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
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
Geostrategy
Riyadh ranks third smartest G20 capital, outperforms Paris and Hong Kong
Saudi capital Riyadh has been ranked as the third smartest capital among the G20 member states and the 30th smartest...
- Riyadh made qualitative progress on the IMD Smart Cities Index for 2021, as it jumped 23 ranks from last year.
- The Holy city of Madinah has been also included on the index as the second Saudi city after Riyadh, ranking 73rd in the world and fourth in the Arab world.
Arts & Culture
US, Bahrain vow to fight illicit cultural property trade
Bahrain enjoys a prominent role in the art world, serving as the host of the Arab Regional Centre for World...
- The two countries issue joint statement after a key forum on antiquities, art crime.
- Information sharing, strengthening legal frameworks among key areas of future cooperation.
Geostrategy
TikTok, YouTube and Snapchat defend impact on kids
In their first testimony to US senators, they argued they are built to protect against the mental health and safety...
- Senator Marsha Blackburn, who was co-chairing the hearing, drew little difference among the platforms and their arguments for safety.
- YouTube has battled with a surge in Covid-19 and vaccine misinformation as the pandemic drove people online looking for information.
Business
Sharp recovery to see Middle East box office revenue cross $800m in 2021
Box office revenue in the Middle East made the fastest recovery in the world, from $250 million in 2020 to...
- The revenue is expected to continue to rise, reaching $1 billion in 2022 and $1.3 billion in 2024, research has shown.
- Only 261 of the 3,099 screens in the Middle East and Africa were closed due to the pandemic.
Geostrategy
Qatar says won’t muzzle F1 drivers over human rights
The country has been the target of protests by several football teams over its treatment of foreign workers. Its motorsports...
- We are happy to support the drivers to speak their minds on their platforms, said Abdulrahman Al Mannai, president of the Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation.
- Qatar has removed rules that barred workers from changing employers, scrapped exit permit requirements and introduced a minimum wage of $1.30 an hour.
Iraqi desert village cut off from the grid
Lost in rocky hills and surrounded by humble palm groves, Al-Sahl is around 250 kilometres (155 miles) northwest of the...
- Lost in rocky hills and surrounded by humble palm groves, Al-Sahl is around 250 kilometres (155 miles) northwest of the capital Baghdad
- To communicate with the outside world, people use old mobile phones instead of smartphones -- the 3G network doesn't reach here
Geostrategy
Pope urges intervention on Libyan migrant crisis
Governments must stop returning migrants to "non-secure countries" like Libya, the 84-year-old pontiff said, while prioritizing saving lives in the...
- Italy continues to be confronted by waves of migrants crossing the Mediterranean from Libya, with hundreds of people arriving nearly daily on the country's shores.
- A two-day summit of EU leaders that ended Friday revealed continued rifts between countries on the migrant issue.
Arts & Culture
Tehran golf course’s vanishing holes worry players
The Enghelab golf course had 18 holes when it was built decades ago but over the years the fairways have...
- Tehran's tiny contingent of players feels lucky that they still have 13, but are fearful even more of the course may disappear.
- Tehran's club has about 300 members, half of whom are women, but that's a minuscule number in a metropolis of more than eight million residents.
Arts & Culture
Tehran film fest opens as Oscar-qualifying event
The designation as Oscar-qualifying event came despite high tensions between Washington and Tehran, which have had no diplomatic relations since...
- This year's festival competition received more than 6,400 entries from 128 countries -- 2,000 more than last year.
- The festival, now in its 38th edition, has jury members from the Islamic republic as well as Italy, Japan, France and Austria.
Arts & Culture
Symbol of rebirth at Iraq’s historic Al-Nuri mosque
The historic mosque is being built under UNESCO's "Revive the Spirit of Mosul" initiative for rehabilitating Iraq's second city. UAE...
- The 12th-century mosque, known for its leaning minaret, was severely damaged in 2017.
- Eight Egyptian architects won an international competition to reconstruct the mosque.
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
Company News
Justice best solution to global challenges
Arts & Culture
Latest News
Gulf women empowerment bid inspires global change
Arts & Culture
Women play key role in nurturing families, society
Arts & Culture
Dubai Police and DIB sign agreement to support Bayti initiative with US$5.44mn
Dubai, UAE--The Dubai Police and Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB) have signed an agreement to back the social initiative, "Bayti", with...
Economy
‘Global climate action brings immense optimism’
Finland and the UAE will be able to tackle climate change through international efforts, collaboration, and partnerships, she adds while...
Arts & Culture
The hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam, will start on Sunday
Mecca, Saudi Arabia - The annual hajj pilgrimage, one of the five pillars of Islam, will start on Sunday with...
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Arts & Culture
Saudi Arabia to celebrate International Yoga Day in Riyadh City: Indian daily
Dubai, UAE - Saudi Arabia is gearing up to celebrate International Yoga Day on June 21 in Riyadh City, an...
- On June 16 the Indian community in Saudi Arabia celebrated Yoga at Real Madrid Stadium in Riyadh and the programme was called 'Disha Yoga Meet'
- More than 2000 Yoga enthusiasts joined the event which was by diplomats from other missions and also by Saudi Arabian Yoga instructor Nouf AL Marwai
Arts & Culture
Tom Cruise coming to Abu Dhabi’s for Middle East premiere of Mission Impossible
Abu Dhabi, UAE -- Abu Dhabi will host the Middle East premiere of the eagerly-awaited Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning...
- It is the second time the Mission Impossible franchise has filmed in Abu Dhabi, following the jaw-dropping HALO jump sequence that was shot for 2018’s Mission Impossible - Fallout
- Along with Tom Cruise and Director Christopher McQuarrie, the other stars of the film due to attend the Middle East Premiere are Hayley Atwell, Pom Klementieff and Simon Pegg.
Investigation
Are ‘unethical’ PR tactics harming GCC journalism?
TRENDS investigation uncovers Media-Public Relations Nexus as PR companies in the region are found crossing ethical boundaries to secure favorable...
- TRENDS investigation reveals questionable practices by public relations companies in the Middle East that contribute to the decline in critical reportage in the region
- Journalists disclose inducements from PR firms to secure favorable coverage for their clients; accuse them of blurring lines between editorial and sales, leading to ethical issues