. It offers insights into the fundamental factors that should be deliberated upon while providing legal counsel, and delineates the various stages involved in its delivery. Helping conduct comprehensive studies on the subject matter and source relevant materials in preparation for the legal opinion, the guide also emphasizes the importance of preserving and archiving those materials, setting up a robust mechanism for providing counsel and adhering to industry best practices.
The Guide to Judicial Representation for Government Entities focuses on the comprehensive representation of entities in a variety of litigations and disputes before pertinent authorities. It has two segments, one ta
ckling representation before national and international judicial bodies, and arbitration and dispute settlement mechanisms, the other delving into an entity’s dispute and incorporating a compilation of tasks, best practices, and suitable strategies tailored to the nature of the dispute.
The fourth guide meticulously reviews draft laws and regulations and furnishes legal departments with a strategic methodology for articulating well-founded opinions.
The objective is to empower government agencies legal departments to effectively review and express their points of view on draft laws and regulations, thus contributing to the improvement of the legislative environment.
The guide also equips government departments with structured protocols and tools to extract and convey informed perspectives.
The meticulous preparation of these guides is grounded in NCC’s objectives of strengthening the Kingdom’s legal environment and elevating its global standing in pertinent indicators and reports.
Through comprehensive s
tudies, identification of hurdles and challenges encountered by both public and private sectors, and the proposal of solutions and initiatives, NCC is committed to advancing the Kingdom’s competitiveness by deploying best practices and methodologies.
Source: Saudi Press Agency