Second edition of Saudi art biennale seeks to modernize Islamic tradition
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia - Under a vast canopy of tents in the Saudi city of Jeddah, religious artefacts are on display...Arts & Culture
Art and culture retain power to humanize the Intelligent Age, says WEF’s Fowler
Davos, Switzerland -- In an age where artificial intelligence is reshaping our lives, the World Economic Forum's Arts and Culture...Technology Arts & Culture Culture & Society Geostrategy Global
Nearly 30 percent of Saudi residents exercise for 150 minutes a week
About 30 percent of Saudi residents practiced a physical activity for at least 150 minutes per week in 2021, compared...Only 20 percent of residents exercised in 2019, according to the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT).
48.2 percent of the resident population practice activity for at least 30 minutes per week, an increase of 3.2 points compared to 2019 (45 percent).
Al-Ula: World’s largest open air museum
The Saudi region is rich in history that has been shaped by successive civilizations spanning more than 200,000 years.Al-Ula was known before Islam as “Dadan” as mentioned in the Assyrian and ancient Arab books, as well as as “Valley of Villages".
But its name was associated with the legacy of the civilization of the Nabataeans, Dadanites and Lihyans.
France demands release of three arrested Iranian filmmakers
France has expressed deep concern at the "arbitrary" arrests of three Iranian filmmakers, including international prize-winners Jafar Panahi and Mohammad...Paris has called on Tehran to respect international commitments to "guarantee the full exercise of freedom of expression and creation"
Despite political pressures, Iran has a thriving film industry and the country's output regularly wins awards at major international festivals
King Mohammed authorizes reorganization of Morocco’s Jewish organisations
Morocco's King Mohammed VI has authorised a reorganisation of the country's Jewish community, a "component" of national culture in the...King Mohammed VI has authorised a reorganisation of the country's Jewish community, a "component" of national culture in the North African country.
The measures were presented to a council of ministers meeting attended on Wednesday by the country's monarch and crown prince, at Rabat's royal palace.
Award-winning Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi arrested
Award-winning dissident Iranian film-maker Jafar Panahi was arrested Monday, the third director to be detained in less than a week, the...Panahi, 62, has won a slew of awards at international festivals for films that have critiqued modern Iran, including the top prize in Berlin for "Taxi" in 2015
Cannes film festival organizers, in a statement Monday, said they "strongly condemn the (directors') arrests as well as the wave of repression evidently under way in Iran
Festivals, guesthouses breathe life into Old Tunis, boost tourism
The government has this month begun bailout negotiations with the International Monetary Fund, as its tourism and import-dependent economy has been...Under the Hafsids, Tunis was one of the biggest cities in the Islamic world, and their legacy has remained in the form of narrow, crowded souks.
The district also has some two dozen small souks devoted to specific artisans such as tanners, perfume sellers and shoemakers.
Troubled waters: Iraqi spa reborn after IS massacres
Located 30km south of Mosul, Hamam al-Alil , meaning the baths of the sick in Arabic, built a solid reputation...The spa and surrounding village, which shares the same name, is now also known for massacres committed by IS during its occupation of the area.
After the defeat of IS in 2017, the baths remained popular although the building had fallen into disrepair, with chipped tiles and broken windows.
Efforts to save Algiers’ historic Casbah speed up
A UNESCO-listed rabbit warren of 16th-century battlements and Ottoman palaces, the Casbah has been the site of key moments in...Some buildings weakened by earthquakes, floods or fires are still propped up with scaffolding, but a plan launched in 2012 is seeking to rehabilitate the area.
The Ketchaoua mosque, closed since 2008 after being seriously damaged by a powerful earthquake five years earlier, has also been restored.
Reforms crucial to revive pandemic-hit culture sector
The sector also saw a decline of 25 percent of its Gross Value Added in 2020. However, while most of...The culture was one of the most seriously impacted sectors globally due to COVID-19 pandemic, with more than 10 million jobs lost in 2020 alone
Revenues from the digital creative economy totalled US$2.7 billion globally in 2020, over a quarter of the sector’s overall revenue, says a report
After war, Syrians in Jordan find joy and jobs in dance
Jordan hosts almost 650,000 Syrians registered with the United Nations, but Amman estimates close to 1.3 million Syrians have arrived...Jordan hosts almost 650,000 Syrians registered with the United Nations, but Amman estimates close to 1.3 million Syrians have arrived since 2011
The UN has said that close to 80 percent of Syrians in Jordan live below the national poverty line, surviving on three dollars per day or less
