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Saudi, British researchers find new way to produce hydrogen

December 19, 2016

Riyadh, Dec 19: A Saudi-British research team from the Excellence Center of King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) and Oxford University for joint petrochemicals research has discovered a new fast and safe way to convert heavy petroleum hydrocarbons to hydrogen gas in large quantities and at high speed using a catalyst to create a chemical reaction using a developed microwave reactor.

oxfordThe Excellence Center at (KACST) said in a press statement that the scientific Nature Magazine mentioned the new discovery in its latest edition, saying it could pave the way for hydrogen-fueled cars.

This comes as part of the projects and initiatives carried out by King Abdul Aziz City for Science and Technology to realize the Kingdom’s 2030 Vision.

The discovery is considered an important and new scientific idea that takes advantage of the heavy oil in Saudi Arabia, and the petroleum acquired from the petrochemical processes for hydrogen production, and its use in the fuel cells of vehicles.

It could also be a way to market oil as this method is considered helping the environment as a source of green energy.

The Center of Excellence said that researchers from King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology and the British universities of Oxford, Cambridge and Cardiff began working in 2010 and succeeded in registering a large number of global patents, as well as publishing research papers in professional journals.

Hydrocarbons are natural, hydrogen-rich resources with well-established infrastructures, but refining techniques have faced many challenges.

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Agencies
July 31,2020

Makkah, Jul 31: Organising this year's scaled-down hajj required "double efforts" by Saudi authorities amid the coronavirus pandemic, King Salman said Friday after being discharged from hospital following gall bladder surgery.

Only up to 10,000 people already residing in the kingdom are participating in this year's pilgrimage, compared with 2019's gathering of some 2.5 million from around the world.

"Holding the ritual in the shadow of this pandemic... required reducing the numbers of pilgrims, but it obliged various official agencies to put in double efforts," 84-year-old King Salman said in a speech read out on state television by acting media minister Majid Al-Qasabi.

"The hajj this year was restricted to a very limited number of people from multiple nationalities, ensuring the ritual was completed despite the difficult circumstances," he said.

The speech came on the occasion of Eid al-Adha, the Muslim festival of sacrifice, a day after the king left hospital following a 10-day stay for surgery to remove his gall bladder.

The hajj, which began on Wednesday, is one of the five pillars of Islam and a must for able-bodied Muslims at least once in their lifetime.

Authorities implemented the "highest health precautions" during the rituals, the king said.

Pilgrims, who were all tested for the virus, are required to wear masks and observe social distancing.

For Friday's "stoning of the devil", the last major ritual of the hajj, Saudi authorities offered the pilgrims pebbles that were sanitised to protect against the pandemic.

In a sign that its strict measures were working, the health ministry reported no coronavirus cases in the holy sites on Wednesday or Thursday.

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News Network
March 23,2020

Dubai, Mar 23: All inbound, outbound and transit passenger flights to and from the United Arab Emirates – home to one of the world’s busiest hubs – are to be suspended for two weeks.

The UAE’s National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority (NCEMA) and General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has announced that passenger flights to, from and through the country will be suspended from 25 March for a period of two weeks, in order to “curb the spread of the Covid-19”.

Freight and emergency evacuation flights will still be permitted to operate.

The suspension affects major global hubs in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Dubai-based Emirates has already announced that it will suspend most of its passenger flights from 25 March.

“Additional examination and isolation arrangements will be taken later should flights resume, in order to ensure the safety of passengers, air crews and airport personnel and their protection from infection risks,” state the NCEMA and the GCAA.

Dubai International Airport was the third-busiest airport in the world in 2018, handling 89 million passengers.

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Agencies
January 11,2020

Muscat, Jan 11: Oman's Sultan Qaboos bin Said has died, Aljazeera reported citing state television on Friday.

Qaboos was 79-year-old and was ill for a long time. He has served as the ruler of Oman since 1970 when he ousted his father in a bloodless coup.

Qaboos had no children and has not publicly named his successor.

Sultan Qaboos travelled to Belgium for a week in December for what was described then as "medical checks." He returned to Oman but speculations of his deteriorating health were rife.

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