The event aims to strengthen intellectual resilience among educators and communities, and prevent the spread of extremist and deviant ideas in educational settings. (SPA)
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Updated 10 sec ago
Arab News
Coalition event tackles ideological extremism
Through such seminars and lectures, the coalition emphasizes that education is the first line of defense against extremism, and that awareness and knowledge are key to safeguarding societies
Updated 10 sec ago
Arab News
RIYADH: The Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition on Monday launched a seminar in the Maldives titled “Manifestations of Ideological Extremism in the Educational Environment” as part of its prevention initiative focused on intellectual awareness.
The event aims to strengthen intellectual resilience among educators and communities, and prevent the spread of extremist and deviant ideas in educational settings, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The seminar brought together academics, intellectuals and experts in education, thought and media from the Maldives, along with representatives from government bodies, educational institutions and other relevant entities.
It is part of the coalition’s broader efforts to bolster ideological prevention systems in member states by helping educators identify early signs of extremism, address its roots, and promote moderation and tolerance in schools and communities.
Through such seminars and lectures, the coalition emphasizes that education is the first line of defense against extremism, and that awareness and knowledge are key to safeguarding societies.
Sheikh Abdullah Al-Asheikh (R) holds talks with Attila Tar in Riyadh. (Supplied)
Updated 11 sec ago
Arab News
Shoura Council speaker receives Hungary’s ambassador to ֱ
The two officials reviewed bilateral ties and discussed ways to strengthen cooperation between the Shoura Council and the Hungarian parliament
Updated 11 sec ago
Arab News
RIYADH: ֱ’s Shoura Council Speaker Sheikh Abdullah Al-Asheikh has received Hungary’s Ambassador to the Kingdom Attila Tar in Riyadh, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday.
The two officials reviewed bilateral ties and discussed ways to strengthen cooperation between the Shoura Council and the Hungarian parliament.
Meanwhile, Riyadh Gov. Prince Faisal bin Bandar received the UAE’s ambassador to the Kingdom, Matar Salem Ali Marran Al-Dhaheri, wishing him success in his new role.
Humanity’s time capsule on the moon to include Saudi heritage
French engineer Benoit Faiveley is visiting ֱ to discuss items to include in lunar time capsule
ֱ will represent the cultural voice of the Arab world, reflecting its ancient heritage and innovation of Vision 2030
Updated 13 October 2025
Arab News
LONDON: Saudi cultural heritage will be included in the Sanctuary on the Moon, a project creating a time capsule that carries a compendium of human knowledge, art, and science to the lunar surface with the support of NASA and UNESCO.
French engineer Benoit Faiveley is leading a team of scientists, researchers, designers and artists to deposit 24 sapphire discs engraved with humanity’s cultural and scientific heritage.
He is visiting ֱ to coordinate with leading institutions in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam. They aim to explore cultural and scientific facets that could be included in the lunar time capsule, according to a statement from the project.
“With the extraordinary cultural dynamism taking place under Saudi Vision 2030, now is the perfect time to collaborate with Saudi museums and art institutions,” Faiveley said.
Sanctuary on the Moon brings together leading international experts, including astrophysicists, paleontologists, cosmologists, historians, artists and engineers.
“We hope Sanctuary will be a ‘cosmic hello’ to our descendants, or perhaps to other intelligent life forms,” said Faiveley.
He added: “Most of the material is told through images, diagrams and data, a narrative mosaic of what humanity knows and creates.”
ֱ will represent the cultural voice of the Arab world, while also reflecting the Kingdom’s ancient heritage, including the rock art of Hima and the ancient city of Diriyah, as well as the cultural renaissance and innovation of Vision 2030.
The Sanctuary on the Moon’s time capsule will travel aboard mission CT-4, a container designed according to NASA’s space standards. It will land on the moon’s southern polar region, a site considered ideal for future inhabited bases by NASA.
The 24 sapphire discs will preserve examples of mathematics, culture, art, science and the complete human genome for the future. A section of the archive will be dedicated to UNESCO World Heritage sites, with eight located in ֱ.
By integrating Saudi culture into the lunar capsule, “Sanctuary” ensures that the Kingdom’s heritage will remain accessible for millennia, the statement added.
Dammam airport opens sensory room for travelers with disabilities
Initiative developed in partnership with Saudi Aramco and the King Salman Center for Disability Research
Facility equipped with adjustable lighting, sound, color and tactile elements
Updated 13 October 2025
Waad Hussain
DAMMAM: A new sensory room opened at King Fahd International Airport in Dammam to support travelers with disabilities and the elderly on Sunday.
The initiative was developed in partnership with Saudi Aramco and the King Salman Center for Disability Research and aims to improve the airport’s inclusivity.
The facility, located in the departure terminal, is equipped with adjustable lighting, sound, color and tactile elements to create a calming and controlled environment for travelers with autism spectrum disorder, sensory sensitivities or developmental conditions.
It serves both children and adults and is managed by a multidisciplinary team trained in behavioral and sensory support.
The move follows the success of a similar facility at Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport, opened in 2021.
Prince Sultan bin Salman attended the inauguration ceremony of the sensory room. (AN photo by Waad Hussain)
Parents attending the opening event welcomed the initiative as a long-awaited step toward inclusive travel. In interviews with Arab News, they described the sensory room as transformative for families of children with special needs.
“For the first time, I can travel with my son without fearing a sensory overload,” said Rana Al-Qahtani, the mother of a child with autism. “This space gives families like ours peace of mind.”
Another parent, Faisal Al-Mutairi, told Arab News that the new facility sends “a message that our children belong in every public space. Seeing this at an international airport makes us feel truly seen.”
Prince Sultan bin Salman inaugurated the new facility, praising it as “a model of collaboration that reflects ֱ’s humanitarian commitment.”
He noted that a similar facility will soon open at Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz International Airport.
“The Kingdom continues to invest in specialized programs that empower individuals and ensure they enjoy equal access to public facilities,” he said.
Saudi Aramco’s executive vice president for human resources and corporate services, Nabil Al-Jama’, said: “Aramco remains committed to supporting national initiatives that strengthen community cohesion and promote social inclusion.
“These sensory rooms embody our belief that accessibility and empathy must guide development.”
Dammam Airports Co. chief executive, Mohammed Al-Hassani, said: “The sensory room reflects our long-term commitment to building an inclusive airport environment that welcomes all segments of society. It is about comfort, dignity and equality in travel.”
Kholoud Al-Shaya, adviser to Prince Sultan and director of the project, said the decision to expand the initiative followed feedback from families who used the Riyadh facility.
“The positive emotional and behavioral impact we witnessed over the past four years confirmed that inclusive design is not optional — it is essential. We’re proud to see this concept take root in more Saudi airports,” she said.
Beyond the sensory room, Dammam Airports Co. announced the signing of development contracts worth SR500 million ($133.3 million) and three strategic agreements with civil-society organizations to promote sustainability, recycling and the training and empowerment of persons with disabilities.
The agreements reinforce the company’s role in advancing the Vision 2030 goals of quality of life, community engagement, and environmental stewardship.
King Salman academy to train Arabic teachers in Australia
Pact with Australian National University center for Arabic and Islam
Boosts Arabic globally, academy’s Saad Al-Qahtani tells Arab News
Updated 13 October 2025
Hebshi Alshammari
RIYADH: The King Salman Global Academy for the Arabic Language unveiled a new program in Canberra on Monday to train teachers of Arabic as a second language, in collaboration with the Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies at the Australian National University.
The academic program features a wide range of specialized activities, including a learner’s curriculum aimed at developing language and communication skills.
A seminar titled “The State of Arabic Learning and Teaching in Australia” will also be held, along with two discussion panels addressing Arabic for specific purposes and the integration of technology into language education.
Additionally, the program offers a preparatory course and training for taking the Hamza Academic Test.
The program forms part of the academy’s broader efforts to expand international collaboration and forge ties with global academic institutions, said KSGAAL Secretary-General Abdullah Al-Washmi.
He said the collaboration with ANU, a leading university with a strong academic focus on Arabic, underscores KSGAAL’s commitment.
“The program aims to cultivate participants’ critical thinking by analyzing educational experiences and evaluating teaching practices, as well as introducing them to professional platforms and resources that support the growth of their skills and expertise,” Al-Washmi said.
Saad Al-Qahtani, director of the academy’s Educational Programs Sector, told Arab News that partner institutions are selected with great care.
“ANU stands out worldwide for its strong emphasis on Arabic and linguistic studies, as well as its recognized expertise in teaching Arabic to non-native speakers,” he added.
“What makes this collaboration particularly inspiring is the fusion of modern theoretical frameworks with traditional approaches, aimed at developing scientific tools that enhance the teaching of Arabic globally.”
Al-Qahtani also praised Australia’s language education system as remarkably advanced, emphasizing its blend of academic rigor, cultural openness and a practical, hands-on approach to communication.
Al-Qahtani explained that the institution hopes to shift Arabic teaching from rote memorization to a focus on communicative, cultural and linguistic mastery.
“The program aims to set a benchmark in Arabic education, empowering teachers and learners with cutting-edge skills and practices aligned with the latest advancements in the field,” Al-Qahtani said.
The National Forum for School Excellence, or Tamayuz, recognized outstanding schools across the Kingdom
Updated 13 October 2025
Rahaf Jambi
RIYADH: ֱ celebrated educational excellence on Sunday as the second National Forum for School Excellence, or Tamayuz, recognized outstanding public, private and international schools across the Kingdom.
Organized by the Education and Training Evaluation Commission in coordination with the Ministry of Education, the forum brought together senior officials, education experts, and national leaders, including the Minister of Education Yousef Al-Benyan, and Khalid bin Abdullah Al-Sabti, the commission’s chairman of the board of directors.
Al-Benyan praised the achievements of Saudi schools and their role in shaping the country’s educational future.
He said: “Today, we celebrate 760 outstanding schools across the Kingdom — public, private, and international — that have set a living example of a culture of excellence and have become a bright milestone in the educational transformation journey.
“Our role in education is pivotal: We are responsible for preparing future generations to actively contribute to building a knowledge-based society and achieving sustainable development.”
Al-Sabti commended the schools for their commitment to progress, saying: “These models prove the ability of our schools to excel and continuously improve learning outcomes, supporting our national aspirations for global competitiveness.
“I am pleased to congratulate these schools for this remarkable achievement and for their commitment to advancing toward the goals of Vision 2030.”
Tamayuz is part of the National Program for School Evaluation, Classification, and Accreditation, which is implemented by the commission. It highlights the school classification system — one of the Human Capability Development Program initiatives — as a key milestone in advancing a high-impact national quality model in education and training.
Under the program more than 800 schools are evaluated weekly, with annual assessments covering over 1.5 million students in public, private, and international institutions.
More than 7 million students, teachers, and parents have participated through comprehensive evaluation surveys.
Tamayuz has honored schools that achieved the excellence level based on classification results. The recognition enhances the quality of education, improves learning outcomes, and fosters competitiveness, in line with Saudi Vision 2030 and the Human Capability Development Program.
Building on the success of its inaugural event last year — which honored 292 schools — Tamayuz has evolved into a national benchmark for educational achievement in the Kingdom.
The commission said that the forum reinforced leadership and competition in education while supporting national efforts to improve quality through data-driven evaluation, professional development, and collaboration with the ministry and other national institutions to advance Vision 2030 goals.
