magazine

Issue 21 50

Issue 21 Transport Transport Authority begins disbursing allowances to support individuals working in passenger transport activities The Public Transport Authority began disbursing carry out passenger transport activities, and depend allocations to support Saudi individuals working in mainly on their income through what they earn from passenger transport activities, which was approved by working in these activities because they are not the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman associated with any other job and have been affected bin Abdulaziz Al Saud - may God protect him - as part as a result of the precautionary measures taken to of a caring fatherly gesture, It aims to support Saudis prevent the spread of the virus The new Corona and working in passenger transport activities, and help them the accompanying suspension of some activities bear the burdens and consequences of precautionary completely. measures to prevent the outbreak of the new Corona He explained that this humanitarian initiative included virus, and the humanitarian goals of the initiative are Saudi individuals working in the activities of “public embodied by the payment of an amount in the amount fare, school transport, transportation of teachers, of the minimum salaries of Saudis according to work and the transport of pilgrims and visitors from within regulations, and the allowance amounts to 3 thousand the Kingdom,” pointing out that there are a number riyals per month to be disbursed to each beneficiary of requirements, the most important of which is that For a period of three months, so that the total is 9,000 the applicant has a valid operating card at the time riyals, for those who fulfill all the conditions. of the decision to stop passenger transport activities The Assistant Vice President for Development and through Buses and fare, and that the applicant Land Transport Quality, Eng. Abdul Majeed Al-Tasan, should not be an employee in any entity, whether said: The initiative is complemented by the successful governmental or private, and the Public Transport partnership with the Ministry of Finance and the Authority has allowed the submission and reception Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, of requests from April 20 to May 5, 2020 AD, and indicating that the disbursement actually began for the the Authority has also ensured technical support for first groups of entitlement on Monday 6 July 2020 AD, submission and inquiries about the progress of the all of whom are Saudi individuals directly employed in transaction through its website www.tga .gov.sa. Passenger transport activities and are not under the umbrella of any facility, and they are registered with the Public Transport Authority and are authorized to 53

Issue 21 52

Issue 21 Tourism And Cities Al-Jowf: The heart of the North, the heart of generosity Al-Jowf, a peaceful oasis in the heart of the modern Assyrian and Babylonian civilization North of Saudi, the roots striking in the depths and others, the Monuments some of which date of history a land whose people don’t accept back to the Copper Age and the First Stone any other city. Age and also tombs, stone temples, caves, There is hardly any talk today about the inscriptions, tools, rock equipment, castles distinguished tourist areas in the Kingdomthat and old forts which the Ministry of Tourism Al Jowf has not been the center of it. One took care of by maintaining them for tourists can simply realize how much it possesses of who were interested in monuments such as the elements that qualify it to be the top of Zabal Castle, Marid Castle, Muisen Castle, the tourist cities starting with its attractive Ragagel Columns and Sisera Well. They are advantages represented by the nature of the all from ancient times. Despite ancient times moderate weather given because it’s located and the passage of civilizations, Al-Jowf still on the northern borders of the Kingdom near surprisingly flexible and is one of the main Jordan, sham and the Fertile Crescent. The attractions of foreign tourists. festivals that receive remarkable responses Despite this, modern tourism landmarks stand such as, the Olive Festival in which local side by side near all of this as you can several families offer the production of their farms meters away from these majestic forts and and annual crops of olives and olive oil for castles see the city center of Sakaka in a vibrant which Al-Jowf is famous for In addition, Al- and alive atmosphere with a diverse selection Jowf has distinct cultural and entertainment of restaurants, international cafes, hotels, activities. resorts, commercial complexes and factories This festival annually attracts visitors not only then the Nafud desert and farms which reflects from outside the region but also from outside a great deal of harmony, diversity and wealth the Kingdom. We can’t forget the Fruit which you can hardly find in one area. Festival and the Date Market Festival which In Al-Jowf, you will never find yourself a stranger called “Spring of Al-Jowf with its Sweetness” in a strange land, especially in the presence of which includes more than eighty types of the sons of ancient tribes who are residents of dates. Dumat Al-Jandal is one of the most the region. for example, if your car breaks down important festivals that display the finest while you are passing through these lands be and most luxurious varieties of dates in the certain that the people of this region may not Kingdom among them is Al-Jowf candy that be satisfied by only helping and repairing your is made from distinctive black dates that are car and they won’t even allow you to continue grown exclusively on the lands of Al-Jowf in your way and leave the area in the first place addition to the Muqid Tabarjal Camel Festival, before inviting you to a hearty dinner and the Tabarjal Festival for the revival of heritage inviting the most important dignitaries of the and others. city to welcome you. This has nothing to do We cannot talk about the Al-Jowf oasis with you, your origin, or your difference, but without mentioning the historical components it’s an instinctive and spontaneous behavior that make it at the top of the list of the most that stems from their generosity they also like historical places as ancient human kingdoms to call themselves (Northern Chests) and their and civilizations have been established on its generous souls which remained a trait for the land since prehistoric times. Among them the people of the North in general and the people Kingdom of Kedar which dates back to the of Al-Jowf specifically. 55

Issue 21 Does Al-Jowf need more than that to be tempting to visit? North of the Kingdom It has an area Its population The city of Sakaka on the borders with the of more than exceeds 508,000. is the administrative head Hashemite Kingdom of 100,000 square office for the region. Jordan. kilometers. 54

Issue 21 Safety & Security “SAR” International Safety Award “SAR” continued efforts in applying infection prevention measures, including cleaning and disinfection of all its stations and trains, welcoming passengers, and ensuring their safety. For the second consecutive year, Saudi Railway Co “SAR” has received the International Safety Award 2020, from the British Safety Council, the award was given in recognition of the company’s commitment to the highest safety standards and strategies in the workplace and its commitment to ensuring safe working practices are set up and followed for the health and safety of its customers and employees, in order to reduce the chance of accidents. Within “SAR” vision, is to reduce the chance of accidents in the workplace, and to enable employees to work safely in any place within the company’s facilities, while continuing to provide support and awareness about their safety and health. We are committed to the humanitarian and professional values at the workplace; thus we invest heavily in safety and health at workplace, and we are proud to say with confidence that “We are leaders when it comes to safety and health”, we have integrated management dealing with safety, health and the environment, and we have qualified and specialized professionals that commit to the highest safety standards. 57

Issue 21 56

Issue 21 Trains Seven decades trace the history of Saudi railways In reign of the founder need to build a commercial port on the Gulf coast to transport imported goods through it to Aramco King Abdul-Aziz bin Abdulrahman Al Saud warehouses. The idea put forward by Aramco to establish a The construction of the railways in the railway line extending from Dammam to Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia date back to 70 years and establishing a major commercial port that ago. Seven decades ago, the first railway line could receive the huge ships that transport oil passed through Riyadh. The Riyadh-Dammam industry supplies and equipment, in addition to line was opened on October 20, 1951 AD with the great benefits that this port would achieve for a length of 569 kilometers during the reign of the national economy, When they presented the the founder King Abdul-Aziz bin Abdulrahman matter to King Abdul-Aziz, his majesty gave orders Al Saud, in simultaneity establishing the to implement the project and for the project to commercial port in the Eastern Province. reach the Capital - Riyadh. The idea of establishing a railway line in the The first building block was put in the implementation Kingdom began in the mid-forties when the of the project on October 21, 1947, the railway remained under the supervision of Aramco for a while then it was associated with the Ministry of Finance. And it was called the Railway Authority. On May 13, 1966 AD, a royal decree was issued to approve the Articles of Association of the General Corporation for Railways according to which the railway was transformed into a public institution with legal personality managed by a board of directors drawing its general policies according to commercial principles. In 1981, the main railway passenger stations was inaugurated in Riyadh, Dammam and Al-Hofuf. In 1985, another 449 km railway line was established between Riyadh and Dammam reducing the journey time to 300 minutes instead of 420 minutes. Founded by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), the Saudi Railways Company “SAR” was established in 2006, intending to implement a railway project connecting the north of the kingdom with its eastern and central regions operating and managing them with efficiency under economic operating standards and with international standards in performance and safety. 59

Issue 21 Important Dates 1951 The Kingdom’s first railway line was officially 1966 opened. The Saudi government issued a royal decree 1981 establishing the Saudi Railways Organization. Railway passenger stations was inaugurated 2006 in Riyadh, Dammam and Al-Hofuf. «SAR» was founded 58

Issue 21 61

Issue 21 Success Stories Moving toward a vibrant future; leveraging new technologies “SABIC” (Saudi multinational chemical manufacturing company) is working to achieve sustainability and clean energy goals in the long term, by establishing partnerships with specialized entities around the world to grow its business, strengthen its leadership and efforts that will support sustainability to be the world’s preferred supplier of chemicals. “SABIC” has shown that achieving a large-scale transformation and transition to the renewable energy is possible, as it has witnessed in the recent years of many landmark achievements in the field of renewable energy technologies, announcing that it will always be the first user of these technologies, given its great interest in technology and innovation and its ability at the current time to advance in this transformation, which will help to increase its contributions to more initiatives related to climate change, such as the European Union 2030 initiative, align with its efforts with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. ”SABIC” manages the project of constructing a solar energy plant that cost 300 million dollars with a capacity of 300 megawatts on the western coast of the Kingdom, and after conclusion of the project, ”SABIC” will benefit from the electricity it generates. TruecircleTM (which includes meeting the requirements of customers by providing a package of services and products that include materials and technologies that use the circular economy, including certified circular polymers produced from chemical recycling of used plastics, and renewable polymers based on biological materials.) The said power plant is a very important initiative in helping ”SABIC” to manage its business through the concept of a circular economy. ”SABIC” aspires -by establishing partnerships- to enhance the competitiveness of renewable energy sources, and to provide opportunities for developing innovative projects that will change the present and future of energy. Long-term energy purchase contracts provide a stable environment for investment in this field, and these contracts have become an ideal tool for managing the supplication of electricity to customers who are committed on using clean and sustainable energy sources. Last July, SABIC has signed an agreement to convert its polycarbonate plant in Cartagena, Spain, to work with only renewable energy, and to be the first huge chemical plant in the world to be operated entirely by the renewable energy. According to this agreement, Iberdrola Company, which is one of the largest electricity companies in the world, will invest nearly 70 million euros to establish a facility to solar photovoltaic energy generator with a capacity of 100 megawatts, which includes 263,000 solar panels on an owned land by SABIC, making it the largest renewable energy facility dedicated to an industrial entity in Europe, and it is expected to operate at full capacity in 2024 AD. Such a move marks a positive landmark in the company’s orientation to transform all its global operations to using a clean energy source, it aspires to install facilities that generate 4 gigawatts of electricity, whether by wind or solar energy, for its sites around the world by 2025 AD, -the capacity will be raised to 12 gigawatts by 2030-. In 2019, SABIC has completed the installation of solar panels at its sites in India and Thailand, helping to reduce global warming emissions by 200 tons, while the “Home of Innovation” facility (a subsidiary of ”SABIC”) has been operating entirely on solar energy since 2015. 60

Issue 21 »SAR« «SAR» agrees with «Sadara» To provide transportation services for 25 years Saudi Railway Company (“SAR”) has signed with Sadara Chemical Company (Sadara) railway transport services agreement. It is a 25-year agreement, and it will includes two trips a day from Sadara Chemical Campus to King Fahd Industrial Port, and 3trips to Jubail Commercial Port, it is expected that about 125,000 containers will be transported annually. In addition, the agreement provides Sadara commitment to transfer its products from the chemical complex that is located in Jubail Industrial City to export facilities in King Fahd Industrial Port and Jubail Commercial Port. “SAR” is committed to providing integrated transportation services by running its locomotives and freight vehicles to transport Sadara’s products. 63

IIssssuuee 21 Sadara Company expected to achieve several positive results through this agreement, the most important of which is that railway transport replaces approximately 200,000 truckloads of Sadara products annually to Jubail’s ports. in addition to protecting the environment as a result of reducing harmful emissions by 73%. On the other hand, the construction of the railway project in Jubail Industrial City is currently being completed, and it is expected that the transportation services of Sadara Company products will start in the second half of 2021. 62

Issue 21 Editorial Transportation is the backbone of life Since the outbreak of the first spark of (COVID-19) which is known as the coronavirus in Wuhan, also the application of precautionary measures China. The world has faced one of the most through transport services on trains. As this severe pandemic that shook the pillars of public included full scrutiny starting from the passenger life as it cast a shadow on various economic, reservation process, some questions were asked political, social, health, logistical, and other about symptoms related to the Coronavirus or fields. The increasing number of infected people mixing with an infected person or traveling outside and deaths led to major waves of terror that the Kingdom during the past 14 days ensuring greatly affected the livelihoods and interactions adequate answers are given. In addition to closing between people. restaurants inside trains and preventing the The government of the Custodian of the Two provision of meals inside with the service available Holy Mosques has address the challenge by to the passenger so they made packaged meals a cooperative action between the ministry and put them in boxes that will not be reused again of health, media and all parties to avoid to reduce the movement of passengers. After all, reaching the stage of transformation into Thanks to God, a virus-free environment has been an (endemic country) as happened in many provided for all passengers countries around the world. This is because of the high commitment of society in applying In fact, the stopping of transport travel and precautionary measures which assured the logistics services in this time confirmed that community’s awareness and ability to handle transportation will remain the backbone and heart different crises of all kinds. of life with the great changes in lifestyle in light Saudi Railways Company “SAR” had an of the virus remaining without a vaccine. So your important role in achieving societal safety, choice of “SAR” trains is the best choice in light of either through the company and among its the precautions applied and a healthy environment employees by shifting work to a remote work which comes at the top of the company’s priorities mode in light of the company’s distinguished and is what you need during your travels providing digital infrastructure or through continuous you with an integrated experience of distinguished procedures to see employees and verify their transportation services by high-quality and reliable safety. In addition to its effective solutions, it railways that meet your expectations and your ensures the application of social distancing, and aspirations. 65

Issue 21 64

Issue 63 61 21 59 57 Editorial “SAR” 55 53 “SAR” and “Sadara” signing an agreement 51 Trains The history of Saudi railways and important dates Success Stories Moving toward a vibrant future; leveraging new technologies Safety and Security “SAR” International Safety Award Tourism and Cities Al-Jowf: The heart of the North Transport Transport Authority and allowances Minister of Transport visits the customs of the dry port in Riyadh 67

Issue 21 Economic projects 47 45 King Abdullah Financial District, economic development and the future orientation 41 39 The Digital World Real world IoT Applications Tips to protect from breaches IoT creating a significant set of challenges Health & Beauty Skin protections: Sunscreen or Sunblock Contents Train Travel Tips 66

Issue 21 69

Issue 21 Issued Quarterly by Corporate Communication Department Saudi Railway Company Kingdom of Saudi Arabia www.sar.com.sa General Supervisor Ammar bin Ahmed Al Nahdi Corporate Communications and Marketing Director Editor-in-chief Jamal Al Muayqil Editorial Team Mohammed Al Zeid Hanan Al Quwayhis Ahmed Al Onaizi Ibrahim Bin Khulaif @SARSaudiRailway 920000329 For inquiries and suggestions, please contact us by email [email protected] Prepared By all rights are reserved The opinions and information published do not necessarily reflect the views of the Saudi Railway Company “SAR” 68

Issue 21 Mahattat Reviewing The History of the Trains of Saudi Arabia “SAR” and “Sadara” signing an agreement to provide transportation services Skin protections: Sunscreen or sunblock? September 2020