Tokyo governor to attend top women’s summit in Riyadh
Tokyo governor to attend top women’s summit in Riyadh/node/2601320/saudi-arabia
Tokyo governor to attend top women’s summit in Riyadh
Yuriko Koike will discuss the role of female leaders in the public sector. (Reuters)
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Updated 19 May 2025
Arab News Japan
Tokyo governor to attend top women’s summit in Riyadh
Yuriko Koike will discuss role of women in public leadership positions
Fortune Magazine’s conference features outstanding female leaders from Fortune 500 and Global 500 companies
Updated 19 May 2025
Arab News Japan
TOKYO: Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike will attend Fortune magazine’s Most Powerful Women International Summit in Riyadh on May 20 and 21.
Koike, who will be in the country until May 23, will speak at the closing main-stage session and also participate in a panel discussion titled “Leadership: Women in Public Service.”
The theme of the conference this year is “A New Era for Business: Partnering for Global Prosperity.”
Koike will discuss the role of female leaders in the public sector and talk about Tokyo’s advanced initiatives for female leaders and government officials.
She will also have discussions with representatives of local government agencies, and conduct site visits to pursue collaboration on ways to develop city governance.
Fortune Magazine’s conference features outstanding female leaders from Fortune 500 and Global 500 companies, as well as from sectors including government, philanthropy, education, sports, and the arts.
Saudi leaders send condolences after Sudan landslide
UN and aid groups mobilize after landslide caused by heavy rain kills over 1,000 people
Updated 03 September 2025
Arab News
RIYADH: ֱ’s King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman sent their condolences early on Wednesday to the people of Sudan after a landslide in the country reportedly killed over 1,000 people.
Sudanese authorities, the UN and aid groups rushed to the village of Tarasin in the remote Jebel Marra range, in Darfur, to support humanitarian efforts.
The landslide hit the village on Sunday after heavy rain, according to the armed group that controls the area.
The king and crown prince extended their deepest sympathies to the President of Sudan’s Transitional Sovereignty Council Gen. Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, the families of the deceased and wished a speedy recovery to those injured.
The Sudan Liberation Movement/Army, which has long governed an autonomous portion of Jebel Marra, appealed to the UN and international aid agencies to help collect the bodies of the victims, including men, women and children.
The UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan Luca Renda said in a statement on Tuesday that her organization “and our humanitarian partners are mobilizing to provide support to the affected population.”
Saudi crown prince, French president discuss dire Palestine situation
Two-state solution is key to peace, say the leaders
Macron warns that Israel cannot ‘derail momentum’
Updated 03 September 2025
Arab News
RIYADH: Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and France’s President Emmanuel Macron held discussions on Tuesday on the dire situation in Palestine.
The Saudi Press Agency reported that the crown prince, who received a call from Macron, reiterated the Kingdom’s position for an immediate end to Israel’s war on Gaza and the Occupied Territories.
The crown prince also condemned any measures aimed at undermining a two-state solution to the situation, the SPA reported.
ֱ and France have led an initiative to recognize a Palestinian state. In July, Macron announced France would formally recognize Palestine during the UN General Assembly later this month, becoming the first G7 country to make the commitment.
The move was welcomed by ֱ and other Gulf states.
ֱ’s Foreign Ministry said the Kingdom “commends this historic decision, which reaffirms the international community’s consensus on the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and to establish their independent state.”
Last month, ֱ and France co-chaired a key conference to encourage major world powers to accept that Palestinian statehood is now needed to ensure long-term peace in the Middle East.
Australia, Belgium, Canada, Malta, Portugal and the UK have all promised to recognize Palestine this month.
Israel has threatened to take over Gaza City after nearly two years of war on the occupied territory, and also annex the West Bank if Western nations follow through with promises of recognizing a Palestinian state.
“No offensive, annexation attempt, or forced displacement of populations will derail the momentum,” Macron wrote on X, after his call with the crown prince.
Israel has killed over 62,000 people, mostly civilians, in Gaza and has been starving the population as a weapon of war, according to health officials and rights groups.
Experts have described Israel’s actions as genocide. Tel Aviv currently faces charges of genocide at the International Court of Justice.
In addition, the International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, alleging war crimes that include deliberate starvation.
This week, the 500-member International Association of Genocide Scholars, stated that Israel’s action amount to genocide.
Eighty-six percent of the scholars voted for the resolution declaring: “Israel’s policies and actions in Gaza meet the legal definition of genocide in Article II of the United Nations Convention for the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (1948).”
The latest Israeli war on the Palestinians began in October 2023 after Hamas raided Israeli settlements resulting in the death of 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and the capture of around 250.
Israel’s government has vowed to eradicate the group and free their citizens.
US President Donald Trump held a meeting at the White House last week to discuss the situation.
The meeting was attended by Trump’s Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law and former adviser, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and a top Israeli official, according to US media.
A 38-page prospectus circulating within the Trump administration envisions the relocation of all of Gaza’s 2 million people. The US wants to take over the enclave for 10 years while it is transformed into a tourist resort and tech hub, the Washington Post reported on Sunday.
Trump announced in February that he wants the Palestinian territory to be turned into what he called the “Riviera of the Middle East.”
Malls and cafes are major social hubs for residents and professionals looking to socialize and network in Riyadh. (Supplied/File
Updated 02 September 2025
Haifa Alshammari
The changing face of Riyadh summers
From mall meetups to cafe culture, residents are reinventing socializing in ֱ
Updated 02 September 2025
Haifa Alshammari
RIYADH: With summer temperatures in Riyadh soaring above 40 C, outdoor gatherings have become rare. While some say the heat makes it impossible to socialize, others believe the right cooling provisions can make any spot appropriate.
And, despite the weather and shifting social norms, some see little change in our socializing habits.
Ali Sowaileh, a visitor from the Eastern Province, said: “The cultural change overall is small. Gatherings were and still are being hosted at homes … with light conversation and Saudi coffee and tea.”
Malls and cafes are major social hubs for residents and professionals looking to socialize and network in Riyadh. (Supplied/File photo/SPA)
But Saudis are increasingly opting for indoor spaces such as malls, cafes, and play areas.
Many working mothers, for example, prefer to meet at play zones and take their children.
“Summer is the most productive time of the year for me. I prefer to spend it developing myself and focusing on work,” said Hanan Al-Harbi, a 30-year-old mother who works in the intellectual property field.
HIGHLIGHTS
• Riyadh’s cafe culture has grown rapidly with establishments boasting stylish interiors and diverse menus.
• Coffee shops have emerged as venues for casual meetups, networking, and professional and creative collaborations.
“I also don’t really enjoy hot weather, so staying indoors feels more comfortable,” she added, saying that she takes her daughter to soft-play locations a few times a week.
Shopping malls have become another major social hub, offering entertainment zones and events that allow families to spend an entire day there.
Malls and cafes are major social hubs for residents and professionals looking to socialize and network in Riyadh. (Supplied/File photo/SPA)
“I find it (a mall) a suitable choice given the nature of my work and the limited time I have,” said Tahani Al-Mutairi, a 40-year-old healthcare worker. “My work ends at 4 p.m. and I don’t have enough time to return home and prepare to host guests. So, having meetings here (the mall) is better both emotionally and financially.”
Nawal Mohammad, 24, also finds malls appealing, and the student said: “People are not staying at home all the time. Entertaining areas are now encouraging people to go out and socialize.”
Coffee shops, meanwhile, have emerged as venues for casual meetups, networking, and professional and creative collaborations. Riyadh’s cafe culture has grown rapidly with establishments boasting stylish interiors and diverse menus.
Some trace this development back to the COVID-19 pandemic, and Rawan Alghamdi, 23, said: “People were separated from each other (then). It wasn’t like before when they used to visit neighbors. After COVID-19, people became more isolated.”
However, others still see outdoor options as attractive. Abdulaziz Alotaibi, a telecommunications product manager, said: “If the place is prepared and comfortable and has outdoor seating, I would definitely prefer to sit outside.
“For example, at Sikka, people there sit outside despite the heat because the place is designed well.”
Noura Al-Huqbani, 55, agrees, and enjoys outdoor trips once the seasons shift, saying: “I prefer colder seasons when I go on spring trips, camping and to parks.”
For some, however, heat remains the deciding factor. “I personally enjoy the weather more than the place I am at,” said 19-year-old student Ghanaj Al-Rashid.
Lujain Khalid, her friend visiting from Kuwait, said: “Evenings used to be cooler. It is impossible to see anyone at a park now. It has become mainly (a matter of gathering) in cafes or malls.”
Whether in malls, coffee shops, or play centers, Saudis are reshaping how they gather. Social hubs are no longer just an escape from the heat but new spaces for connection and entertainment.
Prince Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Abdulaziz (R) holds talks with Miles Armitage in Riyadh. (Supplied)
Updated 02 September 2025
Arab News
Deputy governor receives Australian ambassador in Riyadh
Prince Mohammed wished the ambassador success in his new duties
Updated 02 September 2025
Arab News
RIYADH: Riyadh Deputy Gov. Prince Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Abdulaziz received Australian Ambassador to the Kingdom Miles Armitage in Riyadh on Tuesday.
The meeting was held on Armitage’s appointment as his country’s ambassador to the Kingdom, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Prince Mohammed wished the ambassador success in his new duties.
During the meeting, they discussed various topics of common interest.
Lebanese authorities have foiled an attempt to smuggle 125 kilograms of cocaine with the help of the Saudi Ministry of Interior.
Updated 02 September 2025
NAJIA HOUSSARI
Lebanon seizes 125 kg of cocaine after help from Saudi General Directorate of Narcotics Control
Lebanese authorities, acting on information from ֱ’s Interior Ministry and monitoring the activities of drug-smuggling networks, thwarted the attempt
Drugs ‘ professionally camouflaged,’ says minister
Updated 02 September 2025
NAJIA HOUSSARI
BEIRUT: Lebanon’s Interior Minister Ahmad Hajjar announced on Tuesday that the country’s Anti-Narcotics Bureau had seized 125 kg of cocaine, one of the largest seizures of the drug in recent years.
Hajjar explained that it had been smuggled onto a ship that had arrived at the port of Tripoli from Brazil after passing through Oman.
“They were hidden … and professionally camouflaged among 840 gallons containing oils and grease,” he said, adding that information had been received by the Anti-Narcotics Bureau from the General Directorate of Narcotics Control in ֱ, part of the country’s Ministry of Interior.
Hajjar spoke of “detainees in the case, and there are other wanted persons being pursued.” He added that the investigations were still ongoing and that the seizure had taken place “in the past few weeks.”
Hajjar expressed his gratitude to the Kingdom’s interior minister for his efforts, commending the long-standing contributions of both countries in combating drug smuggling.
He said: “I met him (Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif) at the Arab Interior Ministers Conference, and we agreed to continue our efforts and coordination, and we are seeing one of the fruits of this coordination today.
“Of course, this is not the first time we have coordinated with the Kingdom and the anti-drug departments of other sister countries, as we previously uncovered a captagon-smuggling operation towards the sisterly state of Kuwait.”
Hajjar added that Lebanese authorities had arrested six more individuals recently who had traveled from Latin American countries via Africa in possession of unspecified drugs.
He emphasized that “all these matters are being addressed seriously because they are a fundamental pillar of our strategy.”
Hajjar said that “efforts over the past months have yielded significant seizures and arrests, the most recent of which was today’s operation.”
He added: “We will not accept that Lebanon be a transit point or a gateway for any prohibited items heading to Lebanon or to any sister or friendly country.”
