Restoration project for Jeddah district’s old buildings completed
JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA – The Ministry of Culture, represented by the Jeddah Historic District Program, has announced the completion of...
Arts & Culture
Al-Azhar Ash-Sharif celebrates 1084th anniversary
Cairo, Egypt - Historic al-Azhar Mosque marked its 1084th anniversary of its founding on March 17, celebrated by al-Azhar ash-Sharif...
Analysis
Conservative-dominated US Supreme Court steers society sharp right
Washington, United States--One year after its ruling to erase abortion rights, the conservative-dominated US Supreme Court has underscored its determination to...
- The Supreme Court among its many rulings banned universities from giving minorities priority in admissions -- so-called "affirmative action"
- The court also struck down President Joe Biden's plan to cancel more than $400 billion of student debt to ease the financial stresses on Americans
Arrangements hailed as pilgrims leave Saudi Arabia after Hajj
On Friday, two days after the last major ritual, tens of thousands of people packed roads and boarded buses out...
- This year over 1.8 million worshippers performed the hajj, which is one of the five pillars of Islam and is among the world's largest religious gatherings
- This year's attendance figures marked a dramatic increase on the 926,000 from last year, when numbers were capped at one million following the Covid-19 pandemic
Arts & Culture
Hajj pilgrims continue rituals on third day of Eid Al-Adha in Mina
Mina, Saudi Arabia – Pilgrims were continuing with their religious rites on Friday, the third day of Eid Al-Adha, participating...
- Upon completion of the stoning of satan ritual, the faithful were moving towards the Grand Holy Mosque for the farewell circumambulation.
- Bahrain’s Minister of Information, Ramzan bin Abdullah Al-Noaimi, has praised the successful execution of this year’s Hajj season.
Arts & Culture
Sports key pillar as UAE emerges as soft power center
Everyone in the sports delegations taking part in the future forums now has a greater obligation to spare no effort...
- UAE has evolved into a strategic and powerful center for soft power, says Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, Second Deputy Ruler of Dubai
- Sports play a pivotal role as one of the most significant pillars of this soft power, adds Sheikh Ahmed, who is also President of the UAE National Olympic Committee
Muslims mark Eid al-Adha with prayers, festivities
Hundreds of millions of Muslims in their best dresses packed mosques in the Middle East, Asia, Europe, Africa, and the...
- Tens of thousands of worshipers in white robes gathered at the Grand Mosque in Makkah and the Prophet's Mosque in Medina to mark the sacred event
- Exhorting Muslims to fear God, the imam of the Grand Mosque Sheikh Yasser bin Rashid Al-Dosari said it is the "strongest, most important, and "fairest form of righteousness"
Arts & Culture
UNESCO-Sharjah Prize for Arab Culture honors winners in Paris
Paris, France-- The19th UNESCO-Sharjah Prize for Arab Culture was awarded to Kassem Istanbouli, Lebanese actor-director, and Hajer Ben Boubaker, French...
- Organized by the Sharjah Department of Culture in collaboration with UNESCO, the event celebrated the achievements of Kassem Istanbouli and Hajer Ben Boubaker
- The award recognized contributions of both recipients for promoting the arts and Arab culture and supporting their local communities
Geostrategy
Iranian pilgrims at ease during hajj post Riyadh-Tehran detente
MECCA, SAUDI ARABIA- If a landmark reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Iran has eased tensions in the Gulf, clouds have also...
- An Iranian tour operator who has joined the hajj on several occasions said he was feeling "comfort and safety" in Saudi Arabia.
- More than 86,000 Iranians, including 300 aged over 80, are on this year's hajj, according to Iranian media reports.
Arts & Culture
Saudi Arabia to host 2023 FIFA Club World Cup
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA- The Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) and the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) announced on Monday...
- This follows an official visit made by a FIFA delegation to Jeddah last week to inspect the ongoing preparations to host the World Cup.
- FIFA experts inspected the infrastructure and stadiums nominated to host the WC, including King Abdullah Sports City and Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium.
Geostrategy
Record number of pilgrims, braving suffocating heat, converge for Hajj climax
After performing the ritual circumambulation of the Kaaba, the giant black cube at Mecca's Grand Mosque that Muslims pray towards...
- Pilgrims in robes and sandals, many carrying umbrellas against the beating sun, undertook the journey on foot or crowded onto hundreds of air-conditioned buses.
- They will spend the night in white tents in Mina, which every year hosts the world's largest encampment, before the hajj's high-point on Tuesday: prayers at Mount Arafat.
Arts & Culture
Saudi Arabian Football Federation launches funding program for women clubs
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA – The Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) announced unprecedented funding and support for women’s football clubs.This initiative...
- SAFF will provide financial help to Saudi Premier League and Women's First Division clubs and will allocate US$13 million for the purpose.
- Only those clubs which have a SAFF membership and Nafes license to participate in women’s tournaments will be eligible for the funding.
Restoration project for Jeddah district’s old buildings completed
JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA – The Ministry of Culture, represented by the Jeddah Historic District Program, has announced the completion of...
Arts & Culture
Company News
Strategic investments accelerate KSA’s esports market
Arts & Culture
Latest News
Gaza couple celebrate wedding amid war and destruction
Rafah, Palestinian Territories - Surrounded by family and friends, clapping and cheering, Gaza woman Afnan Jibril beams a brilliant smile on...
Geostrategy
Boots, Banksy, piano: Elton John puts items up for auction
New York, United States - Music icon Elton John has put a variety of personal items up for auction at Christie's...
Arts & Culture
Morocco law reform offers hope for women’s rights
Rabat, Morocco - Two decades after a landmark but limited revision of Morocco's family law marked a breakthrough for women, activists...
Geostrategy
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Arts & Culture
More than a bubble: Turkish sparkling wines win fans
Ankara, Turkey - Drinkers are getting into something of a fizz over Turkish sparkling wine."We are selling out very quickly. We...
- When it comes to celebrating a big occasion, few might think of reaching for a bottle of Turkish bubbly in a market dominated by French champagne, Spanish cava and Italian prosecco
- But Misir's wine - made from a local Turkish grape variety that died out in the 1980s - won the gold medal for the Best Sparkling Wine in the World at a competition in France
Arts & Culture
Desert jewel: Saudi Arabia’s oldest nature reserve Hurra Al-Hurra
Turaif, Saudi Arabia - Hurra Al-Hurra Reserve is one of the first protected areas in Saudi Arabia, located in the...
- Located in the Northern Border and Al-Jawf regions, it lies within the boundaries of the King Salman bin Abdulaziz Royal Reserve in the northwest of Saudi Arabia.
- Hurra Al-Hurra and its surrounding areas feature a diverse landscape, with depressions, watersheds, valleys and an abundance of springs scattered throughout the area.
Geostrategy
Gaza war makes for sombre Christmas in the Holy Land
There was no revelry on Sunday, with few worshippers on the streets of Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus Christ, as...
- A work of art evoking the tragedy of war has been installed on the ground opposite the Church of the Nativity, taking the place of life-size nativity scene and colossal Christmas
- Last week, a mother and daughter were killed by an Israeli sniper inside the Church of the Holy Family in Gaza City, according to the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem