Volunteers in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Region Municipality hit the sand on Tuesday to begin a clean-up campaign called Sea without Plastic.
Men and women filled more than 36 black 189-litre rubbish bags with plastic waste picked up from the shores of popular areas such as Al Khobar beachside.
Praising the turnout of volunteers, undersecretary for services Ziad Mugharbel said these initiatives aim to increase community engagement and spread awareness about the importance of preserving the environment.
East No Plastic, a local group of volunteers, participated in the clean-up campaign.
"We're a volunteer team raising awareness about the importance of protecting marine life and the dangers of plastic pollution," Najla Alzannan, the group's founder, told The National.
“On Friday, 20 volunteers gathered 25 bags of waste at Aziziyah beach in Khobar,” in an operation sponsored by the municipality, she said.
“We want to be involved in our communities and give back to nature. We clean up along the Red Sea in Jeddah, hoping that people around us will also be more careful of their actions,” said Faris Ahmed, 26, a digital marketeer and part-time volunteer in Jeddah.
“We have girls and boys joining us from a young age with their parents who have volunteered as well – our youngest volunteer is six years old. We want to ensure that our actions will positively influence our families, friends and the local communities.”
In the past few years, people in the kingdom participated in clean-up activities along beaches, roads and built-up areas.
“We have many groups here who come together through social media and word of mouth. We had a clean-up initiative in different neighbourhoods in Asir recently,” Mr Ahmed said.
In 2019, Ahmed Al Rajhi, Minister of Labour and Social Development, stressed the need to raise the institutional and administrative level of non-profit organisations.
Last year, the government allowed volunteer groups and charities to obtain licences to operate more efficiently.
The new law has instilled more confidence in young volunteers who want to make a positive contribution to society, said Lana Taher, 29, an engineer.
“Our clean-ups are regular and organised, we go out once in three months with a group of about 150 people,” she said.
Many such initiatives such as @eastnoplastic on Twitter, use social media to spread awareness about the campaign in the Eastern Region.
Government agencies across the kingdom are taking part in clean-up campaigns to preserve public spaces and boost awareness about environmental conservation and community engagement. Mr Mugharbel said these campaigns reflect community engagement and interaction to serve the environment in their homeland.
The campaigns are meant to encourage communities to come together and spread the culture of volunteer work.
Saudi Arabia announced on Tuesday that it aims to generate 50 per cent of its power needs using renewable energy by 2030, with the remainder to be provided by gas.
The kingdom is working to identify the main frameworks to create a sustainable renewable energy sector that will comprise industries, services, the localisation of technology and the development of human resources.
MATCH INFO
Champions League last 16, first leg
Tottenham v RB Leipzig, Wednesday, midnight (UAE)
England v South Africa Test series:
First Test: at Lord's, England won by 211 runs
Second Test: at Trent Bridge, South Africa won by 340 runs
Third Test: at The Oval, July 27-31
Fourth Test: at Old Trafford, August 4-8
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
More coverage from the Future Forum
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
Spain drain
CONVICTED
Lionel Messi Found guilty in 2016 of of using companies in Belize, Britain, Switzerland and Uruguay to avoid paying €4.1m in taxes on income earned from image rights. Sentenced to 21 months in jail and fined more than €2m. But prison sentence has since been replaced by another fine of €252,000.
Javier Mascherano Accepted one-year suspended sentence in January 2016 for tax fraud after found guilty of failing to pay €1.5m in taxes for 2011 and 2012. Unlike Messi he avoided trial by admitting to tax evasion.
Angel di Maria Argentina and Paris Saint-Germain star Angel di Maria was fined and given a 16-month prison sentence for tax fraud during his time at Real Madrid. But he is unlikely to go to prison as is normal in Spain for first offences for non-violent crimes carrying sentence of less than two years.
SUSPECTED
Cristiano Ronaldo Real Madrid's star striker, accused of evading €14.7m in taxes, appears in court on Monday. Portuguese star faces four charges of fraud through offshore companies.
Jose Mourinho Manchester United manager accused of evading €3.3m in tax in 2011 and 2012, during time in charge at Real Madrid. But Gestifute, which represents him, says he has already settled matter with Spanish tax authorities.
Samuel Eto'o In November 2016, Spanish prosecutors sought jail sentence of 10 years and fines totalling €18m for Cameroonian, accused of failing to pay €3.9m in taxes during time at Barcelona from 2004 to 2009.
Radamel Falcao Colombian striker Falcao suspected of failing to correctly declare €7.4m of income earned from image rights between 2012 and 2013 while at Atletico Madrid. He has since paid €8.2m to Spanish tax authorities, a sum that includes interest on the original amount.
Jorge Mendes Portuguese super-agent put under official investigation last month by Spanish court investigating alleged tax evasion by Falcao, a client of his. He defended himself, telling closed-door hearing he "never" advised players in tax matters.
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Scoreline
Man Utd 2 Pogba 27', Martial 49'
Everton 1 Sigurdsson 77'
Abu Dhabi Card
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 80,000 1,400m
National selection: AF Mohanak
5.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 90,000 1,400m
National selection: Jayide Al Boraq
6pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 100,000 1,400m
National selection: Rocket Power
6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Championship Listed (PA) Dh 180,000 1,600m
National selection: Ihtesham
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh 70,000 1,600m
National selection: Noof KB
7.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 80,000 2.200m
National selection: EL Faust
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
