In 2024, the Emergency Events Database (EM-DAT) recorded 393 natural hazard-related disasters. These events caused 16,753 fatalities and affected 167.2 million people. Economic losses totaled US$241.95 billion. The year 2024 was marked by extreme temperature events in Asia that caused thousands of deaths, severe droughts in Africa affecting over 25 …
Complete Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) genome sequences were obtained from nasal swabs of dromedary camels sampled in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia through direct analysis of nucleic acid extracts or following virus isolation in cell culture. Consensus dromedary MERS-CoV genome sequences were the same with either template source …
Saudi Arabia confirmed 26 more cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), which has killed nearly a third of sufferers, and said 10 more people have died from the disease. The confirmations follow Egypt's announcement on Saturday that it had confirmed its first case of MERS in a man who …
National Water Co., Saudi Arabia’s largest supplier in the desert kingdom, is planning 2 billion riyals ($533 million) of water-infrastructure projects in the tourist area of Taif, the Saudi Press Agency reported. The utility is working to increase capacity in the City of Roses near the mountainous Al Hada area …
Nations have passed almost 500 laws to tackle climate change, with emerging economies led by Mexico and China making the most progress last year, a study by Globe International found. A total of 62 out of the 66 countries examined have passed or are working on “significant” climate or energy-related …
President Barack Obama is moving ahead to increase fuel efficiency standards. While speaking at a Safeway distribution center in Maryland this week, President Obama cited the advantages of the fuel efficiency standards he put in place for both cars and light-duty vehicles, as well as heavy-duty vehicles. Obama said that …
20% People Globally Are Fat: Study New Delhi: There are more overweight or obese people, 904 million adults, in the developing countries than the developed world, about 557 million. Similarly, more than 30 million overweight children live in the developing world compared to just 10 million in the developed countries. …
More people smoke worldwide today than in 1980, as population growth surges and cigarettes gain popularity in countries such as China, India and Russia, researchers said Tuesday. 270fce4639917f8434891238d4d47f072d999972For instance, China boasted nearly 100 million more smokers in 2012 than it had three decades ago, even though its smoking rate fell …
Chief engineer of Saudi Fund for Development (SFD), Shiekh Abdullah Alshuaibi, visited the Golen Gol Hydropower Project near Chitral city the other day and called for completion of the project by its August 2015 deadline. The project has the generation capacity of 108 megawatts. Accompanied by Wapda chairman Raghib Abbas, …
Saudi Fund for Development has announced an additional fund of $57 million for 106-megawatts (MW) Golen Gol Hydropower Project being constructed in district Chitral of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The Saudi Fund has earlier provided financial assistance of $40 million for civil works of Golen Gol Hydropower Project. The new announcement …
Pakistan govt is set to receive funds of about $100m from the Saudi Development Fund (SDF) to finance the development of Neelum Jhelum hydropower project in the country. Confirming the investment, Pakistani Commercial Attaché Waseem Hayat Bajwa told Saudi Gazette that a delegation from the country has met officials from …
The disease, like SARS which had its origin in south-east Asia some years ago, has already claimed close to 90 lives. The Indian travel industry is still in denial on the impact that Middle-Eastern Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) could have on tourism. The disease, like SARS which had its origin in …
Saudi Arabia, world’s largest oil exporter, aims to meet one-third of its energy demands by using renewable energy by 2032, setting aside a budget of $109 billion for achieving the goal. The oil-rich Gulf Kingdom gave details of its plans in a series of documents containing the revised National Energy …
During the summer of 2012, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, a hitherto unknown coronavirus (CoV) was isolated from the sputum of a patient with acute pneumonia and renal failure. The isolate was provisionally called human coronavirus Erasmus Medical Center (EMC). Shortly thereafter, in September 2012, the same type of virus, named …
Two more people have died from novel coronavirus, a new strain of the virus similar to the one that caused SARS, in an outbreak in al-Ahsa region of Saudi Arabia, the deputy health minister for public health said on Sunday. Ziad Memish said that in the latest cluster of infections, …
Kashmir valley to be promoted as golfing destination The J&K; Tourism Development Corporation (JKTDC) has inked a pact with Sharjah National Travel and Tourist Agency (SNTTA) — the UAE’s largest travel and tourist management company. By doing so, the state government intends to promote Kashmir as a golfing and pilgrim …
Domestic gas prices may be fixed at $2 lower than the $8.8-per-unit price discovered by the Rangarajan commitee constituted to suggest changes in the production-sharing contract and future domestic gas-pricing mechanism. Sources said the oil ministry agreed to the basic principle of gas pricing suggested by the panel, but wants …
Saudi authorities have been criticised in the past for a lack of preparedness for floods At least 13 people have died and four other are missing in flash floods in Saudi Arabia. Deaths were reported in the capital Riyadh, Baha in the south, Hail in the north and in the …
Five people in Saudi Arabia have died from a Sars-like virus and two more are seriously ill, officials say. The seven cases were all from al-Ahsa governorate in the east of the country, the Saudi news agency SPA said citing health officials. The novel coronavirus (NCoV) causes pneumonia and sometimes …
Oil-rich Gulf countries have announced some of the world’s most ambitious renewable energy plans but analysts say the next year marks a big test to show whether these pledges will turn into contracts. Both Saudi Arabia, which has announced a $109bn spending drive into solar energy, and Qatar, which aims …
