Gamers8 esports event brings global musical artists to Riyadh
The musical performances and children’s activities open the event up to a wider audience, with around 1,000 activities and attractions at Boulevard Riyadh City during the festival
Updated 04 July 2022
AMEERA ABID
JEDDAH: An esports festival is bringing international musical artists to Riyadh for the eight-week event.
The lineup for Gamers8 features DJs, rappers, and singers from the Arab world, Europe, and the US, including Lil Pump, Nancy Ajram, Hamaki, Disco Misr, Alan Walker, Russ, DJ Snake, and Balqees.
Artists will perform each weekend for fans and participants.
Alan Walker
Gamers8, which is the biggest gaming and esports event worldwide, is being brought to the city by the Saudi Esports Federation.
Its goal is to blur borders, the ones between countries and the ones between the real world and the virtual one, and to bring gamers together. It is also a step forward in finding gamers, strengthening the gaming community in Saudi Arabia, and introducing them to the rest of the world.
A prize purse of up to $15 million is up for grabs.
The big-name games at the festival are PUBG, Dota 2, Rocket League, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege, and Fortnite.
DJ Snake
The musical performances and children’s activities open the event up to a wider audience, with around 1,000 activities and attractions at Boulevard Riyadh City during the festival.
SEF COO Ahmed Al-Bishri said: “The goal of Gamers8 is to bring the virtual world of esports gaming out into the physical realm of Riyadh while merging a plethora of entertainment such as music, festivals, shows, and the latest experiences for children.
“We are delighted to be bringing some of the biggest names in music to Riyadh this summer and know they will significantly contribute to a season of incredible moments and memories.”
Full details about the performers and festival can be found on gamers8.gg.
Saudi Arabia welcomes Libya’s agreement on electoral laws
Saudi Arabia praised Morocco’s efforts in facilitating dialogue between rival Libyan factions
Updated 14 sec ago
Arab News
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has welcomed the agreement reached by the Libyan 6+6 Joint Committee on presidential and parliamentary election laws, the foreign ministry said.
The committee, which is made up of MPs from the House of Representatives and members of the High Council of State, held talks in Morocco to draft legislations that would eventually serve as the legal framework for holding elections in the country. On June 7, the 6+6 Committee unanimously voted in favor of the laws during meetings in Morocco’s Bouznika.
Saudi Arabia, in a foreign ministry statement, praised Morocco’s efforts in facilitating dialogue between rival Libyan factions and reaching an agreement to achieve a political settlement in Libya.
#بيان | تعرب وزارة الخارجية عن ترحيب المملكة العربية السعودية بإعلان اجتماعات اللجنة المشتركة المكلفة من مجلس النواب والمجلس الأعلى للدولة الليبيين (6+6) بتوافق أعضائها حول إعداد القوانين المنظمة للانتخابات البرلمانية والرئاسية في ليبيا الشقيقة pic.twitter.com/gCj0Sa5lSk
“The Kingdom hopes Libyan parties would formally sign the electoral laws as an important step to end the crisis and enhance security and stability in Libya,” said the foreign ministry.
The ministry reiterated the Kingdom’s support for efforts to strengthen Libya’s status as an influential state in the Arab region and the world, and achieve the aspiration of its people for stability and prosperity.
Saudi King Salman offers to host 1,000 Palestinian pilgrims
Updated 2 min 39 sec ago
Arab News
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman issued a directive to host 1,000 Palestinians pilgrims to participate in this year’s Hajj season from the families of martyrs, injured and captives.
The Saudi Press Agency said on Saturday that the initiative is part of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Hajj Guests Program, annually supervised by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance in the kingdom.
In a statement, Sheikh Dr. Abdullatif bin Abdulaziz Al-Sheikh, Saudi Minister of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance, thanked the King and Crown prince for their continuous support towards the families and relatives of Palestinian martyrs and those wounded.
“The continuation of this generous gesture towards the pilgrims of Palestine who perform Hajj every year at the expense of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques comes as an affirmation to the depth of the relationship and his appreciation of the great sacrifices made by the Palestinian people.” he said.
The program for the guests of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques includes all aspects of performing the blessed ritual.
Umm Al-Qura University’s Career and Innovation Forum concludes
Saudi university’s 2023 forum attracts 50 international companies
Thousands of training jobs also offered at the event in Makkah
Updated 10 June 2023
Tarek Al-Thaqafi
MAKKAH: Makkah’s Umm Al-Qura University recently concluded its three-day Career and Innovation Forum 2023 that aimed to foster entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation.
The forum serves as a scientific and professional incubator in which the roles of various governmental, private and non-profit sectors are integrated to create suitable job opportunities for university graduates and students in various scientific disciplines.
Dr. Amer Al-Zaidi, UQU’s vice president for educational affairs, told Arab News that the forum brought together various ideas and entrepreneurial projects under one umbrella.
“UQU required from all of its students that their graduation projects be pioneering and serve as the nucleus of a pioneering company in the future,” he said.
He noted that 1,500 graduation projects were filtered into 60 pioneering projects through UQU’s Institute of Research and Innovation. “A group of international investment companies were invited to arbitrate these projects, including Makkah Co., owned by Umm Al-Qura University. The companies chose eight projects in preparation for converting them into pioneering companies, and signing the required contracts. One of those companies, for example, provided a design for Ihram clothes with cooling and bacteria-free features.”
Al-Zaidi pointed out that 50 international companies took part in the forum offering 2,000 training jobs. “Some of these companies even provided face-to-face interviews for immediate employment, where the interviews took place within the forum. Others provided work contracts after concluding a six-month training, which is an opportunity for students to learn about the jobs offered, and exploit them,” said Al-Zaidi.
He added that these opportunities coincided with the graduation ceremony held last week that saw the graduation of 16 thousand students, and said the university, in turn, offered jobs in addition to organizing 20 training courses and 20 workshops to train graduates for the labor market. The workshop focused on training the participants on resume formulation and knowledge preparation for the labor market.
Al-Zaidi underlined that the forum targets graduate and entrepreneurial students, along with talented local students in Makkah, with the very best given immediate admission to the university.
He said that, as part of the efforts aimed at making Makkah a smart city, “we at UQU have contracted with the Royal Commission for Makkah City to ensure the actual application of the projects submitted in the holy sites, the Grand Mosque in Makkah and in Madinah so that they form a practical extension for all the successful and winning ideas in the Hajj hackathon.”
Saudi FM, Solomon Islands PM discuss ways to develop joint cooperation
Updated 10 June 2023
Arab News
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan received the Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands, Manasseh Sogavare, and his accompanying delegation during their official visit to the capital, Riyadh, the Kingdom’s foreign ministry said on Friday.
At the beginning of the reception, Prince Faisal conveyed greetings from King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to Sogavare, and their wishes for continued stability, progress and prosperity to the government and people of the Solomon Islands.
The two side reviewed the bilateral relations and ways to enhance and develop them in various fields, and discussed intensifying joint coordination on many issues of concern to both countries, the ministry said in a statement.
They also discussed opportunities for economic cooperation in light of the Kingdom’s Vision 2023, and exchanged views on international developments.
‘Banan’ event weaves local, international heritage in Riyadh
Handicrafts Week highlights community-building aspect of multinational crafts, including woodworking, blacksmithing, weaving and embroidery
Updated 09 June 2023
Nada Alturki
RIYADH: A handicrafts event in Riyadh is shedding light on local and international heritage passed down from one generation to the next.
Titled “Banan,” meaning fingertips in Arabic, the Saudi International Handicrafts Week is highlighting the community-building aspect of multinational crafts, including woodworking, blacksmithing, weaving and embroidery, among others.
The event, which kicked off on Tuesday, will run until June 12 at Riyadh Front.
The event invites craft enthusiasts to engage in hands-on workshops. (AN photo by Huda Bashatah)
“There’s no doubt that handicrafts play an important part in economic and cultural projects, and are a factor for creating job and investment opportunities, in addition to their role in preserving cultural heritage and strengthening national identity,” Saudi Deputy Minister of Culture Hamed Fayez said.
The event also invites craft enthusiasts to engage in hands-on workshops throughout the week, gathering centuries of collective stories and legacies from across the globe in one platform.
From Mexico, Regina Velasco Marin and Alberto Lopez Gomez are highlighting the tradition of weaving, filigree design and openwork embroidery techniques using existing cotton materials, like clothing or drapes. The fabric is undone, and cotton threads are reused to create unique patterns and wearable pieces on a backstrap loom.
The event invites craft enthusiasts to engage in hands-on workshops. (AN photo by Huda Bashatah)
“I’m proud to be representing five generations of artisans, from my great grandmother to myself. It’s so surprising that my culture has expanded and reached Saudi Arabia. I’m very thankful to my mom for teaching me all of this, and I’m especially proud of her and my grandmother now that I’m here,” Marin told Arab News.
Pottery artist Zaki Al-Gharrash, from the Eastern region of the Kingdom, showcases the unique soil that characterizes the governorate of Al-Qatif and gives off the pale green hue in pottery production.
FASTFACT
Fahad Al-Shammary from Hail uses the stems of Saudi’s national treasures, palm trees, to craft unique doors for interior decorating and miniature ones for gifting.
“This was a hobby first that turned into a profession. If it wasn’t for my love and passion for it, I wouldn’t have kept pursuing it, because it is tiring,” Al-Gharrash said, demonstrating the elongated process, from extracting soil from deep underground, to drying out the product, then working it to clay.
The event invites craft enthusiasts to engage in hands-on workshops. (AN photo by Huda Bashatah)
While his father, years ago, made clay pans and water coolers out of necessity, people now look for antiques, driving the craft’s demand. More people are also recognizing the benefits of drinking from clay cups.
“(It) actually revives its qualities, making water more alkaline and healthier for humans, and gives it life again after it dies in plastic. It also keeps it cool, especially in the desert,” the artisan said.
While the profession has become commercialized, it takes an artisan to preserve the unique qualities of pottery during production.
The event invites craft enthusiasts to engage in hands-on workshops. (AN photo by Huda Bashatah)
Fahad Al-Shammary from Hail uses the stems of Saudi’s national treasures, palm trees, to craft unique doors for interior decorating and miniature ones for gifting. Utilizing the abundance of palms on his family farm, he has managed to take part in a profitable hobby for 15 years and counting.
“This event brings together all the cultures of the north, south, east, and west and its heritage … it’s our ancestor’s, so we have to preserve it,” he said.
Banan is an opportunity for artisans to educate others on the history of their regions and also sell their products through 11 sections of the space.
The event invites craft enthusiasts to engage in hands-on workshops. (AN photo by Huda Bashatah)
Italian handcraft store Lisa Tibaldi Terra Mia attracts customers with the charm of its story. The store’s modern jewelry utilizes plants sourced from the Aurunca land, located between Naples and Rome. “After a (special process), they can be made into a jewel, into a semi-precious material,” Ludovica Zanon, a representative of the business, told Arab News.
The store also carries a collection of authentic silk scarves influenced by the natural palette of the region, with some of the collections delicately printed in native butterflies and ocean waves. A home decor line by Lisa Tibaldi Terra Mia also champions sustainability using 3D printing and biodegradable organic materials.
Zanon said: “Our vision is in strict contact with our territory, so we like to make and craft all our things (sustainably) in Italy because we want to help our territory and make it valuable and not waste our land.
“It’s (very emotional) for me to come here and represent my country and city because Aurunca land is a small territory between Rome and Naples, so it’s important to us to bring our land here and be proud of that.”
