French pilgrim walks through 13 countries to perform Umrah
Currently in Madinah, he is now preparing to walk to Makkah
Updated 16 May 2024
Arab News
MADINAH: French traveler Mohamed Boulabiar spent eight months walking through 13 countries to perform Umrah, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.
In an interview with the SPA shortly after arriving in Madinah on Wednesday, Boulabiar said he trained for two years for the 8,000-km walk.
He started in Paris on Aug. 27, 2023, and walked through Switzerland, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Montenegro, Albania, Macedonia, Greece, Turkiye and Jordan before eventually reaching Saudi Arabia.
With only a map and a bag containing essential provisions and a tent weighing only 25 kg, Boulabiar said he spent most of his nights at mosques along the route or with generous strangers who welcomed him into their homes.
Boulabiar said the hardest part of the journey was the weather.
“I departed in the summer and arrived in the spring, passing through autumn and winter, enduring storms and thunder. At one stage of the journey, a snowstorm at the Greek border delayed my trip by a week,” he said.
“It has been a dream since childhood. I yearned to arrive in Makkah on foot, emulating the prophet,” said Boulabiar.
Kingdom reaffirms disability support on global day
Updated 11 min 14 sec ago
Arab News
RIYADH: The Saudi Authority for the Care of People with Disabilities on Tuesday reaffirmed the Kingdom’s commitment to supporting individuals with disabilities — helping them achieve their aspirations, improving their quality of life, removing barriers to their potential and ensuring their full integration into society.
The World Health Organization, along with global partners, marks the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on Dec. 3 to promote the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities.
To observe this day, the Saudi authority launched a campaign raising awareness about invisible disabilities, such as psychological challenges, sensory difficulties, mild motor impairments and other often overlooked conditions.
The campaign aims to increase societal awareness of the challenges faced by individuals with invisible disabilities, promote a more inclusive society, and highlight the importance of fostering an environment that empowers these individuals to navigate their daily lives with equal opportunities.
Such campaigns are vital in strengthening the role of disabled persons, improving services, raising awareness of their rights and supporting their path to success, the authority said.
This year’s theme, “Amplifying the leadership of persons with disabilities for an inclusive and sustainable future,” highlights their vital role in creating an inclusive world and stresses their involvement in decisions affecting their lives.
RIYADH: Members of Saudi Arabia’s Project Masam removed 618 explosive devices from various regions of Yemen last week.
The total included one anti-personnel mine, 23 anti-tank mines and 594 unexploded ordnances, according to a recent report.
Ousama Al-Gosaibi, the initiative’s managing director, said a total of 471,034 mines had been cleared since its inception in 2018.
The explosives were planted indiscriminately and posed a threat to civilians, including children, women and the elderly.
The demining operations took place in Marib, Aden, Jouf, Shabwa, Taiz, Hodeidah, Lahij, Sanaa, Al-Bayda, Al-Dhale and Saada.
The initiative trains local demining engineers and provides them with modern equipment. It also offers support to Yemenis injured by the devices.
Teams are tasked with clearing villages, roads and schools to facilitate safe movement for civilians and the delivery of humanitarian aid.
About 5 million people have been forced to flee their homes since the start of the conflict in Yemen, many of them displaced by the presence of land mines.
AlUla community plants 500,000 trees, shrubs in Sharaan Nature Reserve
Updated 03 December 2024
RIYADH
RIYADH: Sharaan Nature Reserve in AlUla has undergone a significant transformation with the planting of 500,000 trees and shrubs as part of efforts to restore native ecosystems.
Led by the Royal Commission for AlUla, the project supports the Saudi Green Initiative, which aims to plant 10 billion trees nationwide.
The initiative engaged AlUla residents, students and the commission’s employees in November to achieve the milestone, according to a press release.
The reforestation project used seeds sourced locally and cultivated at the commission’s native plant nursery, prioritizing species that enhance soil health, water retention and nutrient availability while creating a sustainable food source for herbivores introduced through the commission’s rewilding program.
To date, the rewilding efforts have released more than 1,000 native animals into four protected reserves in AlUla. The project is also part of a broader ecological rehabilitation pilot in partnership with the Saudi Green Initiative, testing restoration techniques for arid regions.
Stephen Browne, the commission’s vice president for wildlife and natural heritage, said that the commission is restoring nature’s balance to safeguard AlUla’s natural and cultural heritage.
“Planting 500,000 trees and shrubs is a significant step toward achieving the Kingdom’s climate goals,” he added.
“The regeneration of AlUla’s natural habitats — its valleys, mountains, oases and its flora and fauna — is one of the main ambitions of the commission, alongside involving, uplifting and upskilling our community,” Browne said.
How French and Saudi architects are redesigning the cities of tomorrow
Riyadh, a city reconciling heritage and modernity, offers a diverse spectrum of opportunities for French architects to share their expertise
French-Saudi partnerships have thrived in AlUla, showcasing successful heritage preservation and architectural innovation
Updated 03 December 2024
Zeina Zbibo
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia today is synonymous with megaprojects. Since the launch of the Vision 2030 reform agenda, the Kingdom has rolled out a range of major infrastructure projects, spanning everything from education and healthcare, to tourism and public transport.
Last week, a new milestone was reached when King Salman inaugurated the Riyadh Metro — just one of the significant projects launched under the Vision 2030 framework.
With demand for public transport on the rise, the new metro, which features six lines and 85 stations spread along 176 kms of track, will boost connectivity. Future extensions are already in the works, as the city builds new economic, tech, and cultural infrastructure.
French companies are part of this expansion. Indeed, French engineering and consulting firm Setec Group is working on the development of metro lines, among other projects, including King Salman Park.
Setec Group has a track record of working on iconic buildings, high-rise tower projects, and light rail transit developments. It is among several companies associated with the non-profit French Architects for Export (AFEX) exploring the potential for strategic partnerships in line with Vision 2030.
Saudi Arabia’s investment in megaprojects, infrastructure, urban planning, and landscape design aims to fuel its growth potential and increase its attractiveness in terms of foreign direct investment, tourism, hospitality, recreation, and sports.
Above, a view of the Ras Al-Khair water desalination plant along the Gulf coast in eastern Saudi Arabia. (AFP file photo)
The opportunities for French and Saudi collaborations are immense, as Vision 2030 positions Riyadh as one of the most attractive investment destinations in the world.
The Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing (MOMRA) has become an active player in creating vibrant communities that reconcile tradition and modernity, growth, and sustainability.
The objective is to create a space that encourages community living and smart mobility under MOMRA 2.0, preserving the history and identity of the Kingdom’s cities, while working closely with municipalities to ensure implementation.
“The implementation and the concretization of Vision 2030 is striking,” Reda Amalou, AFEX’s president, said during a recent visit to Riyadh along with a delegation of French architects.
French foreign minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, center, visits a construction site of the Riyadh Metro under the contract of French company ALSTOM on Jan. 24, 2017. (AFP)
“Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman opened the economy to the world while preserving the country’s tradition.”
Amalou said AlUla is a successful example of French-Saudi cooperation, highlighting the necessity for AFEX to continue sharing expertise and contributing to the architecture scene in Saudi Arabia.
In March 2023, a memorandum of understanding was signed between AFEX and the Architecture and Design Commission to provide vocational training opportunities for young Saudi professionals at French firms.
Diriyah is a standout example of how the Kingdom is working to build a “city of the future” while preserving its unique heritage.
Inaugurated in 2019, the Diriyah project is in harmony with its surroundings, and is directly linked to Riyadh city, King Abdullah Financial District, and the new Murabba project, connecting tradition to modernity and the development of the city.
Saudi Arabia is also raising the bar for sustainability, placing it at the center of decision making.
The Green Riyadh project aims to increase the area devoted to green spaces from 1.5 percent to 9.1 percent, thereby improving air quality, enhancing quality of life, reducing energy consumption and, ultimately, making Riyadh one of the 100 most livable cities in the world.
Unveiled by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on April 3, the Saudi Green and Middle East Green initiatives are designed to reduce carbon emissions in the region by 60 percent. (Supplied/Green Riyadh Project)
Across these megaprojects emerges the need to redesign cities with a minimal footprint, with hyper-connectivity and proximity, and invisible infrastructure, enabling access to services for a growing population.
Riyadh, a city reconciling heritage and modernity, offers a diverse spectrum of opportunities for French architects to share their expertise, and contribute to the realization of Vision 2030.
