Saudi HORECA Jeddah and Salon du Chocolat et de la Patisserie debut in Jeddah delights visitors, exhibitors

Saudi HORECA Jeddah and Salon du Chocolat et de la Patisserie debut in Jeddah delights visitors, exhibitors
1 / 3
Saudi HORECA Jeddah and Salon du Chocolat et de la Pâtisserie debut in Jeddah delights visitors. (Supplied)
Saudi HORECA Jeddah and Salon du Chocolat et de la Patisserie debut in Jeddah delights visitors, exhibitors
2 / 3
Saudi HORECA Jeddah and Salon du Chocolat et de la Pâtisserie debut in Jeddah delights visitors. (Supplied)
Saudi HORECA Jeddah and Salon du Chocolat et de la Patisserie debut in Jeddah delights visitors, exhibitors
3 / 3
Saudi HORECA Jeddah and Salon du Chocolat et de la Pâtisserie debut in Jeddah delights visitors. (Supplied)
Short Url
Updated 09 February 2023

Saudi HORECA Jeddah and Salon du Chocolat et de la Patisserie debut in Jeddah delights visitors, exhibitors

Saudi HORECA Jeddah and Salon du Chocolat et de la Patisserie debut in Jeddah delights visitors, exhibitors
  • Industry experts, entrepreneurs, restaurateurs, hoteliers and buyers from across the region gather at 3-day event
  • More than 150 companies from over 30 countries showcase 6,000 products, ranging from food to kitchen equipment

JEDDAH: The first edition of Saudi HORECA Jeddah and Salon du Chocolat et de la Patisserie, the world’s largest chocolate and pastry event, concluded at Jeddah Superdome on Thursday.
Opened on Feb. 7, Saudi HORECA provided a platform to more than 150 local and international companies from over 30 countries to showcase 6,000 products ranging from food to kitchen equipment.
The three-day event brought together industry experts, entrepreneurs, restaurateurs, hoteliers and buyers from across the region, while shining a light on rising talents in Saudi Arabia’s food and beverage scene.
Joumana Dammous-Salame, managing director of Hospitality Services and the event organizer, said: “The Saudi HORECA highlights trends, market solutions, networking environment and hosts live cooking demonstrations and culinary competitions.
“Through these competitions, we are mainly focusing on showcasing the skills of both amateur and professional chefs and rewarding them for their creativity and excellence at different levels of the sector.”
The Saudi HORECA Jeddah program included renowned Hospitality Salon Culinaire cooking competitions, where more than 150 chefs contested in different categories judged by a panel from the Kingdom, UAE, Lebanon, Egypt, Malaysia, Greece, and France. Visitors were able to discover the region’s latest culinary concepts and trends.
A barista competition and mocktail competition were held in parallel to the culinary competition.
The Salon du Chocolat et de la Patisserie made its debut by showcasing chocolate and confectionery from around the world in addition to honey, dates and other local sweet products.
More than 25 chocolate, pastry and ice-cream shops, manufacturers, suppliers and distributors were part of the show. Visitors included professional chocolate tasters, chocolate aficionados, pastry chefs, bakers and authors.
Special features at the event included a choco demo, a space to mingle with influencers and food bloggers, and Salon du Chocolat Junior, an area for children to get creative with chocolate.
Gerald Palacios, CEO of ChocoLoco International SA and founder of Salon Du Chocolat, said: “As this is the first time in Saudi Arabia, it is extremely important for us to be a part of the growing culinary scene in the Kingdom and to be able to share all information about chocolate and cacao in addition to seeing all the future developments that we can make here.
“Our goal has always been the same, we want to offer the opportunity for the consumer to discover the chocolate in a very specific environment where they can test, experiment, learn, and understand all about chocolate. So education is key, but having a moment of pleasure, and fun alongside learning is also very important.”
Thomas Andreas Gugler, culinary vice president at Saudi Airlines Catering and president of the World Association of Chefs Societies, said: “We have great culinarians from all around the world that are working and staying in Saudi Arabia and are really hungry to get the right exposure. These competitions help them to achieve their passion and enhance their skills. We even have young Saudi culinary chefs participating in different categories. These platforms provide a great opportunity for all the talented chefs to express their culinary knowledge and get it broadcasted in front of a live audience.”
Gugler added that 35 chefs from Saudi Airlines Catering participated in the competition.
Yasser Jad, president and founder of the Saudi Arabian Chefs Association, Culinary Art, and hospitality development consultant at Royal Commission for Riyadh City, said: “The idea behind all the competition categories is totally encouraging. One such category is creating Saudi dishes since we have a lot of young generation Saudi males and females who are amateurs. We would like to encourage them if they don’t have wise experience in professional cooking and can at least participate with the local dishes category.”
Shahad Bokhari, a chef from Jabal Omer Conard, participated in the Saudi cuisine category competition and said that through these types of competitions, young chefs in the Kingdom can develop culinary innovation and get a chance to demonstrate their talents to a wider audience.


Saudi Arabia, Malaysia sign deal for mutual recognition of halal certification

Saudi Arabia, Malaysia sign deal for mutual recognition of halal certification
Updated 15 sec ago

Saudi Arabia, Malaysia sign deal for mutual recognition of halal certification

Saudi Arabia, Malaysia sign deal for mutual recognition of halal certification
  • Agreement aims to standardize halal standards due to variances in specifications, with over 400 certificates worldwide

RIYADH: The Saudi Food and Drug Authority and the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia, also known as JAKIM, signed a memorandum of cooperation for mutual recognition of the halal certification of locally manufactured products.

The agreement was signed by SFDA CEO Dr. Hisham bin Saad Al-Jadhey and Jakim Director General Dr. Hakima Yusuf.

It also includes areas of cooperation on conformity assessment procedures, standard specifications, regulations for issuing halal certificates, and knowledge exchange in training, research and laboratory analysis of halal products.

Al-Jadhey said the agreement aims to standardize halal standards due to variances in specifications, with over 400 certificates worldwide.

He emphasized the importance of establishing a regulatory framework to improve the dependability of halal products for Muslims worldwide.

He said the Saudi Halal Center has been working for several years to establish a framework for a uniform international halal certification system, citing the signing of a memorandum of cooperation in this regard between the Kingdom and Morocco in October last year.
 


Hajj cybersecurity exercise held in Jeddah 

The exercise aims to develop the skills of specialists and enable them to carry out their duties in order to improve services.
The exercise aims to develop the skills of specialists and enable them to carry out their duties in order to improve services.
Updated 4 min 42 sec ago

Hajj cybersecurity exercise held in Jeddah 

The exercise aims to develop the skills of specialists and enable them to carry out their duties in order to improve services.
  • The exercise includes conducting cyberattack simulations and applying the emergency incident response mechanism

JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s National Cybersecurity Authority on Sunday launched an exercise for Hajj in Jeddah which involves more than 350 cybersecurity officials.

The two-day exercise aims to develop the skills of specialists and enable them to carry out their duties in order to improve services for Hajj pilgrims.

The exercise includes conducting cyberattack simulations, applying the emergency incident response mechanism, starting from readiness, detection, and analysis, then containment, recovery, and post-accident procedures, in addition to sharing information and learned lessons.

It will also include a set of technical and administrative activities aimed at finding innovative solutions to online challenges and threats.

Meanwhile, CEO of the Company of Mutawifs for Pilgrims from African Non-Arab Countries Bader Bafakeeh inaugurated the first stage of a smart camp project for African non-Arab pilgrims in Arafat and Mina.

Several contracts and strategic partnerships were signed with a number of specialized companies and institutions. The project encourages the use of technology to solve crowd management challenges through smart monitoring systems that provide real-time indicators, which supports decision-making and facilitates smoother rituals for Hajj pilgrims.


Saudi Arabia, France discuss economic cooperation in private sector 

Saudi Arabia, France discuss economic cooperation in private sector 
Updated 18 min 29 sec ago

Saudi Arabia, France discuss economic cooperation in private sector 

Saudi Arabia, France discuss economic cooperation in private sector 
  • Raffarin called for providing French companies with opportunities in the Saudi market

RIYADH: The Federation of Saudi Chambers hosted a meeting between Saudi business owners and a delegation of 100 French companies, Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday. 

The two sides were headed by former French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin and Mohammed bin Laden, president of the Saudi-French Business Council.

During the meeting, Raffarin called for greater economic cooperation between Saudi Arabia and France by providing French companies with opportunities in the Saudi market. He acknowledged Saudi Arabia’s pioneering role regionally and internationally.

The meeting reviewed the strategy of the Saudi-French Business Council and its various efforts, including extending its membership to 150 people. 

Bin Laden said that the council obtained approval for French residents in Saudi Arabia to join as members. He noted the council’s role in the development of trade relations between the two countries.

The volume of trade exchange between Saudi Arabia and France amounted to SR 43.3 billion ($11.46 billion) in 2022, with Saudi exports to France increasing by 80 percent.
 


South Korean festival introduces country’s culture, history to Jeddawis

The South Korean General Consulate recently staged a two-day cultural event in Jeddah. (Supplied)
The South Korean General Consulate recently staged a two-day cultural event in Jeddah. (Supplied)
Updated 59 min 46 sec ago

South Korean festival introduces country’s culture, history to Jeddawis

The South Korean General Consulate recently staged a two-day cultural event in Jeddah. (Supplied)
  • In the karaoke zone people danced, and sang their favorite K-pop tunes, while some of the event organizers took turns singing traditional Korean songs

JEDDAH: The South Korean General Consulate recently staged a two-day cultural event in Jeddah.

The Korea Festival, held at the city’s Korean International School, was aimed at introducing South Korean culture to Jeddawis.

Among the activities taking place were a calligraphy workshop, cooking and handicraft sessions, a traditional outfits zone, a photo booth, karaoke, an exhibition of artifacts, and food stalls.

Visitors to the calligraphy workshop were shown how to write in different Korean styles, while those attending the handicraft section could learn the art of making paper bags and coloring a paper fan.

Cooking sessions gave an insight into South Korean cuisine including bibimbap, a dish consisting of rice, vegetables, meat, and fried egg, and kimchi, a pickle-like fermented cabbage served as a side. South Korean street food such as sodduk and seasoned chicken was on sale at the food stalls.

In the karaoke zone people danced, and sang their favorite K-pop tunes, while some of the event organizers took turns singing traditional Korean songs.

A display of artifacts included a crown, traditional outfits, paintings, weapons, vases, jewelry boxes, and utensils.

In a welcome speech, Consul General Byoung Jin Han launched a Korean speech contest with 102 participants.

He said: “I would like to thank everyone here for attending the festival and for your love and interest in South Korean culture. Although there are things related to the Korean culture that are missing in this event, I do hope everyone has a good time.”

The diplomat noted that the best way to get to know and understand South Korean culture was by visiting the country.

“But I do still tell my Saudi friends not to go there because I’m afraid that they might fall in love with Korea and decide to live there,” he added.

Jin Han gave special mention to people learning to speak Korean.

He said: “To learn a foreign language takes a lot of courage and love, and by learning Korean, you’re showing your love for the language.”

Meanwhile, the speech contest winner received a tablet, with the second-placed contender getting a smartwatch, and the third earbuds, while all participants were given gifts.

Both days of the festival ended with a talent show involving mainly singing and dance acts.


Saudi astronauts conduct space kite experiment with students

Saudi astronauts Rayyanah Barnawi and Ali Al-Qarni conduct an educational experiment with school students in the Kingdom.
Saudi astronauts Rayyanah Barnawi and Ali Al-Qarni conduct an educational experiment with school students in the Kingdom.
Updated 28 May 2023

Saudi astronauts conduct space kite experiment with students

Saudi astronauts Rayyanah Barnawi and Ali Al-Qarni conduct an educational experiment with school students in the Kingdom.
  • The space kite experiment involved 12,000 middle school students from 47 schools across the Kingdom

RIYADH: Saudi astronauts Rayyanah Barnawi and Ali Al-Qarni on Sunday conducted a second educational experiment with school students in the Kingdom live from the International Space Station.

The space kite experiment involved 12,000 middle school students from 47 schools across the Kingdom. They directly communicated with the astronauts through a live video feed.

The Saudi Space Commission organized the experiments in partnership with the Ministry of Education, the King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity, Riyadh Schools and Misk Schools.

Through education, the commission hopes to inspire a new generation of Saudi leaders, explorers and scientists in line with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.

Students communicated with the two astronauts, asked questions and compared research results. They were directed to compare the aerodynamic behavior of space kites on the ground and in the microgravity environment of the ISS.

The series of student experiments also aim to enhance the Kingdom’s role in developing the space sector and boost its position in the global space science research community.

The first experiment that the two Saudi astronauts conducted with students was held on Saturday. The pair, together with elementary students in the Kingdom, examined the behavior of colored fluids on Earth and in space.

The experiment focused on changes in speed and shape while liquids were stirred in both environments.