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RIYADH: A Date Diplomacy initiative has been introduced to boost cooperation around date cultivation between ����ֱ�� — specifically the central Qassim region — and other countries.

The program was announced during the Buraidah Dates Carnival, which started earlier this month and runs until mid-October.

It will introduce ambassadors visiting diplomatic missions to the carnival, raising awareness of the cultural, economic and heritage activities taking place. Ambassadors will be invited to visit date farms and receive date-related gifts.

The initiative also aims to strengthen relations between the member states of the Riyadh-based International Dates Council, which includes ����ֱ��, the UAE, Tunisia, Sudan, Mauritania, Yemen, Oman, Palestine, Somalia and Lebanon. It is being run by the Emirate of Qassim Region, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Center for Palms and Dates.

The Buraidah Dates Carnival features a wide range of events, programs and exhibitions, highlighting more than 100 varieties of the fruit produced in the central Qassim region, known as the breadbasket of the Kingdom.

It is the largest event of its kind, with more than SR3.2 billion ($853 million) worth of dates sold last year.

Hundreds of tonnes have already been sold this year, chiefly the popular Sukkari variety. Khalas, Suqai, Wannana, Barhi, Shaqra, Medjool, Hoshaniyya and other types are also in high demand.

RIYADH: The Muslim World League (MWL) on Tuesday condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to a settlement on occupied Palestinian land, calling his statements on “clinging to the land” a continuation of the occupation government’s policy of provocation and defiance of international legitimacy.

During his visit to the West Bank settlement of Ofra, marking its 50th anniversary, Netanyahu boasted that he had fulfilled his promise to prevent the creation of a Palestinian state, reported. He recalled pledging 25 years ago “to ensure our continued hold on the Land of Israel, to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state … thank God, what I promised — we kept.”

In a statement, MWL Secretary-General Sheikh Muhammad bin Abdul Karim Al-Issa said such actions undermine efforts to end the war and block prospects for peace. 
He renewed the League’s appeal to the international community to “rush to save the Palestinian people” and seize the opportunity to stop the conflict by implementing the two-state solution.
Al-Issa said the MWL’s support for the final document of the recent high-level international conference on the peaceful settlement of the Palestinian issue, co-chaired by ����ֱ�� and France. 
He warned that continued violations by what he described as an extremist Israeli government represent a grave threat to regional and global stability and remain the biggest obstacle to achieving lasting peace.