Riyadh Music Week to spotlight Saudi talent, creativity

Saudi Arabia’s Music Commission is poised to launch the inaugural Riyadh Music Week, running from Dec. 5 to 14 in the Saudi capital. (Supplied)
Saudi Arabia’s Music Commission is poised to launch the inaugural Riyadh Music Week, running from Dec. 5 to 14 in the Saudi capital. (Supplied)
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Updated 24 November 2024
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Riyadh Music Week to spotlight Saudi talent, creativity

Saudi Arabia’s Music Commission is poised to launch the inaugural Riyadh Music Week, running from Dec. 5 to 14 in the capital.
  • Event will include global summits, local performances, awards and cultural displays 

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia's Music Commission, in collaboration with MDLBeast and the Saudi Research and Media Group, is poised to launch the inaugural Riyadh Music Week, running from Dec. 5 to 14 at various venues in the Saudi capital.

The event will spotlight the Kingdom’s growing music sector, highlighting its creative and commercial evolution. It will also serve as a platform for dialogue with international stakeholders on music policy and development.

Among the highlights is the Global Music Makers Summit, a premier gathering of industry leaders and policymakers from around the world.

The event will also celebrate Saudi traditional music, with small venues in Riyadh hosting performances to show off local musicians’ diversity and talent.

The week will also host the Music Cities Convention and Awards, which will be held in the Middle East for the first time.

Riyadh Music Week will include panel discussions, seminars and workshops led by industry experts, covering the latest global music trends.

The program incorporates key events from Riyadh’s music calendar, such as XP Music Futures, SoundStorm, and the inaugural Billboard Arabia Music Awards.

The week provides a unique platform for local and international collaboration, celebrating Saudi Arabia’s rich musical heritage and dynamic contemporary scene.

By supporting emerging and established artists, Riyadh Music Week underscores the Kingdom’s commitment to nurturing talent and growing its music industry.

The Saudi Music Commission, established in February 2020, leads this transformation, focusing on equal access to education, empowering talent and boosting the local economy.

Its efforts aim to enhance the Kingdom’s global musical identity while building world-class infrastructure and creating new industry opportunities.


KSrelief delivers aid to vulnerable communities

KSrelief delivers aid to vulnerable communities
Updated 15 sec ago
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KSrelief delivers aid to vulnerable communities

KSrelief delivers aid to vulnerable communities

RIYADH: Saudi aid agency KSrelief has delivered thousands of food packages to some of the world’s most vulnerable people, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday.

In the Syrian Arab Republic, 389 food packages were distributed to families in need in Homs governorate as part of the Etaam Ramadan project. KSrelief also distributed 160 parcels in Al-Dumayr, Rif Dimashq governorate.

In Yemen, 594 food baskets were provided to vulnerable groups in Shabwah governorate, benefiting 4,158 people.

In Somalia, KSrelief distributed 1,200 packages to impoverished families in Baidoa, benefiting 7,200 people.

Now in its fourth phase, the Etaam project aims to distribute more than 390,000 food parcels in 27 countries during Ramadan, benefiting 2.3 million people at a cost of more than SR67 million ($17.8 million).

Additionally, KSrelief distributed 2,812 cartons of dates in Tal Shihab, Daraa governorate, Syria, benefiting 2,812 families.

The Saudi aid agency also provided 630 food baskets in Port Sudan, benefiting 3,561 impoverished and displaced people.


Makkah cardiac care saves three Umrah performers

Makkah cardiac care saves three Umrah performers
Updated 11 min 40 sec ago
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Makkah cardiac care saves three Umrah performers

Makkah cardiac care saves three Umrah performers

MAKKAH: A cardiac team at King Abdullah Medical City, part of the Makkah Health Cluster, performed a three-hour emergency open-heart surgery to save the life of a 59-year-old Iraqi Umrah pilgrim suffering from a severe coronary artery clot.

After the surgery, the patient was transferred to the intensive care unit, where he was quickly weaned off ventilators and made a steady recovery, stabilizing his condition, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday.

The case highlights King Abdullah Medical City’s ability to provide exceptional specialized care for Umrah and other pilgrims, the SPA added.

Meanwhile, the cardiac catheterization team at Al-Noor Specialist Hospital, also part of the Makkah Health Cluster, saved the life of an 86-year-old Libyan Umrah pilgrim who suffered a heart attack and required urgent intervention.

The hospital’s heart center is fully equipped for such cases, with highly qualified medical teams committed to delivering advanced healthcare in line with the highest standards, according to the SPA.

The team at Al-Noor also treated a 68-year-old Egyptian woman performing Umrah, through a cardiac catheterization procedure on her right coronary artery.

The patient arrived at the emergency department with severe chest pain, low blood pressure, and a weak pulse, the SPA reported. Examinations revealed a blocked coronary artery and a heart attack, requiring immediate medical intervention.


Kingdom prepares mosques for Eid Al-Fitr prayer

Kingdom prepares mosques for Eid Al-Fitr prayer
Updated 22 min 56 sec ago
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Kingdom prepares mosques for Eid Al-Fitr prayer

Kingdom prepares mosques for Eid Al-Fitr prayer
  • The ministry has made extensive preparations to ensure mosques and open-air areas are ready for worshippers

Riyadh: Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Islamic Affairs Sheikh Abdullatif Al-Asheikh has instructed ministry branches throughout the Kingdom to hold the Eid Al-Fitr prayer in all designated prayer areas.

The ministry has made extensive preparations to ensure mosques and open-air areas are ready for worshippers, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday.

The prayer will be held in all mosques, except those near Eid prayer areas or rarely used for Eid prayers in some villages, where residents will use local prayer areas.

The directives include early preparations to ensure maintenance, cleanliness and service availability at prayer areas for a peaceful experience.

The Eid prayer throughout the Kingdom will take place 15 minutes after sunrise, based on the Umm Al-Qura calendar, the SPA reported.

The Kingdom has 19,887 mosques and prayer areas, all prepared to provide a spiritually uplifting atmosphere.

Cleaning and sterilization protocols have been implemented to maintain hygiene in these sacred spaces, according to the SPA.

Comprehensive maintenance has been performed on electrical systems, air conditioning, and audio equipment to ensure optimal comfort during prayers.


Civil Defense issues heavy rain alert until Friday

Civil Defense issues heavy rain alert until Friday
Updated 26 min 48 sec ago
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Civil Defense issues heavy rain alert until Friday

Civil Defense issues heavy rain alert until Friday

RIYADH: The public should exercise caution as heavy rains are expected to continue across most regions of the Kingdom until Friday, according to the General Directorate of Civil Defense. 

Residents are advised to stay in safe locations, avoid valleys and areas prone to flooding, and refrain from swimming in them, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday. 

According to the report, the Makkah region will experience moderate to heavy rainfall, which may lead to flash floods. Similar conditions are expected in the Baha, Asir, and Jazan regions. 

The directorate indicated that moderate rain may fall in the Najran region, while light rain is expected in the Madinah region, the SPA reported. 

The Civil Defense has urged the public to monitor official channels and social media platforms for the latest weather updates.


US talks with Russia begin in Saudi Arabia eyeing a Black Sea ceasefire

US talks with Russia begin in Saudi Arabia eyeing a Black Sea ceasefire
Updated 24 March 2025
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US talks with Russia begin in Saudi Arabia eyeing a Black Sea ceasefire

US talks with Russia begin in Saudi Arabia eyeing a Black Sea ceasefire
  • The White House says the aim of the talks is to reach a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea, allowing the free flow of shipping

RIYADH: US and Russian officials began talks in Saudi Arabia on Monday aimed at making progress toward a broad ceasefire in Ukraine with Washington eyeing a Black Sea ceasefire deal before securing a wider agreement.
The talks, which followed US talks with Ukraine on Sunday, come as US President Donald Trump intensifies his drive to end the three-year-old conflict after he last week spoke to both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
A source briefed on the planning for the talks said the US side was being led by Andrew Peek, a senior director at the White House National Security Council, and Michael Anton, a senior State Department official.
The White House says the aim of the talks is to reach a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea, allowing the free flow of shipping.
Russia will be represented by Grigory Karasin, a former diplomat who is now chair of the Federation Council’s Foreign Affairs Committee, and Sergei Beseda, an adviser to the director of the Federal Security Service.