Latest news with #Saher
Al Jazeera
24-06-2025
- General
- Al Jazeera
‘I lost both legs': Palestinians scale separation wall for chance to work
Ramallah, occupied West Bank – Early on a recent Sunday morning, Saher figured he had a rare opportunity. Expecting Israeli forces to be distracted by the fallout from Iranian rocket attacks, he started to climb Israel's separation wall. He needed about 15 minutes to get to the other side. But as he climbed, an Israeli patrol suddenly appeared. 'I panicked, let go of the rope, and fell.' He dropped from the top of the wall – a concrete barrier, in some places 8 metres (26 feet) high, which cuts through the occupied West Bank. Saher fell 4 metres (13 ft). 'For a moment, I thought I had died,' the 26-year-old recalled. 'I heard voices in Hebrew. Then pain started creeping through my body.' A Palestinian ambulance crew eventually transported Saber to Ramallah Hospital, where he was diagnosed with multiple rib fractures and fitted with a brace. The Palestinian construction worker was trying to cross into Israel to reach his job in the city of Rishon LeZion. He spoke to Al Jazeera on condition of anonymity, fearing reprisal for trying to enter Israel without permission. Before Israel's war on Gaza began following the October 7 attack on Israel, about 390,000 Palestinian workers relied on jobs in Israeli territory. But after the war started, Israeli authorities revoked their work permits and forced them to leave. As the war drags on, and amid Israeli military actions in the occupied West Bank, some Palestinians – mostly in the construction and hospitality sectors – have been risking their lives to get back to Israel for temporary work. With crossing points closed and fewer smugglers willing to take people by car since October 2023, many have had only one perilous option left: to scale the wall. That option has now become deadlier, as Israel employed tighter security amid its conflict with Iran and the escalating regional tensions. The wall is now heavily monitored by drones, sensors and military patrols. 'Two fires' With unemployment in the occupied West Bank at critical levels, desperation is pushing people to climb the wall. 'Oh God, let me die and relieve me of this torment,' said Ahed Rizk, 29, as he lay on a bed in Ramallah Hospital. The recently married construction worker was in anguish, and not only physically: He is now unable to provide for his family. Rizk, who is from a village near Ramallah, lost the use of both legs after falling from the separation wall during an attempt to enter Israel in mid-June. One of his legs is now paralysed; the other was shattered by the fall. He underwent a six-hour surgery after falling from a height of about 5 metres (16 ft). The rope he had been climbing snapped under his 140kg (309-pound) weight. 'This wasn't my first time entering for work,' he said. 'But it was the most dangerous. I used to go with smugglers and pay a fee, but when the war started, chaos spread. There were no vehicles and soldiers were everywhere. 'I knew I was caught between two fires,' he added, referring to the risk of being killed while trying to enter Israel and the hardship of not being able to work to support his family. Rizk said dozens of workers had been gathered near the wall between the town of ar-Ram and occupied East Jerusalem. Without a ladder tall enough to reach the top of the wall, they used a shorter ladder and a rope tied to the other side. But as Rizk climbed, the rope broke. 'I landed on another young man who was climbing. He had bruises. I lost both legs. The others went to work. My cousin ran when the [Israeli] army approached. I was left alone.' 'No choice' Shaher Saad, the secretary-general of the Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions (PGFTU), says Palestinians have been forced to attempt dangerous crossings for years. 'Decades of high unemployment have left thousands with no choice,' he told Al Jazeera. But since the war in Gaza began, crossings have grown deadlier, Saad said. Palestinians have been shot by Israeli forces or fallen to their deaths. At least 35 Palestinian workers have died attempting to cross into Israel for work in 2025, Saad said. It is unclear how many of those were shot and how many died as a result of falling. Saad attributes the deaths to Israel's tightened restrictions, which prevent workers from accessing authorised avenues to employment. Conditions in Israeli work sites are often poor, he added. 'Most sites lack basic safety standards. Workers aren't given protective gear. Some injuries are also due to the lack of awareness about safety procedures.' Deepening social marginalisation Israel's strategy through restrictions on movement and military actions is to exacerbate inequality between Israelis and Palestinians, said Sari Orabi, a Ramallah-based independent political analyst and researcher. 'It imposes restrictions on movement and access to resources, forcing civilians to choose between hunger and physical danger,' Orabi told Al Jazeera. 'This policy of geographic division and military control deepens social marginalisation and increases dependence on aid. It fosters a state of helplessness and poverty.' In the village of Ni'lin, west of Ramallah, Otham al-Khawaja, a 37-year-old father of three, described how, as he tried to climb the wall in March, Israeli forces opened fire. The tiler by trade fell, breaking both of his legs, but believes he would have been shot had he not fallen. He had scaled the wall several times before that because he feared not being able to provide for his family. 'Fear sometimes clouds judgement,' he reflected. Al-Khawaja underwent surgery to insert metal rods into his legs. After three months of treatment, he was able to walk again, though not like before. 'God wrote me a new life,' he said, grateful to have survived. 'You will never appreciate life until you face death. Then you learn to accept whatever comes your way.' This piece was published in collaboration with Egab.
Arab News
27-02-2025
- Business
- Arab News
How Saudi Arabia is using advanced automated systems to tackle traffic congestion
RIYADH: Congestion is a major concern for residents of Saudi Arabia's cities. Commuters in Riyadh alone lose an average of 52 hours in traffic annually, according to a 2024 estimate. While projects like the Riyadh Metro, which opened the last of its lines in January, are doing their part to ease the flow of cars, the city's population is still projected to grow from around 8 million today to 9.6 million in 2030, presenting further challenges. The Saudi Data and AI Authority, in collaboration with government entities, has developed several systems that generate vast amounts of information on road traffic, ranging from a macro, citywide level to individual streets. One of these is the Sawaher system, a national platform designed to analyze streams of images and videos using artificial intelligence and computer vision, providing real-time insights. One of its key use cases is in traffic management. Another is the Smart C platform, which leverages data and artificial intelligence technologies to monitor, analyze, and predict operational indicators, supporting decision-making in smart city management. 'Riyadh is becoming a very busy city, so we need to be innovative, we need to act fast,' Mohammed Al-Buqami, general manager of product development at SDAIA's Estishraf, told Arab News. The system developed by SDAIA analyzes data in detail, identifying accident hotspots and comparing seasonal fluctuations. Areas with a high number of fatal accidents are assessed for whether or not signage or road infrastructure can be improved to cut down on collisions. 'Ramadan specifically will have different spots than any other month in the year,' Al-Buqami said, as working hours and commuting patterns shift during the holy month. When a recent event in Riyadh attracted a huge number of visitors, it caused a ripple effect of congestion. That is why SDAIA, in collaboration with government entities, decided to develop a new tool 'to ensure that traffic at the gate does not cause congestion in the surrounding area or impact major roads,' Al-Buqami said. Looking to the future and problems that may arise from a rising population, SDAIA is working to introduce new technologies, and recently carried out a bootcamp for budding AI experts who came up with the idea for a robot that detects cracks, potholes, and puddles on the city's roads, as well as an automated accident response system. While SDAIA is on the cutting edge of data analytics and automated traffic management, the Kingdom has been implementing advanced technology solutions for road safety for more than a decade. Saher, the automated penalty system, was developed in 2009 and launched the following year by the Ministry of Interior, using a network of cameras and radars. When cameras detect a violation such as speeding, not wearing a seatbelt, texting while driving, or other such offenses, the system retrieves the vehicle owner's details from the database and automatically issues a fine sent to the driver via SMS. 'The Saher system illustrates how AI and automation can revolutionize traffic enforcement and improve road safety,' Hasan Al-Ahmadi, associate professor at the Department of Civil Engineering at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, told Arab News. Saher operates continuously, ensuring consistent enforcement of traffic laws without relying on human oversight. • By the end of 2023, Saudi Arabia had 15.1 million roadworthy vehicles — a 6.2 percent increase from 2022. • In 2016, the country's road traffic fatality rate was 28.8 per 100,000 people. • Vision 2030 reforms have cut road deaths by 54 percent, dropping to 13.6 per 100,000 from 2016 to 2023. It can identify and track road users moving through cities, automatically recognizing number plates and allowing law enforcement officers to pinpoint stolen or wanted vehicles. Saher cameras are placed at regular intervals and their watchful eye can detect infractions as minor as changing lanes excessively or not leaving enough room between vehicles. The system uses machine learning to study driver behaviors over time, identifying trends such as habitual speeding or repeated violations. Insights from this analysis are used for educational campaigns or stricter penalties for repeat offenders, said Al-Ahmadi, who has published a number of research papers on automation and road safety in Saudi Arabia. The professor noted that a number of studies have shown decreases of up to 30 percent in speeding violations and red-light infractions since Saher was introduced. In Dammam, accident rates dropped by approximately 20 percent, while congestion was reduced by around 20 percent in Dammam and Jeddah. Meanwhile, studies also show that emergency response times improved by between 20-30 percent, Al-Ahmadi said. In 2016, road accidents were the leading cause of death in Saudi Arabia. A total of 21 people were killed in crashes every day — almost one every hour. These findings spurred the government into action. By 2023, fatal accidents had fallen by 54 percent. Data and analytics were a key part of this success, with the number of road cameras increasing by 320 percent from 2016 to 2021, according to a World Health Organization report. Analyzing data from the country's death registry also played a part. Al-Ahmadi sees a future where even more advanced technology can play a part in making Saudi Arabia's roads safer. Drone technology could be used for real-time traffic monitoring in areas with limited camera coverage, he said. Integrating intersection management systems with self-driving vehicles could be another advanced solution. Al-Ahmadi also suggested that monitoring technology could be upgraded to analyze drivers' facial expressions, blink rates, and head movements to detect fatigue or distraction. As Saudi Arabia moves towards a more sustainable society, automated systems could also monitor vehicle emissions and impose penalties in high-pollution zones, Al-Ahmadi added. While the Kingdom's cities continue to grow at a rapid rate, the problem of congestion and road safety is not going anywhere. However, with a combination of automated technology and continuous monitoring, as well as the introduction of new infrastructure projects, officials have found early success in reducing fatalities and look poised to keep the issue at bay.
