81 percent of Saudi population attends cultural events, activities in 2024: GASTAT
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Nearly 81.6 percent of Saudi individuals visited at least one cultural event or activity in 2024, according...
Arts & Culture
‘Beautiful thing’: hijab-wearing singer looks to inspire
Dubai, United Arab Emirates - In a Dubai recording studio, hijab-clad Ghaliaa Chaker tunes her guitar and belts out original songs...
Arts & Culture
Geostrategy
Dozens of Iran girls hospitalized due to poisoning
TEHRAN, IRAN - Dozens of schoolgirls in Iran were hospitalized on Tuesday after a mysterious poisoning, an Iranian news agency reported,...
- Hundreds of cases of respiratory distress have been reported in the past three months among Iranian schoolgirls
- A government official said on Sunday that the attacks were believed to be a deliberate attempt to force the closure of girls' schools
Arts & Culture
Regulate digital platforms to curb disinformation
“If the regulatory initiatives are developed in isolation, with each country working in their own corner, they are doomed to...
- There is an urgent need for common global guidelines to improve the reliability of information while protecting human rights, say experts
- UNESCO urges the world to join its efforts to transform the internet into a tool which is truly at the service of the public
Arts & Culture
Centuries-old 77 stolen antiquities to be returned to Yemen
Washington, United States--The United States has returned 77 looted antiquities to Yemen, US authorities said Tuesday, adding the objects would be...
- New York state's justice department has been carrying out a vast campaign for several years to restore antiquities looted around the world
- The Yemeni government and the museum have signed an agreement to preserve the objects for two years, with the option of renewing it at Yemen's request
Economy
Syrian family adopts ‘miracle baby’ born under rubble in quake
Jindayris, Syria--Born an orphan under the rubble in north Syria after a devastating earthquake, Afraa al-Suwadi has been given a new...
- Suwadi's story has captivated a grieving nation and made international headlines as Syria's "miracle baby"
- Relatives had pulled her from the wreckage still tied to her deceased mother by the umbilical cord
Dubai Can initiative cuts single-use plastic bottle usage by over 7mn
The success of the initiative is reflected in the fact that Dubai Can has been widely adopted in the city.
- The success of the initiative is reflected in the fact that Dubai Can has been widely adopted in the city
- Dubai Can has placed water fountains in strategic places across the city, including public parks, beaches, and popular tourist destinations
Arts & Culture
In Old Cairo, residents reconnect with their heritage
Cairo, Egypt--For most of their lives, children from historic Cairo's Al-Khalifa district only saw the mausoleums, mosques and madrasa schools...
- The Athar Lina initiative, whose name means "the monument is ours" in Arabic, has carried out workshops, tours and summer camps in the Egyptian capital since 2012.
- Since the 1980s, the authorities increasingly protected monuments by keeping "them under lock and key", said conservation and cultural heritage expert Omniya Abdel Barr.
Arts & Culture
UAE’s Abrahamic Family House encloses a mosque, a church, and a synagogue
The project was inspired by the principles in the Document on Human Fraternity, signed by Pope Francis and Grand Imam...
- The project was inspired by the principles in the Document on Human Fraternity, signed by Pope Francis and Grand Imam Dr. Ahmed El-Tayeb in Abu Dhabi in 2019
- The three houses of worship are of equal stature and share external dimensions, and have been designed by Sir David Adjaye of Adjaye Associates
Arts & Culture
TikTokers jailed as Iraq targets ‘decadent content’
Hossam received an even harsher sentence of two years in prison. Some of her videos showed her dressed in a...
- The young Iraqi woman using the pseudonym Om Fahad was sentenced early this month to half a year behind bars for the light-hearted video clips
- A specialised committee now scours TikTok, YouTube and other popular platforms for clips deemed offensive by many in the largely conservative society.
Arts & Culture
Archaeologists in Iraq uncover 5,000 year old restaurant
Dating back almost 5,000 years, archaeologists in Iraq have uncovered the remains of a tavern that they hope will illuminate...
- The joint team from the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Pisa discovered the remains of a primitive refrigeration system, a large oven, benches for diners
- The Lagash area, close to the confluence of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, was dubbed the "garden of the gods" by the ancients for its fertility
Business
Dubai Chamber encourages firms to apply for parent-friendly label
DUBAI, UAE - As many individuals in the UAE face challenges in balancing work and family obligations, parent-friendly workplace policies...
- Working families in the UAE often need to make difficult trade-offs to fulfill their commitments.
- Research has shown that flexible working options are important to 90 percent of the UAE workforce.
81 percent of Saudi population attends cultural events, activities in 2024: GASTAT
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Nearly 81.6 percent of Saudi individuals visited at least one cultural event or activity in 2024, according...
Arts & Culture
Company News
Meals to woof down at Italy’s first dog restaurant
Arts & Culture
Latest News
Pakistan bans New Year’s Eve celebrations in solidarity with Gaza
New Year's Eve is usually marked in boisterous fashion in Pakistan, with fireworks and aerial gunfire -- as well as...
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...
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...
Arts & Culture
Most Read
Science
Artists utilize technology against AI copycats
NEW YORK, US - Artists under siege by artificial intelligence (AI) that studies their work, then replicates their styles, have teamed...
- Created in just four months, Glaze spun off technology used to disrupt facial recognition systems.
- Glaze essentially outthinks AI models when it comes to how they train, tweaking pixels in ways indiscernible by human viewers
Arts & Culture
10m people attend Riyadh Season 2023 events in first 50 days, says report
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA - According to the Riyadh Season, 10 million people took part in the activities organized in the...
- Riyadh Season 2023 started in late October, and since then, it has witnessed a large visitor turnout at all entertainment areas.
- At the Season, visitors can enjoy concerts, exhibitions, festivals and other events in which celebrities and prominent brands participate.
Geostrategy
War affects Christmas festivities in southern Lebanon
Qlayaa, Lebanon - In the Lebanese Christian border village of Qlayaa, the priest urged his parish to keep the Christmas spirit...
- Despite the violence, the church has put up lights, a life-sized manger and is planning recitals and activities for the community's children.
- Residents along the border are used to "difficult times", said father Antonios Farah, "but we have decided... we will celebrate Christmas as usual".