Saudi Arabia News — AKHBAR.COM

RIYADH — Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman launched the annual national blood donation campaign for 2026 by donating blood in Riyadh on Tuesday. More than 900,000 people came forward to donate blood in 2025 after the Crown Prince launched the annual national blood donation campaign. The Crown Prince’s generous humanitarian gesture reflects…

A teenage girl wounded eight girls at a middle school in Istanbul on Tuesday, as she reportedly stabbed pupils indiscriminately with a knife, officials said. The incident occurred around 8:40 am (0540 GMT) at a…

For Muslims around the world, Hajj and Umrah represent journeys of profound personal and spiritual significance. For Saudi Arabia, welcoming those pilgrims also brings an important responsibility: protecting their health and wellbeing throughout that journey.As we mark World Meningitis Day, that responsibility takes on particular significance. Meningococcal disease presents a distinct public health challenge in…

RIYADH — The Ministry of Health has recorded an increase in respiratory infections coinciding with the start of the virus season, noting that the rise falls within expected levels. The ministry urged eligible groups to receive recommended vaccines, including those against seasonal influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), by booking an appointment through the Sehhaty…

The AI Camp kicked off at the Madinah Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Sunday as part of the MED AI Forum, bringing together 120 participants and nine speakers over five days, the Saudi Press…

Dr. Soliman Fakeeh Hospital–Jeddah (DSFH-J) has joined the Global Sepsis Alliance (GSA) as a Founding Pilot Partner in the development and international validation of the new GSA Sepsis Accreditation Program, marking another important step in the hospital’s continued commitment to patient safety, quality of care, and clinical excellence.The announcement coincides with World Sepsis Day 2026,…

RIYADH — An operational solar park in Saudi Arabia has become a breeding ground for threatened wildlife under a conservation initiative that combines renewable energy production with efforts to restore native animal populations.Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve said Sunday that 38 vulnerable Sand gazelles have been introduced into a 250-megawatt solar park serving Red…

Researchers at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), in collaboration with the University of Oxford, have developed a blood-based electronic sensor capable of detecting molecular signatures associated with Parkinson’s disease. The study was…

JEDDAH— On Monday morning, the sky over Makkah will witness the moon’s second alignment directly over the Holy Kaaba in 2026. The moon will reach a position very close to the zenith, appearing almost directly overhead at the Kaaba’s location, and will be visible to the naked eye. President of the Jeddah Astronomy Society Eng.…

The King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language (KSGAAL) opened its fifth annual international conference today in Riyadh, convening prominent researchers, linguists, and cultural scholars from Saudi Arabia and abroad for a two-day forum. The…

RIYADH — The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) has approved the registration of Jascayd (nerandomilast) for the treatment of adult patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The drug was previously granted Orphan Drug designation under the SFDA Orphan Drug Program. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a rare, progressive lung disease characterized by the continuous…

Anwar Abdullah had no choice but to flee his home in Yemen’s western Hodeidah province with his wife and six children as Houthi attacks drew close on the night of Sept. 10. He initially did…

RIYADH — Saudi security authorities arrested a total of 11,819 illegal residents in a week. The arrests were made in the joint inspections, carried out by the security forces in collaboration with the relevant government agencies, during the period between September 24 and 30, the Ministry of Interior announced on Saturday. Those who were arrested…

A Florida woman accused of driving across the country to fire a rifle at Rihanna and A$AP Rocky’s home, hitting a trailer the celebrity couple was inside and a nursery where their kids were, has…

TAIF — Six people, including five female teachers and their driver, were killed in a collision on the Taif-Riyadh highway on Thursday morning, prompting Saudi Arabia’s National Transport Safety Center to launch an investigation.The teachers were traveling to Hailan Elementary and Intermediate School, northwest of Al-Muwayh governorate, when their vehicle was involved in a collision…

Scientists studying the strongest genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease say they have new clues to how it works and how its damaging effects on the brain could potentially be reversed. Researchers have found a…

RIYADH — Registration is open for the 17th edition of the National Program for Gifted Identification, specifically for the Mawhiba Multiple Cognitive Aptitude Test (MMCAT). This was announced by the King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity (Mawhiba), in partnership with the Ministry of Education and the Education and Training Evaluation Commission,…

In southern Lebanon, eight-year-old Yara Ajami started the academic year this week in a doorless, windowless classroom after her school was destroyed by an Israeli strike. Well known in the area for its excellence, Ajami's…

RIYADH — The National Greening Program announced on Thursday that it will launch the 2026 National Greening Season on October 7.Aligned with the Saudi Green Initiative and Saudi Vision 2030, the nationwide campaign aims to expand vegetation cover, combat desertification, promote the planting of native species suited to the local climate, and foster environmental volunteerism…

For many Syrians, the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government did not end the cases against them. Activists and politicians are still discovering convictions issued in their absence and criminal wanted notices that remain in force,…

RIYADH — Over 59 percent of Saudi Arabia’s population aged 18 and older engaged in at least 150 minutes of physical activity per week in 2025, according to the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT). Results from the National Health Survey showed that 59.1 percent of the Kingdom’s population aged 18 and older met this level…

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has directed, following a proposal by Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, that a mosque to be built in northern Riyadh…

RIYADH — The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) announced that it had identified a number of unregistered peptide products being offered and marketed through websites and social media accounts without obtaining the required licenses from the authority. The action comes as part of its ongoing efforts to monitor products traded through online sales channels…

Inmates at Lebanon’s Roumieh Central Prison are on a hunger strike for a 10th day over an appeal to a general amnesty law, as warnings mounted that deteriorating conditions could trigger a broader humanitarian and…

RIYADH — The General Directorate of Traffic has announced fines ranging between SR1,000 and SR2,000 for driving a vehicle with a damaged, unclear, or obscured license plate. The violation also covers license plates bearing information that is difficult to read or that does not match the vehicle registration card (Istimara). The directorate has made it…

Beneath the Mediterranean waters off the southern Lebanese city of Tyre, divers swim past stone walls, ancient structures and a submerged road — remnants of parts of a city that once stood above the water.…

MAKKAH— Deputy Emir of Makkah Prince Saud bin Mishaal offered condolences to the family members of Sheikh Ibrahim Al-Madani, the muezzin of the Grand Mosque, who died on Monday. The emir prayed to God Almighty to grant Sheikh Al-Madani His mercy and forgiveness, and bestow his family patience and solace.

A gold mine collapsed in northern Sudan killing at least 10 people and injuring 21 others, two survivors told AFP on Sunday after overnight rescue efforts. Shafts of the Awny mining area near Sudan's border…

RIYADH — Long before the modern Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was proclaimed, a green banner bearing the Islamic declaration of faith was already associated with the Saudi state.Its history reaches back to the First Saudi State, founded in 1727, when Imam Mohammed bin Saud adopted a green banner made of silk and khazz, inscribed with…

Less than a year after arriving in Tunisia, Michael Oppona had not planned to return to Ghana. But, faced with increasingly harsh pressure from local authorities, he is among thousands of sub-Saharan migrants seeking to…

RIYADH — Saudis know its opening notes instantly. At schools, sporting events, official ceremonies and international occasions, the national anthem begins with the call: “Sarei lil-majd wal-alya” — “Hasten to glory and supremacy.”But the anthem familiar today did not emerge all at once.Its story unfolded over nearly four decades, beginning with a royal salute that…

The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) signed a joint executive program on Friday with the Saudi Center for Culture and Heritage to implement an emergency response project to sponsor orphans and families…

RIYADH — In the early years of the Saudi state, education in many parts of the country looked very different from the system that would eventually emerge.In some areas, learning was largely centered on the traditional kuttab, where children were taught the Holy Qur’an, religious studies, reading and writing.Schools were limited, trained teachers were scarce,…

Armed gangs in the Gaza Strip, operating mainly in Israeli-controlled areas, abducted two Palestinians from their home at dawn on Thursday after a force infiltrated an area east of the Bureij refugee camp in central…

RIYADH — When King Abdulaziz began developing healthcare services, the challenge was not simply a shortage of hospitals.Disease itself posed a threat to communities.Epidemics were among the major health challenges facing the country, while organized medical services were limited. The annual arrival of pilgrims from different parts of the world added another dimension, making public…

The Ministry of Culture has signed an executive program with the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO) to establish a cooperative framework to safeguard intangible cultural heritage and advance shared Arab cultural goals.…

MAKKAH — Sheikh Ibrahim bin Adel Al-Madani, a longtime muezzin of the Grand Mosque in Makkah, has died on Monday at the age of 51. Sheikh Al-Madani was one of the 24 principal muezzins at the Grand Mosque and a member of the mosque’s Makbariyah (call to prayer system). Six of these 24 muezzins rotate…

Between hospitals that have reopened after being destroyed and looted, and facilities still struggling with shortages of electricity, equipment, medicines, and staff, two contrasting pictures of Sudan's health system are emerging after more than three…

AL-AHSA — Nine people, including seven members of one family, were killed in a horrific collision between two vehicles on the Al-Uqair-Al-Uyun road in Al-Ahsa governorate in the Eastern Province.The accident claimed the lives of a father, mother, three sons, and two daughters who were traveling in the first vehicle. Two young men in the…

The Iraqi Education Ministry’s decision to postpone the start of the 2026-27 academic year has sparked widespread debate over the real reasons behind the move, which coincides with the scheduled withdrawal of US-led coalition forces…

YANBU — Coastal patrols of the Border Guard in Yanbu governorate in the Madinah region apprehended three Filipino residents for violating the safety and security regulations for those engaged in maritime activities in the Kingdom's territorial waters.They were caught fishing without a permit and using prohibited equipment. Legal procedures were initiated against them in coordination…

Reading for pleasure is linked to better mental health, greater empathy and a lower risk of dementia, according to a new study led by scientists at the University of Cambridge. In a review published in…

JAZAN — Border Guard patrols in the Al-Ardah sector of the Jazan region arrested an Ethiopian national for violating border security regulations. He was caught attempting to smuggle 65,685 prescription pills and 60 kilograms of hashish. Security authorities confirmed that initial legal procedures had been completed against the violator, and that he and the seized…

Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Culture has issued a guide on the ethics of using artificial intelligence in the cultural sector, one of the products of the Cultural Policy Lab. The guide aims to promote informed,…

RAFHA — Following its absence from the Arabian Peninsula, the ostrich is making a return to Saudi Arabia through targeted wildlife reintroduction initiatives across nature reserves. The efforts aim to support biodiversity restoration and enable this iconic bird to repopulate its historic desert habitats. **media[2767994]**The flightless species ranks as the largest and heaviest living bird,…

Under the patronage of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, in cooperation with the Pilgrim Experience Program (PEP), one of the programs of…

RIYADH — The Ministry of Health launched probe into the patient privacy violations committed by an expatriate pediatrician. The ministry’s intervention follows the circulation on social media of reports concerning filming patients by the doctor during the provision of healthcare services and publishing images in a way violating their privacy, in addition to making statements…

Syrians on Monday held demonstrations in various parts of the country for the second consecutive day over the government's decision to increase fuel prices due to the Middle East war. They mark the first such…