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Saudi tourism in the global limelight at Berlin conference

Ahmed Al-Khatib, Minister of Tourism and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Tourism Authority, inaugurated the Saudi pavilion at the fair. (SPA)
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Ahmed Al-Khatib, Minister of Tourism and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Tourism Authority, inaugurated the Saudi pavilion at the fair. (SPA)
Saudi tourism in the global limelight at Berlin conference
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The Kingdom signed international strategic agreements with prominent brands, such as Expedia, FTI, DER Touristik, Hotel Beds, and Lufthansa City Center. (SPA)
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Updated 13 March 2023
Arab News

Saudi tourism in the global limelight at Berlin conference

Saudi tourism in the global limelight at Berlin conference
  • The Saudi pavilion grabbed the limelight with the largest space in the forum, and its interactive content
Updated 13 March 2023
Arab News

RIYADH: The Saudi Tourism Authority has completed a successful three days at ITB Berlin, the world’s largest trade fair for the industry.

Ahmed Al-Khateeb, Saudi minister of tourism and chairman of the authority’s board of directors, opened the Saudi pavilion at the fair, which received a number of presidents, ministers, leaders, and other key officials.

Al-Khateeb also met officials of major commercial bodies such as TUI Group and FTI Consulting, in addition to leaders of the UN World Tourism Organization and the World Travel and Tourism Council.




Saudi Arabia signed international strategic agreements with prominent brands, such as Expedia, FTI, DER Touristik, Hotel Beds, and Lufthansa City Center. (SPA)

The Saudi pavilion grabbed the limelight with the largest space in the forum, and its interactive content.

The Kingdom signed international strategic agreements with bodies including the UNWTO, Expedia Group, FTI Consulting, DER Touristik, Hotelbeds, and Lufthansa City Center.

Fahd Hamidaddin, CEO and STA board member, said: “Saudi tourism achieved remarkable successes through the Berlin fair, which strengthened the Kingdom’s position on the global tourism map, and opened horizons of cooperation to enable partners from inside and outside the Kingdom.”




Saudi Arabia signed international strategic agreements with prominent brands, such as Expedia, FTI, DER Touristik, Hotel Beds, and Lufthansa City Center. (SPA)

He stressed the importance of strategic partnerships and the enthusiasm of the German and European tourism sectors to cooperate with Saudi partners.

Markus Orth, managing director at Lufthansa City Center, said: “We are looking forward to strategic partnerships with Saudi Arabia, this new and wonderful tourist destination.

“It is working towards a sustainable future for the tourism sector with its unique destinations, historical and cultural sites.”

Saudi Arabia recorded 93.5 million visits in 2022 and aims to reach 100 million visitors annually by 2030, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The Kingdom is the largest investor in the world in the tourism sector, and has allocated $550 billion for new destinations to receive visitors by 2030, the SPA added.

 

 

Topics: Saudi Tourism Authority (STA) Saudi Arabia

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Saudi health ministry trains volunteers to serve elderly pilgrims in Madinah

Pilgrims from Indonesia can be seen at the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah. (@wmngovsa)
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Updated 58 min 48 sec ago
Arab News

Saudi health ministry trains volunteers to serve elderly pilgrims in Madinah

Pilgrims from Indonesia can be seen at the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah. (@wmngovsa)
  • Volunteers have been trained on how to deal with pilgrims from other cultures who speak different languages
  • They are also providing pilgrims with health awareness so they can safely and efficiently complete their rituals
Updated 58 min 48 sec ago
Arab News

RIYADH: The Ministry of Health’s Madinah branch has launched a program run by volunteers to provide health, education, and ambulance services to elderly pilgrims and residents of the holy city.

The ministry said that 121 volunteers had signed up to the program and are offering their services at centers near Islamic sites in Madinah frequented by pilgrims including the Prophet’s Mosque, Quba Mosque, Masjid Al-Qiblatain, the Miqat Mosque, and Sayed Al-Shuhada Mosque.

Volunteers have been trained on how to deal with pilgrims from other cultures who speak different languages.

They are also providing pilgrims with health awareness so they can safely and efficiently complete their rituals.

The program will run until the end of this year’s Hajj season.

Topics: Hajj 2023 Madinah Saudi Arabia

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Harf Arabic Language competition concludes with 12 winners in 4 fields 

Passionate and dedicated attendees gather at the closing ceremony of the Arabic Competition
Passionate and dedicated attendees gather at the closing ceremony of the Arabic Competition "Harf."
Updated 06 June 2023
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Harf Arabic Language competition concludes with 12 winners in 4 fields 

Passionate and dedicated attendees gather at the closing ceremony of the Arabic Competition "Harf."
  • The competition is aimed at non-Arabic learners to give them the opportunity to highlight their skills in various fields
Updated 06 June 2023
Hebshi Alshammari

RIYADH: The King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language concluded the Harf Arabic Language competition on Monday ‎with 12 winners in four categories from various non-Arabic speaking states.

The competition, launched May 4, is aimed at non-Arabic learners to give them the opportunity to highlight their skills in various fields, to honor the distinguished among them, and to encourage learners to practice the language and promote its use.

The winners were honored after being selected according to the approved criteria during the closing ceremony, held in Riyadh, which saw the participation of more than 750 contestants, representing a number of Saudi universities and institutes, with 56 people reaching the final stage.

Dr. Abdullah bin Saleh Al-Washmi, acting secretary-general of the academy, said: ‎“Saudi Arabia’s wise leadership always encourage(s) the non-native Arabic learners‎ to practice and use it.‎‏

‎“The competition contributed to achieving the academy’s goals and implementing its strategy by creating the appropriate environment for the development and consolidation of the Arabic language,‎” he added.

‎“The competition aims to encourage the Arabic language scholars, researchers and specialists by developing the professional, linguistic and cultural competencies of Arabic language teachers for non-Arabic speakers, motivating them and creating solutions that support the empowerment of non-Arabic speakers in various challenges they face‎.”

The academy awarded prizes to the first three winners in each category, with a total value of SR100,000 ($26,666) and honored other finalists with financial prizes totaling SR22,000.

Musa Yaqoub from Cameroon, Umm Al-Qura University, ranked first in the Lexical Ability category; Abdul Rahman Ali Cham from Gambia, Majmaah University, ranked second, and third place was taken by Ibrahim Othman Kalo from the Ivory Coast, Umm Al-Qura University. ‏

The three winners in the Language and Technology category were Zakaria Sirin, from Indonesia, King Saud University, Reem Reforce, from the Philippines, Umm Al-Qura University, and Zehniaa Saleh from the Philippines, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University. 

The winners in the Narrator and Stories category were Khaled Safi from Afghanistan, Umm Al-Qura University, Qanitah Sheikh from India, Umm Al-Qura University, Mariam Mahdi Mirato from the Philippines, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University.

The winners in the Research Paper category were Mohammed Sako from Guinea, Qassim University, Medina Jalis Khannova from Russia, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, and Effaa Abdullah from India, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University. 

The participants represented more than 60 nationalities. India ranked first in terms of the number of participants with 73 contestants, then Indonesia and Afghanistan with 42 contestants each, then Ivory Coast with 38 contestants, Burkina Faso with 37 contestants, Nigeria with 34 contestants, Guinea, Gambia and Chad, with 32 contestants apiece, while Mali had 30 contestants.

Topics: Saudi Arabia

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First Arab Hajj pilgrims arrive in Makkah

First Arab Hajj pilgrims arrive in Makkah
Updated 47 min 37 sec ago
Arab News

First Arab Hajj pilgrims arrive in Makkah

First Arab Hajj pilgrims arrive in Makkah
  • 294 pilgrims were from Algeria and 192 were from Iraq
  • Saudi General Authority for Roads said all important routes to Makkah and streets in the holy city were prepared for the arrival of pilgrims
Updated 47 min 37 sec ago
Arab News

JEDDAH: The first two groups of Arab Hajj pilgrims arrived in Makkah on Tuesday.

The Motawifs of Arab Hajj Company received 192 pilgrims from Iraq and 294 from Algeria.

Chairman Mohammed Maajini said the company will provide the utmost levels of comfort to pilgrims to allow them to perform their rituals in an atmosphere of faith.

Pilgrims from both countries have expressed their happiness with efforts made by the Saudi government to provide the best services and thanked the Kingdom for its hospitality.

Meanwhile, the Saudi General Authority for Roads said all important routes to Makkah and streets in the holy city were prepared for the arrival of pilgrims and aid their travels.

The authority had focused on Riyadh, Taif, and Makkah Roads, which are a combined length of 820 km, the 70 km Makkah Jeddah Road and the 420 km-long Makkah Madinah Road. 

It has also prepared the 70 km Al-Sail Al-Kabeer Road and the 60 km Al-Hada Road.

Transport and logistics bodies have surveyed all routes from the border crossings to the holy sites, and have carried out maintenance and safety works on 7,400 km of road.

Topics: Hajj 2023 Makkah Algeria Iraq ARab

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  • Philippines runs special immigration arrangements for 7,500 Hajj pilgrims
  • National Commission on Muslim Filipinos grateful for Saudi support
Updated 06 June 2023
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MANILA: Philippine pilgrims departing for Hajj are overjoyed with the experience, the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos has told Arab News, as the government is employing special measures to accommodate their journey. 

In the predominantly Catholic Philippines, Muslims constitute roughly 5 percent of its 110 million population. Most live on the island of Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago in the country’s south, as well as in the central-western province of Palawan. 

As 7,500 members of the religious minority are traveling to Saudi Arabia to perform the Hajj pilgrimage this year, they are enjoying new services at various airports across the Philippines designed to ensure a speedy immigration process during the spiritual journey that is one of the five pillars of Islam. 

“It was the first time in the history of the Muslim community performing Hajj that there is a special lane at the airport designated for pilgrims … We can feel their excitement,” National Commission on Muslim Filipinos spokesperson Yusoph Mando told Arab News as Hajj flights from the Philippines started over the weekend.   

The first batch of pilgrims was sent off by Antonio Lagdameo, special assistant to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., and on arrival in Madinah, they were greeted by the Philippine Embassy staff. 

“Just imagine it’s your lifetime dream to do the Hajj, and finally you already have your ticket … Then you see the NCMF and other ranking government officials and a representative of the president, Secretary Anton Lgdameo Jr., all present to send you off,” Mando said. 

“They know that the government did everything for them … and we also attribute it to the efforts and support of the Office of President.” 

According to NCMF data, the majority of Filipino pilgrims embarking on Hajj this year come from Lanao, Zamboanga, Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi and Cotabato. 

As they reach Saudi Arabia, they are attended to by Philippine officials. 

“We have a medical team that will be part of the contingent, as well as a supervisory team that will ensure their needs will be attended to. Medical teams were sent already sent ahead of the arrival of the pilgrims,” Mando said, adding that the commission was doing its best to make sure everything went smoothly as many pilgrims, especially senior ones, had waited their whole lives to embark on the journey. 

Throughout the process, the pilgrims have also been assisted by Saudi authorities. 

“We want the public, especially in the Arab world, to know that we are appreciative of their support and accommodation for the Filipino pilgrims,” Mando said.   

“Since time immemorial, we have been accommodated by the Saudi government. We have to tell them that we are thankful. Filipinos are looking up to them.” 

Topics: Hajj 2023 Saudi Arabia Philippines

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Saudi-led military alliance cleared of alleged human rights violations in Yemen

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Updated 06 June 2023
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  • JIAT conducted inquiry into four allegations of so-called operational misbehavior
  • Investigators dismissed claims by human rights organizations, media outlets coalition carried out airstrikes
Updated 06 June 2023
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RIYADH: Investigators have cleared a Saudi-led military alliance of alleged human rights violations in Yemen.

The Joint Incident Assessment Team on Monday said it had dismissed claims by human rights organizations and media outlets that the coalition had carried out airstrikes, including one on Sanaa airport in 2020.

The JIAT conducted an inquiry into four allegations of so-called operational misbehavior made against the alliance.

Medical care charity Doctors Without Borders had reported the coalition for what it described as an air mission on Sanaa airport on Dec. 8, 2020. But team spokesman, Mansour Al-Mansour, said that an investigation had concluded that the coalition’s nearest military target on that date was in Amran governorate, 22 kilometers away.

Another claim — made by the Panel of Experts on Yemen in January 2020 — related to an alleged airstrike on a water truck in As Sawadiya district of Al-Bayda governorate in April 2019.

Al-Mansour pointed out that on the day in question, the closest coalition forces had been operating was 158 km away in Sanaa governorate.

The JIAT also exonerated the coalition over an alleged human rights breach relating to a detention center in Saada city, northwest Yemen, reported by the UN secretary-general’s spokesman in January 2022.

The team found that the site targeted had been the Central Security located in Saada, approximately 2,400 meters south of Saada airport.

And separately, Physicians for Human Rights had accused coalition forces of carrying out an airstrike on Al-Karama Hospital in Taiz in March 2020 that resulted in severe damage to the building and the death of a civilian.

JIAT specialists discovered that the hospital was on a coalition list of sites banned from being targeted by its forces and that no air missions had taken place in Taiz governorate on the date.

Al-Mansour noted that the team’s investigations had shown that “procedures were safe, following the rules of international humanitarian laws.”

JIAT officials, he added, had met with relevant military personnel and individuals inside Yemen and field units, and had taken into consideration the rules and values of international humanitarian law in arriving at its conclusions.

Topics: Yemen Saudi Arabia

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