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Riyadh Governor Prince Faisal bin Bandar received the recently appointed Ambassador of Norway to Saudi Arabia Kjersti Tromsdal in Riyadh on Wednesday.
Prince Faisal wished the ambassador success in her new duties, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Meanwhile, Madinah Gov. Prince Salman bin Sultan met with Bangladeshi Consul General Miah Md. Mainul Kabir in Madinah on Wednesday.
During the meeting, they discussed various topics of common interest.
RIYADH: A foreign student delegation under the Kingdom Gateway program, organized by the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies, recently visited Al-Dakhlah town in the Sudair region, 170 km north of Riyadh.
The visit this weekend was part of an initiative designed to explore the rich history of Saudi Arabia.
Dr. Ibrahim Al-Muhanna, former advisor at the Ministry of Energy, Industry, and Mineral Resources, accompanied the delegation on the tour that included Al-Dakhlah’s significant historical landmarks.
The delegation began the tour with a visit to the old palace, a reflection of the region’s rich heritage and architectural legacy.
They then proceeded to the historic Al-Dakhlah Mosque, believed to have been built between 1446–1495 AD, making it one of the oldest mosques in the region.
During the tour, the students had the opportunity to explore its features, including the assarhah (the mosque’s outer courtyard), the side corridors, almujabab (a covered courtyard connecting rooms), and alkatateeb, rooms where students would memorize and review their lessons.
The students expressed their admiration for the intricate Islamic decorations and carvings that adorn the walls and ceiling of the mosque, showcasing the exceptional craftsmanship of artisans from that historical era.
Al-Muhanna delivered a lecture that focused on the pivotal role of oil in national development. He reviewed Saudi Arabia’s experience in leveraging its petroleum resources to drive comprehensive growth across multiple sectors.
He also addressed the Kingdom’s strategic initiatives to maintain stability in global energy markets.
“The discovery of oil and its escalating economic importance brought about profound transformations across all sectors of the Kingdom. However, these changes did not come at the expense of Saudi Arabia’s deep-rooted heritage and culture. On the contrary, oil has been instrumental in both preserving and advancing them,” Al-Muhanna said.
Al-Dakhlah Mosque was restored with the support of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as part of the historic mosque restoration and rehabilitation project.
JEDDAH: The fourth Hajj and Umrah Services Conference and Exhibition, titled “A Passage to Nusuk” ended on Thursday in Jeddah.
The event was organized by the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah in collaboration with the Pilgrim Experience Program— an integral component of Saudi Vision 2030.
Over its four days, the event attracted more than 150,000 visitors, according to the organizers, as well as participants from more than 100 countries.
Speaking at the closing ceremony, Minister of Hajj and Umrah Tawfiq Al-Rabiah
stressed that the conference represented “a qualitative leap in providing innovative solutions to serve the guests of Allah.”
He said that more than 320 agreements dedicated to serving pilgrims had been signed at the conference, reflecting Saudi Arabia’s commitment to developing all services related to Hajj.
“These agreements contribute to facilitating procedures and improving the overall experience of pilgrims,” Al-Rabiah said.
The minister also announced that the next edition of the conference will be held in November.
The organizers stated that more than 2,000 trainees attended 56 workshops covering Hajj-related specializations at the conference, which also showcased new innovations aimed at enriching pilgrims’ experience.
In a step to encourage such innovation, the conference included the Sustainable Solutions Challenge and the Humanizing the Holy Sites Hackathon, in which more than 1,000 participants competed to present innovative solutions to improve the experience of pilgrims.
Visitors of many different nationalities attended the exhibition, and those who spoke to Arab News expressed their admiration for the event.
Nawal Abdulwahab from Egypt said: “It is obvious Saudi Arabia is keeping pace with and harnessing various modern technologies for the comfort of visitors to the Holy House. This is what I have witnessed this year.”
Abu Bakr Muhammad, a Nigerian national, pointed out the Kingdom’s commitment to bringing the countries of the world together under one roof to ensure the best for pilgrims and worshippers.
“Things are really getting better every year and I hope these advanced services will be implemented on the ground,” he said.
RIYADH: The slow food movement has a new home in the city of AlUla thanks to the opening of the Dadan Culinary Art Centre, which celebrates sustainable agriculture, local food traditions and mindful dining.
The global movement aims to foster a deeper connection between consumers and their food sources, advocating for the use of seasonal and local ingredients, and supporting all members of the community — values that have guided AlUla’s evolution as a sustainable destination.
The Dadan Culinary Arts Centre serves as a global hub for eco-gastronomy, blending the heritage of AlUla’s verdant oasis with the contemporary values of a fair and sustainable food system.
Located near the historic site of Dadan, the center offers dining, interactive workshops and a chance to meet AlUla’s farmers, all amid stunning natural landscapes.
A highlight is Dadan Farmers Market, which highlights the city’s agricultural riches every weekend with an array of fresh, seasonal produce.
Local families, whose livelihoods are deeply tied to oasis agriculture, show off their goods and invite guests to enjoy AlUla’s authentic flavors. Visitors can savor dishes prepared using traditional methods or select fresh foods to enjoy in the picnic area, embracing the oasis-to-table philosophy that is the heart of the center’s mission. Every purchase directly supports local farmers.
The Diyar Restaurant within the center, named after the Arabic word for “home,” offers an unforgettable dining experience. Overlooking the majestic mountains, it is warm and inviting, serving dishes prepared with sustainably sourced, locally grown ingredients. Under the guidance of award-winning chef Sergio Rama, it redefines hospitality by transforming simple meals into a celebration of community and heritage.
Another way to learn about AlUla and its people is through the center’s workshops, which teach participants about sustainable practices and local traditions.
Whether learning the fundamentals of farm-to-table cooking, mastering the arts of pickling and fermentation, or exploring the versatile uses of moringa in oils and soaps, guests gain hands-on insights into multiple crafts and food practices.
Through the Dadan Culinary Arts Centre, AlUla invites the world to rediscover the pleasure of wholesome, traditional dining against the backdrop of its timeless oasis.
RIYADH: The Kingdom’s aid agency KSrelief continues to provide support for Syrians in their country, and for those who had sought refuge in Jordan, the Saudi Press Agency reported recently.
In Idlib’s Sarmada city, 1,047 food parcels and 1,047 health kits were distributed under the second phase of KSrelief’s 2025 aid project for the Syrian people.
In As-Suwayda, KSrelief handed out 600 food and shelter kits to families.
And in Jindires of Aleppo province, shopping vouchers were given to 932 people to buy winter clothing from approved stores.
The assistance is a part of this year’s Kanaf winter clothing distribution project in Syria.
KSrelief also handed out shopping vouchers to Syrian refugee families and host communities in Maan, Irbid and Madaba under the third phase of the Kanaf project.
The beneficiaries – about of 2,200 individuals from 365 families – can purchase winter clothes from designated stores in the three Jordan governorates.
RIYADH: Once the preserve of the rich and famous, personal styling services are now accessible to everyone thanks to strides in generative artificial intelligence, helping shoppers find the look best suited to their body or special occasion.
With its latest creation, Amira, Riyadh-based AI-powered fashion marketplace Taffi is revolutionizing the shopping experience across the Middle East and North Africa, while showcasing how AI is redefining consumer engagement.
A personal stylist powered by generative AI and machine learning, Amira’s advanced algorithms, trained on a comprehensive dataset inspired by the Middle East’s latest fashion trends, delivers personalized and trend-driven styling recommendations.
Launched in September, Amira has been trained by a network of more than 180 expert fashion stylists from across the region. These professionals have contributed tens of thousands of recommendations, reflecting local tastes and cultural preferences.
Taffi co-founder and CEO Shahad Geoffrey described Amira as “the best friend who knows your style better than you do, eliminating all the guesswork in shopping.”
The AI stylist “engages users at every relevant touchpoint along their shopping journey to help them make better and faster decisions,” she added.
Amira’s search assistant allows users to find complete styles directly from the store’s search box, eliminating the need to sift through irrelevant items. The AI stylist’s discovery assistant recommends relevant new products, while the product stylist pairs items with complementary upsell suggestions.
Geoffrey said that Taffi’s AI stylist “is available through a floating chat widget for conversational commerce,” providing “real-time expert advice and tailored shoppable style recommendations based on individual profiles and preferences to help customers quickly find their best styles via their natural language.”
The AI technology customizes the shopping experience to each customer’s individual needs and preferences, turning it into an assisted commerce journey.
This innovation is revolutionizing how shoppers discover new products, find purpose-driven outfits and complete tasks more efficiently — saving time, offering trusted recommendations and providing access to great deals.
“AI delivers real-time, hyper-personalized suggestions based on style preferences, lifestyle, size, physical attributes, budgets and existing wardrobe,” Geoffrey said. “It also inspires shoppers by offering ideas for mixing and matching outfits and exploring new trends.
“By reducing choice overload and creating customized product bundles based on user queries, AI ensures a more enjoyable, efficient and seamless shopping journey.”
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Saudi Arabia’s fashion industry is expected to see cumulative annual growth of 48 percent from 2021 to 2025 as the Kingdom diversifies its economy, according to a 2024 report by the Small and Medium Enterprises General Authority.
The report also highlighted that the total value of the fashion sector in Saudi Arabia, including international brands, was $24.6 billion in 2022.
Taffi’s Amira was born from Geoffrey’s own frustration with the endless sea of fashion choices and the “static, impersonal shopping experiences.
“I always dreamed of having a virtual fashion assistant that truly understood my needs and preferences, finding personalized clothing effortlessly,” she said.
“Taffi was born to bring that vision to life, empowering shoppers with an AI fashion assistant that simplifies the shopping journey, making it seamless to discover and find outfits and tailor experiences to their unique preferences.”
Founded in 2021 by Geoffrey and Pradeep Bisht, the AI-powered fashion-focused shopping platform uses machine-learning, ChatGPT-4 and generative AI to provide users with styling recommendations based on their preferences, occasion and budget.
According to the company’s figures, users who engaged with Taffi had a 15 percent sales conversion rate — compared to just 0.67 percent for those who did not. This resulted in a 22-fold increase in sales conversions.
Additionally, Geoffrey highlighted that the average order value for purchases made through Taffi was 55 percent higher than those made without the platform
This success underscores the challenges in today’s e-commerce landscape. Originally designed decades ago to sell books, e-commerce has become an outdated experience.
Fashion e-commerce, in particular, has struggled to evolve beyond a generic shopping journey filled with impersonal choices, causing 75 percent of shoppers to leave sites without making a purchase. In fact, just 1-2 percent of visitors ever convert into buyers.
Frustrated customers often receive no response from overwhelmed customer support teams and return items at alarming rates. This creates a cycle of dissatisfaction for consumers while putting businesses under strain.
Amira, however, has received positive feedback from brands that have integrated the widget into their platforms.
Geoffrey said customers have described Amira as an innovative and highly useful feature for e-commerce, noting that it has significantly uplifted their brand image and dramatically enhanced the customer experience.
She predicts that AI will reshape the fashion industry by designing garments, streamlining manufacturing processes, enabling smarter inventory management and driving greater sustainability in fashion.
“AI will also transform the shopping experience — from discovery to checkout — empowering brands to cater to diverse markets, optimize supply chains, and elevate the retail experience with innovations like virtual try-ons and real-time fashion assistants,” she said.
Moreover, “AI enables brands to drive higher revenue, significantly reduce costs and enhance key business performance metrics, paving the way for a more prosperous, inclusive and efficient fashion industry.
“AI has immense potential to shape and revolutionize the fashion industry, spanning from retail to supply chain and manufacturing. What we see in AI today is just the beginning — a mere drop in the ocean.”
