The National Center for Meteorology announced its full operational and technical readiness in preparation for the holy month of Ramadan 1447 AH, as part of a comprehensive strategic plan aimed at enhancing the accuracy of geographic coverage and utilizing advanced technological capabilities in the Makkah and Madinah regions. The plan focuses intensively on the Two Holy Mosques, the designated prayer times, international and regional airports, as well as the entry points and highways used by pilgrims.

This step comes within the framework of the utmost importance that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia places on serving pilgrims and visitors during religious seasons. The month of Ramadan, in particular, typically witnesses a high volume of people, requiring meticulous management of all logistical and security services, in which weather is a significant and influential factor. The relevant authorities are working in harmony to ensure that the rituals are performed in a safe and secure environment, leveraging the advanced digital infrastructure established by the Kingdom's Vision 2030.

Through its seasonal plan, the center aims to provide real-time and future weather data around the clock, while enhancing the efficiency of monitoring and forecasting potential weather phenomena before they occur. To achieve this, the center has utilized a wide network of geographically distributed observatories across the Kingdom, supported by modern weather radars, high-resolution satellite imagery, the Saudi numerical weather prediction model, and manned observatories, as well as automated and mobile stations covering vital areas.

As part of the digital transformation and to facilitate access to information for beneficiaries, the operational plan focused on issuing specialized weather bulletins for prayer times and providing accurate and up-to-date coverage of the weather conditions in the Two Holy Mosques. The plan also included displaying weather forecasts and early warnings on highways via electronic road signs, making real-time weather information and 10-day forecasts available through the "Anwaa" application, and establishing direct technical links with national smart platforms such as the "Nusk" and "Tawakkalna" applications to ensure alerts reach the largest possible segment of pilgrims.

Regarding air navigation, the plan included raising the level of performance and efficiency at the center's observatories in various airports across the Kingdom to ensure air navigation safety and professional handling of the anticipated increase in air traffic during the holy month. Accurate meteorological information at airports is a fundamental pillar for flight scheduling and avoiding any weather disturbances that could affect air traffic.

The center concluded its preparations by utilizing 14 diverse media platforms to ensure the rapid delivery of information and weather alerts to the public and relevant authorities, thereby enhancing community awareness and readiness to deal with any weather fluctuations, and contributing to achieving the highest standards of security and safety for those visiting the Holy Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque.

In a strategic step aimed at empowering national cadres and raising the efficiency of the media sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Minister of Media, Mr. Salman bin Yousef Al-Dossari, sponsored the signing of a package of qualitative agreements with nine leading media companies, under the umbrella of the “Media Scholarship” program within the (Wa’ed) track, one of the main tracks of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Scholarship Program.

An integrated partnership between the public and private sectors

These agreements represent a true model of effective partnership between the public and private sectors, through which the Ministry aims to invest directly in human capital. The list of signatory companies includes: MBC Group, One Group, Al-Dhahour Media Company, Hawadi Company, Al-Jazeera Company, Salham Company, La’ba Company, Jazr Production Company, and Waves Company. These partnerships ensure that the outcomes of academic education and practical training are linked to direct employment opportunities, thus enhancing the sustainability of the media sector.

Details of study and training opportunities

The program is an effective economic empowerment tool, providing 94 diverse study and training places in the world's most prestigious educational institutions, distributed as follows:

• 21 Master's degree seats: in universities in Britain, America, and Spain.
• 56 seats for Bachelor's degrees: in the USA and Britain.
• 11 seats for diploma programs: in Canada and Spain.
• 6 seats allocated for vocational training: in America and Spain.

Strategic shift towards the creative economy

In the context of strengthening the national economy, the Deputy Minister of Media for Media Sector Development, Israa Mansour Asiri, explained that this step reflects the ministry's shift from its traditional legislative role to that of an enabler and catalyst for growth. She emphasized that media today is no longer merely a means of disseminating news, but has become a driver of the creative economy, with its value chains extending to production, distribution, platform development, and digital marketing, thus necessitating a qualified national workforce trained to the highest international standards.

Keeping pace with the Kingdom's Vision 2030

These agreements are particularly important in light of the goals of the Kingdom's Vision 2030, which seeks to diversify income sources and increase the contribution of non-oil sectors to the GDP. Developing media talent contributes to strengthening the Kingdom's position as a regional and international hub for media content creation, thus enhancing its soft power and projecting a positive image to the world. The "Media Scholarship" program allows companies to design programs that precisely align with their staffing needs, bridging the gap between education and the labor market.

It is worth noting that applications for these opportunities and programs will be submitted through the Ministry of Education’s “Safir” platform, and details will be announced through the partner companies’ accounts, in order to activate the scholarship program that supports Saudi competitiveness globally.