News

Saudi Arabia Launches Digital Platform For Seismic Hazards

The new service could prevent potential future risks and will help to support research into improving local infrastructure.

Published

3 years ago

April 5, 2023

Nour Nasir

saudi arabia launches digital platform for seismic hazards

Residents of Saudi Arabia will soon be able to keep a watchful eye on potential natural disasters. The Saudi Geological Survey (SGS) recently launched the first digital scientific platform in the kingdom, known as the Geological Risk Base Platform, aimed at informing and educating citizens on natural seismic hazards.

منصة قاعدة المخاطر الجيولوجية
تعد أول منصة علمية رقمية تثقيفية للمخاطر في المملكة، تتيح للمستخدم استعراض بيانات النشاط الزلزالي والاطلاع على البيانات والخرائط ذات العلاقة وتمكن الباحثين والمختصين من طلب تلك البيانات واستخدامها في الدراسات البحثية العلمية. pic.twitter.com/yZbywdHeH6

— هيئة المساحة الجيولوجية السعودية (@SgsOrgSa) April 4, 2023

The new portal will offer data and seismic risk assessments across various locations in Saudi Arabia and will provide technical solutions aimed at potential future risk prevention, as well as acting as a repository for research on improving local infrastructure.

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The Geological Risk Base Platform was introduced by Bandar Alkhorayef, Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources and Chairman of the Board of Directors of SGS. Meanwhile, Tariq Aba Al Khail, SGS spokesman, explained that the new platform would act as a “digital electronic page that includes all the information related to seismic hazards, data, and maps in and around Saudi Arabia”.

News

YouTube Rolls Out Supervised Children’s Accounts Across MENA

An industry-first feed timer lets parents cap Shorts scrolling. Access can also be switched off entirely ahead of exam season.

Published

12 hours ago

July 10, 2026

Dana Saadeh

YouTube

YouTube has launched supervised kid accounts across the Middle East and North Africa, giving parents a way to hand their children the main YouTube app without handing over all of it. Announced in Dubai on July 2, the accounts are built directly into the platform rather than the standalone YouTube Kids app, and are aimed at families who feel a child has outgrown the curated library but isn’t ready for the open feed.

Parents can choose from three content settings, each broadly aligned with international content ratings. Explore covers educational videos, tutorials, arts and crafts, and dance. Explore More adds gaming and live streams. Most of YouTube opens up almost everything except videos rated 18+ or deemed inappropriate for supervised accounts.

The standout tool is an industry-first Shorts feed timer, which lets parents set daily limits on short-form scrolling. Set it to zero and Shorts disappears altogether – a lever YouTube suggests parents might pull ahead of exam season. Other protections are on by default for all users under 18: “Take a Break” and “Bedtime” reminders, no personalized ad targeting, autoplay switched off, and no ability to upload videos or write comments. The accounts are optional, and parents can end supervision at any time.

The kid accounts join supervised teen accounts already available across the region, which notify parents by email when a teenager uploads a video or starts a live stream.

“YouTube has been a huge part of families’ lives across this region for over 20 years,” said Javid Aslanov, head of YouTube Middle East and North Africa, citing Kantar research showing 95% of viewers in Saudi Arabia and the UAE agree YouTube has top content in education and learning.

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“It’s essential that we protect young people in – not from – the digital world,” added Garth Graham, YouTube’s head of health.

The new settings are rolling out gradually across the MENA, including the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, and Iraq. The latest features can be set up through Family Center in the YouTube app or via Google Family Link.