Bin Raqoush Palace in Saudi Arabia’s Baha hosts heritage events
Visitors enjoyed 3D shows, intangible cultural heritage displays, and the World Heritage Site Exhibition, along with textiles, Arabic calligraphy, and collectibles
Updated 13 August 2024
Arab News
RIYADH: The Heritage Commission organized a weeklong series of workshops at the historic Bin Raqoush Palace in Baha, focusing on palm weaving, wax making, and carpentry.
Held from Aug. 7-13, the events showcased Saudi Arabia’s rich heritage crafts, reflecting the nation’s unique identity shaped by its natural surroundings, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The goals included enriching visitors’ experience and raising awareness of the site’s history to preserve cultural values.
The event featured sound and light shows on the palace facade, attracting people of all ages. Visitors enjoyed 3D shows, intangible cultural heritage displays, and the World Heritage Site Exhibition, along with textiles, Arabic calligraphy, collectibles, and other crafts of Baha.
Bin Raqoush Palace, a historical gem and key tourist attraction, dates back to 1833. It comprises multiple houses with unique features, including a tribal gathering chamber, attached mosque, dormitories, a well, an inner courtyard, and surrounding annexes, forming a complete residential complex.
Saudi FM participates in Arab League meeting in Cairo
Ministers discussed joint Arab action to intensify coordination on the Palestinian issue at the meeting
Updated 58 min 49 sec ago
Arab News
RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan participated in an Arab League foreign ministers meeting in Cairo on Tuesday.
During the meeting, ministers discussed joint Arab action to intensify coordination on the Palestinian issue and other matters of concern.
Regional and international developments were also discussed at the meeting that was attended by a Turkish foreign minister for the first time in 13 years.
Saudi Arabia begins Chinese-language classes at schools
Youths to gain enhanced opportunities for higher education and work, says Saudi Education Ministry
Updated 10 September 2024
Haifa Alshammari
RIYADH: Chinese-language instruction has begun at the country’s schools to equip young people with valuable linguistic skills and cultivate a deeper appreciation for the Asian nation’s culture.
The language is being taught to primary and middle school students.
According to reports, 175 educators are teaching Mandarin in Saudi Arabia, aligning with an education agreement signed by the two countries last year.
“Arabic courses are widely available in Chinese universities, and many international secondary schools also have Arabic teachers". (Shutterstock)
The ministry has stated that young Saudi Arabia students will improve their chances to find jobs or pursue studies at prestigious Chinese universities.
Hanan Alharbi, a Saudi mother from Riyadh, said she was “very positive” about the ministry’s decision because it was an “important step toward promoting global culture and providing students with new and useful language skills, especially since the teachers are Chinese.”
The decision is in line with China’s growing importance in the global economy and the thriving trade and economic ties between the two nations.
FASTFACTS
• According to reports, 175 educators are teaching Mandarin in Saudi Arabia, aligning with an education agreement signed by the two countries last year.
• The Saudi Ministry of Education said it selected several schools to pilot the language program before gradually expanding the curriculum to include instruction up to the third secondary grade by the year 2029.
A Chinese mother from Tianjin, who wanted to be named as Taotao, said: “We see this as a positive development. For us, it means sharing the cultural classics of the Chinese civilization beyond our borders.
“For Saudi Arabia, it helps to remove barriers to effective communication between our two nations. This cultural exchange is about finding beauty in our differences and growing together.”
Alice, a teacher from Guangdong province in China, told Arab News she saw it as a “win-win” situation.
“Saudi Arabia is an energetic country with a lot of young people. There are more and more Chinese people who do business and travel in Saudi Arabia … teaching the Chinese language in schools will make communication easy and direct for both country’s young people.”
She said Arabic was now being taught in China.
“Arabic courses are widely available in Chinese universities, and many international secondary schools also have Arabic teachers. I hope that cultural and commercial exchanges between the two countries will get better and better,” she said.
The ministry said it selected several schools to pilot the language program before gradually expanding the curriculum to include instruction up to the third secondary grade by the year 2029.
This phased approach will allow the ministry to evaluate the effectiveness of the program and make necessary adjustments.
The Kingdom’s Education Minister Yousef Al-Benyan recently highlighted the government’s significant investment in the sector in alignment with Saudi Vision 2030.
During the meeting, the two ministers reviewed Saudi-Turkish cooperation as well as regional and international developments including the war in Gaza
Updated 10 September 2024
Arab News
RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan met with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan on the sidelines of an Arab League meeting in Cairo on Tuesday.
During the meeting, the two ministers reviewed Saudi-Turkish cooperation as well as regional and international developments including the war in Gaza.
Prince Faisal also met with his Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdelatty separately on Tuesday, during which they discussed the final preparations for the soon-to-be launched Saudi-Egyptian Coordination Council.
Prince Faisal is in Cairo to attend an Arab League foreign ministers meeting.
Saudi minister highlights ‘unprecedented’ environmental progress at Riyadh forum
We are working to achieve equilibrium in nature, says CEO of National Center for Wildlife
Updated 10 September 2024
Haifa Alshammari
RIYADH: Saudi Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Abdulrahman Al-Fadhli highlighted the Kingdom’s unprecedented environmental progress during the 10th Regional Forum of the International Union for Conservation of Nature for West Asia, held in Riyadh.
The event, hosted by Saudi Arabia through the National Center for Wildlife from Sept. 9-11, brought together more than 200 experts from West Asia and regional authorities.
Mohammad Qurban, CEO of the National Center for Wildlife. (AN photo by Jafer Alsaleh)
During a panel discussion, Al-Fadhli highlighted the Kingdom’s environmental milestones, both locally and globally, driven by a national vision that positions the environmental sector as key to sustainable development.
He noted the adoption of the National Environment Strategy as a guiding framework and highlighted various initiatives, including those launched during the G20 Riyadh Summit, aimed at conserving biodiversity, preventing land degradation and advancing global coral reef research.
HIGHLIGHT
The forum, held every four years, promotes communication and collaboration among West Asia members, providing a platform for exchanging ideas, addressing environmental challenges and developing conservation strategies.
The minister also spotlighted the Saudi Green Initiative, the Middle East Green Initiative and efforts to combat overgrazing, aiming to protect 30 percent of the Kingdom’s land and marine areas by 2030.
He emphasized the integrated institutional framework, which includes a national strategy, specialized centers for wildlife, meteorology, desertification control, waste management and vegetation cover, as well as an environmental fund.
Razan Al-Mubarak, president of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. (AN photo by Jafer Alsaleh)
Al-Fadhli concluded by underscoring the significance of hosting the IUCN forum and the upcoming COP16 in December, which aims to enhance international cooperation to combat land degradation and drought, providing environmental, economic and social benefits worldwide.
In an interview with Arab News, Mohammad Qurban, CEO of the National Center for Wildlife, discussed the significant role the Kingdom is playing in environmental health and pioneering green initiatives through sustainable strategies, both regionally and internationally.
“The collaboration between NCW and IUCN was not spontaneous. We have been planning for this conference for a long time. This is one of the major initiatives with various objectives. It brings us closer to other entities, offers an exchange of information and builds partnerships.”
Qurban highlighted the importance of global collaborations to reach a shared goal of restoring and protecting the environment in Saudi Arabia. “We are working to achieve equilibrium in nature.”
One of the outcomes Qurban hopes to achieve through the conference is to succeed in joint efforts with IUCN to protect the environment.
Additionally, one of the panelists in the discussions was Razan Al-Mubarak, president of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, who explained one of IUCN’s strategies to address rising temperatures by transitioning from traditional to renewable energy.
From her perspective, the transition to renewable energy has been slower than expected. Therefore, to accelerate the process, officials in the UAE announced that 60 percent of their energy mix will come from renewable sources by 2025.
The forum, held every four years, promotes communication and collaboration among West Asia members, providing a platform for exchanging ideas, addressing environmental challenges and developing conservation strategies.
The forum hosts workshops and seminars to enhance environmental awareness and train individuals on best practices, aiming to establish effective environmental policies.
