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RIYADH: The National Cybersecurity Authority staged an exhibition in Riyadh on Monday to raise awareness of its work and the need to protect the Kingdom’s computer networks and systems from attack.
The event, titled “Mobile Exhibition for Awareness of Cybersecurity” and aimed primarily at employees of national authorities, featured four pavilions covering everything from hacking methods and improving cybersecurity awareness, to consultations, discussions and the role of the NCA.
The authority said the event “comes within the framework of its strategic role in raising awareness of cybersecurity to protect the vital interests of the Kingdom, sensitive infrastructure, and government services and activities.”
It also sought to raise the level of awareness among workers “in order to maintain the confidentiality of sensitive information … review hackers’ methods, as well as supporting authorities in promoting the values of preserving national security and personal data.”
Saad Haj Bakry, professor of computer engineering at King Saud University, said: “The challenges to the safety of cyberspace are countless and they come from many sources.
“But protection measures that can reduce or eliminate these challenges are also great. These are usually expressed by cybersecurity governance controls that should be used at the individual level, the organization level, as well as the country level.”
The internet was central to e-government and e-commerce services, social networks and working from home, Bakry said.
“The success of cyberspace in all these activities depends upon its safety, which is the protection of its security.”
He added: “Since its establishment in 2017, the NCA has been highly active in finding, recommending and implementing ways to protect cyberspace in Saudi Arabia. As a result, in 2020, Saudi Arabia ranked second among 193 countries in the ITU Global Cybersecurity Index.”
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s humanitarian and medical outreach in Yemen, through the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSRelief), continues with the provision of equipment, supplies and services to the conflict-ridden country.
KSRelief, in cooperation with the World Health Organization, has provided medical laboratories essential supplies to further boost their capacity to diagnose genetic disorders and chronic diseases.
The Kingdom’s relief agency also provided through its mobile clinic free medical services to 1,601 patients in the Abs district of Hajjah governorate last month.
The clinics received patients with various health conditions in different clinics and departments and provided them with necessary medical services, state news agency SPA reported, with about 800 patients given medications.
Dr. Fahad bin Saad Abu-Mouti is the deputy minister for regulatory affairs at the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture.
A visionary leader with more than 18 years of experience in policy and regulatory affairs development of public utility sectors, Abu-Mouti is skilled in alliance building and change management.
He has worked in multicultural environments such as the GCC and North American countries.
He established the Kingdom’s water regulator and spearheaded the executive team.
He supervised the development of MEWA’s laws to ensure the synergy of strategy execution with the ministry’s policies and the 2030 Vision reform plans.
He also identified multiple services that could be privatized and prepared their legislation.
Over five years, he developed laws and dozens of policies for independent national centers and national programs as well as establishing an environmental fund, and spearheaded their negotiations by getting an approval from the Council of Ministers.
Previously, Abu-Mouti worked as the CEO of the renewable sector at King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy. He also supervised the preparation and development of the approved renewable energy target in the National Transformation Program in 2020, and proposed the methodology for executing renewable energy projects in the Kingdom.
He has built international alliances for the Kingdom’s membership in the board of governors of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). He was then selected to represent Saudi Arabia at IRENA’s board of governors.
He worked as a research associate in the electrical engineering department at Dalhousie University, Canada, and published more than 10 publications in reputable international journals and conferences.
He has also been a speaker at a number of conferences.
He previously worked as head of operations and maintenance in Riyadh city with the Saudi Electricity Company. Before that, he worked as planning engineer in Qatar’s General Electricity and Water Corporation.
Abu-Mouti holds multiple executive management certificates, such as executive certificate in strategic management and leadership from MIT in Boston, US.
He obtained his Ph.D. with distinction in electrical and computer engineering from Dalhousie University, Canada.
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s embassy in Turkey, in coordination with the Ministry of Health, evacuated on Wednesday citizens who were injured in a traffic incident in Rize, northern Turkey.
The injured were evacuated on two medical flights so they could complete their treatment in the Kingdom.
The evacuation is a result of directives issued by King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The embassy expressed its appreciation for the attention and care paid by the Kingdom’s leadership to Saudi citizens everywhere, and wished the injured good health.
On Sunday, the embassy said in a statement that 18 citizens had been injured in a bus accident, six of whom were required to stay in hospital for treatment.
A bus transporting tourists including 23 Saudis overturned after hitting a concrete barrier on the roadside in an agricultural area in Asmali Yarmak village in the eastern Black Sea region.
RIYADH: Fancy taking a virtual space flight to Mars, or testing your skills as a ninja warrior?
These are just two of a host of entertainment and educational activities available to Saudi youngsters and their families at the Riyadh Home Coming festival in the north of the capital.
The festival, which was launched by General Entertainment Authority Chairman Turki Al-Sheikh on Tuesday, is expected to be a hit with children looking for added thrills as their summer break draws to a close.
Among surprises are shows including “Disney on Ice,” and plays such as “University of the Rowdies” that are being presented for the first time.
The festival features three zones and two stages, and promises visitors “an integrated and distinctive interactive experience combining knowledge and entertainment.”
Activities are appropriate for all age groups and cover a variety of interests. Among the highlights are a circus show at the Mohammed Al-Ali Theater in Riyadh Boulevard City and a performance by singer Rasha Rizk, known for singing the Arabic theme songs for popular cartoons and anime.
Riyadh Home Coming also aims to help youngsters make decisions about their future professional careers and jobs.
Arts and creativity are heavily represented at the festival, in addition to a wide selection of local and global innovation and entertainment stations.
As well as a simulated “space experience,” virtual travel to Mars and an inspiring children’s art experience, the festival will offer children six interactive experiences in the fields of environmental sciences, biology and chemistry.
One of the corners is devoted to learning languages, including Arabic, Japanese, Korean and even sign language.
Aliaa’ Al-Omar, an instructor in sign language, told Arab News: “We are interested in spreading sign language as a community partnership, and we inform people about the tasks carried out by the Saudi Society for Sign Language Interpretation. We have a sign language mobile application, dictionaries for children, activities, and training in sign language that benefit children who want to learn sign language, as well as adults.”
Japanese speaker Fatima Al-Inani said that she and her family are taking part in the festival to “build bridges” between the Arabic and Japanese languages.
“We are here to talk about Japanese culture. We talk about the differences between the Arabic and the Japanese cultures, and we teach the visitors and children how to write their names in Japanese.”
A ninja warrior experience will also be offered for the first time in Saudi Arabia to help children, and their parents, develop mental and physical skills.
“‘Ninja Warrior’ is one of the most popular shows in the US — the winner becomes famous. Here we are having it for the first time in Saudi Arabia. It’s a course for children and adults where they go through challenges to test their physical limits, and it’s good for parents to bond with their kids,” one of the site workers said.
Riyadh Home Coming offers a variety of restaurants, cafes and shops.
The festival is open daily until Sept. 5. Entry is SR20 ($5.33) with bookings via the link:
https://www.ticketmx.com/ar/d/2010/riyadh-home-coming
RIYADH: The King Abdulaziz Royal Reserve is to participate in the Saudi International Falcons and Hunting Exhibition for the second year in a row, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The fourth edition of the event will take place at the Saudi Falcons Club headquarters in Malham, north of Riyadh, from Thursday until Sept. 3.
The reserve, launched in 2018 to protect vulnerable and endangered plant and animal species while also providing access to the environment and natural resources, plays a key role in improving quality of life and achieving environmental sustainability in line with Vision 2030 goals.
By taking part in the exhibition, reserve officials aim to strengthen a culture of interest in biodiversity and ecological balance and support efforts to combat climate change and reduce desertification.
They also hope to contribute to achieving the Saudi Green Initiative target of planting 10 billion trees throughout the Kingdom
