4th edition of Khayrat Al-Baha Festival kicks off/node/2548731/saudi-arabia
4th edition of Khayrat Al-Baha Festival kicks off
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Under the patronage of Al-Baha Gov. Prince Hussam bin Saud, Jedaia Al-Qahtany, the assistant undersecretary for development affairs of Al-Baha, inaugurated on Friday the fourth Khayrat Al-Baha Festival at Al-Shafa Park. (SPA)
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Under the patronage of Al-Baha Gov. Prince Hussam bin Saud, Jedaia Al-Qahtany, the assistant undersecretary for development affairs of Al-Baha, inaugurated on Friday the fourth Khayrat Al-Baha Festival at Al-Shafa Park. (SPA)
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Under the patronage of Al-Baha Gov. Prince Hussam bin Saud, Jedaia Al-Qahtany, the assistant undersecretary for development affairs of Al-Baha, inaugurated on Friday the fourth Khayrat Al-Baha Festival at Al-Shafa Park. (SPA)
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Under the patronage of Al-Baha Gov. Prince Hussam bin Saud, Jedaia Al-Qahtany, the assistant undersecretary for development affairs of Al-Baha, inaugurated on Friday the fourth Khayrat Al-Baha Festival at Al-Shafa Park. (SPA)
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Under the patronage of Al-Baha Gov. Prince Hussam bin Saud, Jedaia Al-Qahtany, the assistant undersecretary for development affairs of Al-Baha, inaugurated on Friday the fourth Khayrat Al-Baha Festival at Al-Shafa Park. (SPA)
Fahd Muftah: "the festival comprises 50 areas, 45 of which are dedicated to farmers and five to government agencies"
Updated 12 July 2024
SPA
AL-BAHA: Jedaia Al-Qahtany, the assistant undersecretary for development affairs of Al-Baha, inaugurated on Friday the fourth edition of the Khayrat Al-Baha Festival at Al-Shafa Park under the patronage of Al-Baha Gov. Prince Hussam bin Saud.
Fahd Muftah, director of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture’s branch in Al-Baha, said the festival comprises 50 areas, 45 of which are dedicated to farmers and five to government agencies.
He said the five-day festival, along with various entertainment events, will organize workshops, seminars, and courses with the aim of developing farmers’ skills, marketing agricultural products, providing agricultural extension services, and raising awareness on topics pertaining to the field.
‘At the Edge’: Art Week Riyadh signals bold new chapter in Saudi cultural renaissance, say organizers
Event organized by Visual Arts Commission and hosted at JAX District from April 6 to 13
Updated 7 sec ago
Arab News
RIYADH: Art Week Riyadh is making waves in the Saudi capital this week, with curators and creatives hailing the event as a pivotal moment in the Kingdom’s fast-evolving cultural landscape, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Organized by the Visual Arts Commission and hosted at the JAX District from April 6 to 13, the event is bringing together local and international artists, curators, and institutions in a celebration of contemporary creativity and cross-cultural dialogue.
The initiative reflects the growing momentum of Saudi Arabia’s cultural transformation, part of the broader Vision 2030 reform agenda that is reshaping the Kingdom’s social and artistic fabric, according to organizers.
Vittoria Matarrese, Director and Art Curator of Art Week Riyadh, described the event as a significant turning point.
“We chose the title ‘At the Edge’ because it reflects the nature of the phase Riyadh is undergoing,” Matarrese said. “It is a city positioned between the desert and urbanization, between heritage and renewal. This balance is evident in the diversity of participation and the dialogues presented by the exhibition.”
She added that Riyadh is increasingly defining itself as a space where modernity and tradition intersect, enabling a unique creative evolution.
Shumon Basar, curator of the Public Cultural Program at Art Week Riyadh, underscored the importance of the conversations taking place as part of the programme, titled “How to Create an Art World: Lessons in Value.”
He explained: “Our goal is not only to share experiences, but also to raise essential questions about the types of value that art creates in the contemporary world—whether economic, symbolic, or social—and how art can serve as a tool to understand cultural transformations, rather than merely reflect them.”
Art Week Riyadh serves as a key cultural platform that embraces diversity and encourages artistic experimentation, offering a space for critical reflection on the evolving role of art in society, SPA added.
A look at NEOM’s prehistoric masterpieces etched in stone
Open-air museum of ancient artworks is key to decoding past civilizations
Drawings reveal how human beings interacted with now-extinct animals in the area
Updated 33 min 2 sec ago
Tareq Al-Thaqafi
MAKKAH: In the heart of NEOM’s Hisma Desert, where sandstone mountains and plateaus rise from the arid landscape, is an extraordinary collection of ancient rock art and archaeological inscriptions. These priceless treasures illuminate the cultural and economic vitality of long-lost civilizations.
Once a vital corridor for caravans travelling the ancient trade routes of the Arabian Peninsula, this region preserves an invaluable legacy etched into its geological formations.
The drawings show how people interacted with now-extinct animals in the area, as well as with livestock and camels. (Supplied)
Abdulelah Al-Fares, a photographer and expert in ancient artifacts and a member of the Saudi Heritage Preservation Society, told Arab News that the rock art is in the mountains and plateaus in NEOM, part of a mountain range in the northwestern part of Tabuk.
Hisma Desert is bordered by the Sharah Mountains to the north, by Wadi Araba to the northwest, by the Hijaz Mountains to the west, and by Harrat Al-Raha to the south.
HIGHLIGHTS
• Studying rock art in the region matters deeply because it reveals economic and cultural changes that shaped the northern Arabian Peninsula.
• The drawings show how people interacted with now-extinct animals in the area, as well as with livestock and camels.
• Among the standout examples are life-sized camels crafted with remarkable precision and aesthetic detail.
“The plateaus, part of the Hisma Desert and its geological formations, represent an open-air museum of nature, ancient rock art, and diverse historical inscriptions,” he said.
The artworks illuminate the journey of human civilization, revealing its cultural and social evolution in the region. (Supplied)
The rock drawings feature engravings of human figures, animals and various scattered scenes throughout the site.
The engravings on the plateau’s facades depict scenes of animals, including wild animals such as camels, cattle, ibexes, ostriches and wolves, as well as other predatory animals, and depictions of hunting scenes and human combat.
These drawings are notable for their precision and have remarkably withstood the elements for thousands of years.
Abdulelah Al-Fares, Saudi Heritage Preservation Society member
“These drawings are notable for their precision and have remarkably withstood the elements for thousands of years,” he said. “Most of the themes and scenes in some of the rock drawings in the region are repeated and depict, to some extent, the world of wild animals and the interactions of humans through hunting and warfare.
“The mountains embody a civilizational and cultural legacy through their distinctive rock drawings featuring human and animal forms,” Al-Fares said.
The rock drawings feature engravings of human figures, animals and various scattered scenes throughout the site. (Supplied)
He also highlighted the value of exploring NEOM’s ancient rock art. These carvings — depicting animals, hunting scenes and human figures — are a bridge between our modern lives and the world of humans thousands of years ago. They are a source of cultural and historical knowledge.
The artworks also illuminate the journey of human civilization, revealing its cultural and social evolution in the region.
Scattered throughout the area, a wide array of rock art sites show a vast and dense collection of drawings and archaeological inscriptions from different eras etched on mountain surfaces.
Al-Fares pointed out their diversity, noting the varied artistic styles, forms, and themes that distinguish each piece.
Among the standout examples are life-sized camels crafted with remarkable precision and aesthetic detail. The careful attention to detail is thought to underscore the camel’s role as an essential sources of food and transport in ancient times.
Another façade shows a herd of cows, all facing forward, their large crescent-shaped horns curving at the tips. Encircling this herd, human figures of varying sizes are skilfully carved.
These ancient artworks are pictorial panels of human history, activity, environmental adaptation, and cultural development during ancient times. Their value shines brighter given the scarcity of insights into prehistoric life.
Studying rock art in the region matters deeply because it reveals economic and cultural changes that shaped the northern Arabian Peninsula.
The drawings show how people interacted with now-extinct animals in the area, as well as with livestock and camels.
Many carvings portray human beings astride animals, including a warrior wielding a spear and sword, rendered with finesse and skill.
Scattered throughout the region, some drawings hint at the presence of different ethnic groups that lived in the area. The provide clues to migratiosn and trace the routes of trade caravans that used these locations as settlement points.
Riyadh forum to discuss future of project management
The event will offer a platform for exchanging strategies to improve project outcomes by enhancing skills, streamlining operations, and using modern technology
Updated 33 min 44 sec ago
Arab News
RIYADH: Riyadh will host the fourth Global Project Management Forum from May 17 to 19, focusing on advancing project management and promoting innovation and sustainability.
Held under the theme “Next-Gen Project Management: The Power of People, Processes, and Technology,” the forum will bring together professionals from more than 100 countries to explore the future of project management and share new methodologies.
The event will offer a platform for exchanging strategies to improve project outcomes by enhancing skills, streamlining operations, and using modern technology, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday.
The forum’s chairman, Badr Burshaid, said the goal is to provide practical solutions to challenges while encouraging collaboration across people, processes, and technology.
The event will include sessions and workshops on artificial intelligence, digital transformation, sustainability, global value chains, and leadership development, along with an exhibition and book signings.
The Saudi volunteer team that carries out emergency rescues in the Northern region
Turaif Falcons Search and Rescue Association rescues stranded motorists, finds missing people and assists in medical emergencies
Group recently helped evacuate severely overweight man suffering medical emergency in apartment
Updated 06 April 2025
Tareq Al-Thaqafi
MAKKAH: A volunteer search and rescue team recently helped to evacuate a severely overweight man suffering a medical emergency in an apartment in Saudi Arabia’s Northern Borders region.
The man, weighing around 200 kilograms, was suffering from shortness of breath and low oxygen levels.
Due to the narrow staircase in the building — around a meter wide — the specialized team had to be brought in to evacuate the patient on a stretcher.
The team worked with the Saudi Red Crescent to safely transport him to a nearby hospital where he was placed on a respirator.
It was one example of a diverse range of rescue missions that the Turaif Falcons Search and Rescue Association regularly carry out.
Their work includes rescuing people from floods, assisting motorists stuck in the sand and locating people who have gone missing in the desert.
Operating under the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, they thrive in a spirited volunteer environment, committing their time, skills, and energy to community service while promoting a culture of volunteerism.
In an interview with Arab News, Mohammed Bashit Al-Ruwaili, head of public relations and media, and the official spokesperson for the association, said that the team is made up of over 150 dedicated volunteers, who play essential roles in multiple areas — most notably in supporting official agencies during search and rescue operations and contributing to life-saving efforts.
He emphasized that the team operates within a well-structured institutional framework, working in direct coordination with relevant security authorities to assist in the execution of rescue missions.
Al-Ruwaili noted that the team plays a vital role in raising community awareness through training programs that teach members of the public about wilderness safety.
It also offers support via interactive community service initiatives led by experienced and skilled members.
The team is equipped with a comprehensive system that includes vehicles fitted with communication and alert devices, and personnel trained in first aid and search operations under challenging conditions.
He pointed out that the Falcons face major challenges from harsh weather conditions, including sandstorms and extreme heat, which can hinder rescue efforts, and emphasized the continuous need to strengthen and capabilities by providing volunteers with more advanced equipment.
Al-Ruwaili also underscored the importance of unified efforts between official agencies and volunteer teams to ensure rapid and effective emergency response.
The team is committed, he said, to expanding its efforts by attracting new volunteers and forging strategic partnerships with relevant authorities.
Al-Ruwaili stressed the importance of cooperating with authorities and promptly reporting any emergencies.
He reaffirmed the Turaif Falcons’ commitment to remaining on the front lines, always prepared to respond, save lives, and serve the community.
Khaleel conveyed the government’s appreciation to the Saudi ambassador for his contributions to strengthening the brotherly relations between the Maldives and Saudi Arabia
Updated 29 min 51 sec ago
Arab News
MALE: Saudi Ambassador of Maldives Matrek Al-Dosari met with the Abdulla Khaleel, Maldivian minister of foreign affairs, in Male on Sunday.
During the meeting, Khaleel conveyed the government’s appreciation to the Saudi ambassador for his contributions to strengthening the brotherly relations between the Maldives and the Kingdom, according to an official statement from the Foreign Ministry.
Al-Dosari expressed his gratitude to the government and people of the Maldives for the warm hospitality and friendship extended to him during his tenure.
He reaffirmed the Kingdom’s commitment to further strengthening the close and brotherly ties between the two countries.
