2020 The year of unforgettable major events

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Since the first day of the year 2020, it was a realization of the misgivings of some, and the fulfillment of the dreams of others, but on the global level it was an unforgettable year for all the great events that occurred in it, and in this report we try to pass unnoticed some events to remember a long year of what happened.

Fires in Australia: On January 7, 2020, bushfires erupted in Australia again, after soaring temperatures and continuous months of severe drought, burned nearly 26 million acres and destroyed more than 5,900 buildings (including 2,204 homes). The intensity of the fire prompted the authorities to evacuate a number of cities.

The killing of Soleimani: On January 3, the commander of the Iranian Quds Force, Qassem Soleimani, was killed after an American drone strike on Baghdad airport, along with a number of leaders of Hezbollah and the Popular Mobilization Forces in Iraq, after his return from Lebanon.

Dakar Rally: From January 5-17, the Dakar Rally International kicked off in the Kingdom for the first time, with the participation of 351 drivers that set off from Jeddah, including Qatari Nasser Al-Attiyah, last year’s champion, and Fernando Alonso, former world champion in Formula One races.

The death of Sultan Qaboos: On January 10, the Oman News Agency announced the death of Sultan Qaboos bin Said, Sultan of Oman after a long struggle with illness, at the age of 79.

Corona in China: On January 20, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced that the Corona virus is an infectious disease that is transmitted between humans. On the 21st of the same month, the number of deaths in China reached 6, and a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Geng Shuang, said that his country had informed the World Health Organization and the countries concerned about the epidemic since it first appeared.

Golf Professionals Championship: The Saudi International Golf Professionals Championship 2020, which was held on the grounds of the “Royal Greens” stadium and the country club in King Abdullah Economic City, kicked off on January 30th and continued until February 2nd, and hosted my legendary Ryder Cup Golf Ian Butler and Lee Westward.

Brexit: January 31, the United Kingdom withdraws from the European Union after 47 years of membership, beginning a transition period of 11 months.

The death of Hosni Mubarak: February 25, the former Egyptian President Mohamed Hosni Mubarak passed away at the age of 92.

The first case of corona recorded in the Kingdom: March 2, the Ministry of Health in the Kingdom announced the registration of the first case of the emerging coronavirus (Covid 19) for a citizen coming from Iran via Bahrain.

The first case of Corona was recorded in the Kingdom
Corona a global pandemic: On March 11, the World Health Organization declared Corona a global pandemic, and millions of people lived under lockdown rules.

Black Hole: May 7, astronomers announced the discovery of the first near-Earth black hole in the star system, named HR 6819 and can be seen with the naked eye.

George Floyd: On May 25, African American George Floyd was murdered, by the police, an event that opened the door to the revitalization of the Black Lives movement critical to documenting abuses against African Americans.

Hope Probe: July 19, the Emirati Hope probe set off to Mars from the Tanegashima Space Center in Japan, in the first Arab and Emirati mission of its kind to explore the Red Planet.

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques performs surgery: July 23, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman underwent a laparoscopic surgery to remove the gallbladder at King Faisal Specialist Hospital in Riyadh, and this operation was successful.

Beirut Port explosion: On August 4, a huge explosion rocked the Lebanese capital Beirut, killing 170 people and wounding 6000, as a result of a fire in a warehouse containing “ammonium nitrate”.

Peace Treaty: August 13, Israel and the United Arab Emirates sign a peace treaty to normalize relations between the two countries.

Khashoggi’s case closed: September 7, the Riyadh Criminal Court issued final rulings against 8 persons convicted in the Jamal Khashoggi murder case, providing prison terms of up to 124 years.

The death of Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah: September 29, the death of the Emir of the State of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, at the age of 91.

US elections: November 3, 2020 US presidential elections took place, and on November 7, Democratic candidate Joe Biden was declared winning the US elections.

The Twentieth Summit: November 21-22, the G20 summit was chaired by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, as part of the fifteenth session of the summit meetings, which was held virtually, in light of the global conditions related to the Corona epidemic.

The first vaccine dose: On December 16, the Kingdom announced the arrival of the first vaccine shipment, to start the largest vaccination process in its history against the emerging corona virus (Covid-19).