RAFHA — Seven red-necked ostrich chicks hatched in the Imam Turki bin Abdullah Royal Nature Reserve during the second quarter of 2026, marking progress in the species’ reintroduction program. The Imam Turki bin Abdullah Royal Nature Reserve Development Authority said the successful hatching demonstrates the species’ ability to adapt and reproduce in its natural habitat. As an important indicator of the program’s progress, the breeding of red-necked ostriches in the wild shows that the species has moved beyond the release and adaptation stages to forming populations capable of completing their life cycle, reproducing and growing in their natural environment. The…
Author: Editorial Team
RIYADH — Saudi Arabia will be represented by 144 athletes across 19 national teams at the 20th Asian Games (Aichi-Nagoya 2026). The games are scheduled to take place in Nagoya, Japan, from September 19 to October 4. As part of preparations for the Games, the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee will organize a training camp for the Saudi teams in Fuji, Japan, from August 29 to October 3. Source: Saudi Gazette
Aspiring musicians in Dubai will soon be able to study for a Bachelor of Music without leaving the city, as SAE University College prepares to launch what it says is Dubai’s first accredited degree of its kind. The three-year, full-time programme will begin in September 2026, with applications currently open. It comes as the UAE looks to expand its cultural and creative industries, with a national target for the sector to contribute 5 per cent of GDP by 2031. According to Jan Horn, Managing Director of SAE University College Dubai, the timing reflects a gap between the growth of the…
ABU DHABI, 17th August, 2026 (WAM) — The National Space Science and Technology Centre (NSSTC) at the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) announced the successful launch of the SEO satellite aboard A Long March 2C carrier rocket from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre in China. The achievement is part of the centre’s efforts to develop national space projects, strengthen UAE capabilities in the sector and support the country’s ambitions in science, technology and innovation. The SEO project also aims to develop national talent by providing Emirati researchers and engineers with practical experience in satellite design, development and operations in cooperation…
ABU DHABI, 17th August, 2026 (WAM) — AD Ports Group on Monday announced that it has received a notification from L’IMAD Holding Company PJSC (L’IMAD), a sovereign investor of the Government of Abu Dhabi, of its intention to submit a voluntary conditional cash offer, through its wholly owned subsidiary Abu Dhabi Developmental Holding Company PJSC (ADQ), to acquire up to 100 percent of the issued and paid-up share capital of Abu Dhabi Ports Company PJSC (AD Ports Group) not already held by ADQ (a copy of which is enclosed). L’IMAD, through ADQ, currently owns 75.42 percent of AD Ports Group.…
TEHRAN — Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday that the 60-day deadline for talks with the US following the June 17 memorandum of understanding “lost its relevance” after what he called “flagrant” violations by Washington. “There is no provision in the memorandum of understanding referring to a ‘60-day deadline’, and the Islamic Republic of Iran never formulates its policies under pressure, ultimatums or time limits,” Baghaei told reporters at a weekly news conference, as cited by the semi-official Tasnim news agency. The memorandum instead envisaged a 60-day period for negotiations on two issues — “the lifting of…
DUBAI, 17th August, 2026 (WAM) — Dubai Holding’s national talent development programmes aim to equip Emiratis with the skills and experience needed to lead transformation and contribute to future economic sectors, Group Chief People Officer Fatma Hussain said. In statements to the Emirates News Agency (WAM), Hussain said the “Al Multaqa” Emiratisation platform and “Leaders of Tomorrow” graduate programme provide career pathways spanning recruitment, training, mentoring and leadership development. She said investing in national talent is a key pillar of the group’s strategy, with clear career pathways designed to help Emiratis develop and take on greater responsibilities. Fatma Hussain said…
ATHENS — Two people died and hundreds were evacuated after two fast-moving wildfires that broke out “almost simultaneously” spread across a popular Greek island near Athens on Sunday afternoon, officials said. The two victims, believed to be a couple, were killed as the blaze swept through Salamina, west of Athens. The bodies of the two killed were recovered in the village of Peristeria, where strong winds fuelled the spreading blaze. About 200 firefighters were deployed to keep the twin fires from converging on the island of Salamina, which was under a high wildfire risk on Sunday. The first blaze was…
JAZAN/ASIR — Border Guard land patrols arrested four Yemeni nationals in separate cases in Asir and Jazan for attempting to smuggle a total of 102 kilograms of khat, while an operation in Jazan thwarted the smuggling of 14 kilograms of hashish and 63,500 pills. In Asir, Border Guard land patrols in the Al-Rabuah Sector arrested one Yemeni national for violating the Border Security Law and attempting to smuggle 20 kilograms of khat. Asir Border Guard land patrols arrested one Yemeni national for attempting to smuggle 20 kilograms of khat. In Jazan, Border Guard land patrols in the Al-Harth Sector arrested…
TOKYO, 17th August, 2026 (WAM) — Japan’s economy expanded at an annualised real 1.1 percent in the second quarter of 2026, falling short of market expectations, government data showed Monday. Quarter-on-quarter, inflation-adjusted GDP rose 0.3 percent in the April-June period, the Cabinet Office said in its preliminary report. Private consumption, which accounts for more than half of the economy, edged down 0.02 percent from the previous quarter, marking the first decline in eight quarters. Source: Emirates News Agency