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

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

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.

 

 


Qur’an recitation contest draws melodious voices from across the world

Qur’an recitation contest draws melodious voices from across the world
Updated 8 sec ago

Qur’an recitation contest draws melodious voices from across the world

Qur’an recitation contest draws melodious voices from across the world
  • Syrian contestant seeks solace in holy book after earthquake tragedy
  • Otr Elkalam is biggest and richest competition of its kind in the world

RIYADH: The Kingdom’s second Qur’an recitation and call to prayer competition, the largest of its kind in the world, continues to inspire Muslims to participate from across the world.

The Otr Elkalam or Perfumed Speech contest, has since last year been the goal of Syria’s Mohammed Al-Jalab, an interior designer, who has been drawing strength from the holy book because of the devastation in his country, according to reports on the websites of the competition and the broadcaster MBC’s Shahid digital platform.

Al-Jalab completed the memorization of the holy Qur’an at 15. He also studied Tajwid, the science of proper pronunciation, and mastered various maqamat, or melodic modes, used during recitation.

The second edition of Otr Elkalam started on March 23, coinciding with the first day of Ramadan.

During Wednesday’s episode, Al-Jalab competed in the Qur’an recitation contest against Morocco’s Zakaria Al-Zirik, who managed to qualify for the next stage of the competition.

In the adhan or call to prayer contest, Syrian contestant Ahmed Darwish, who specializes in electronic production and publishing, competed against Lebanon’s Raheef Al-Hajj, a teacher of maqamat and vocal performances and founder of a specialized academy.

Al-Hajj qualified for the next stage of the competition thanks to the diversity of his maqamat, and his balance between vocal transitions, which dazzled members of the jury.

Otr Elkalam is an initiative of the General Entertainment Authority. It was announced in 2019 offering a total prize pool of SR12 million ($3.2 million).

The first version of the show was broadcast in Ramadan 2022 with the participation of some of the best voices in the world. The competition is on MBC daily at 4:30 p.m., Riyadh time.

More than 90,000 participants from more than 160 countries have now participated in the first and current editions of the competition, in front of a specialized jury.

Over 50,000 entrants were whittled down to 50 for the final stage this year in Riyadh. Another selection process by the main jury left 32 contestants, 16 for each section of the competition.

Applications to take part in this year’s contest began rolling in from Jan. 4 and contestants then went through several online stages of evaluation by 120 jury members.


Talking movies… Saudi Arabia holds first film critic forum 

Talking movies… Saudi Arabia holds first film critic forum 
Updated 5 min 59 sec ago

Talking movies… Saudi Arabia holds first film critic forum 

Talking movies… Saudi Arabia holds first film critic forum 
  • Jeddah event organized to boost Kingdom’s industry 
  • Similar forums to be held in five other cities

JEDDAH: Leading film critics discussed the future of Saudi Arabia’s cinema industry at the first Film Criticism Conference held in Jeddah’s Al-Balad district.

The two-day forum was organized by the Saudi Film Commission in partnership with Jeddah’s Islamic Arts Biennale and focused on “Spirituality in Cinema.”

Those in attendance enjoyed workshops that introduced concepts related to media and cinematic awareness and stimulated reading films critically and objectively. 

Among the local and visiting critics sharing their expertise and opinions were Naminata Diabate, Associate Professor at Cornell University and Book Author of Naked Agency, Saudi Ruba Al-Sweel, a writer and researcher of arts and culture, Indian Dr. Syed Haider, lecturer in world cinemas and Portuguese Sergio Dias Branco, a film critic and Assistant Professor of Film Studies at the University of Coimbra.

One of the main guests at the forum who is visiting the Kingdom for the first time, American Joe Kickasola, Professor, Film & Digital Media, Director of the Baylor in New York Program told Arab News that the Saudi Film Commission plays a critical role in forming the whole possibility of film-making within Saudi Arabia.

“It is creating an opportunity, it is creating a framework. The most important thing for film artists is to know the possibilities; otherwise, it is constantly challenging or trying to figure things out, but when you have a higher organization, it will help you out to achieve your goal and that’s the role of the Saudi Film Commission,” he said.

Saudi art expert Al-Sweel presented her recent research of media theory, looking at how platform capitalism and network spirituality breed a specific cultural moment. 

She said: “There has always been brilliant independent attempts at creating a film community that strives to tell stories from a local vantage point — where depth of subject matter matches that of technical knowledge. 

“Now and with the support and structures of institutions such as the Film Commission, we can expect an avalanche of critical films to come out of the country and into the world over the next decade.”

Forums are also to be held in Riyadh, Buraydah, Abha, Tabuk and Dhahran for people interested in the film sector in the Kingdom and abroad, and who specialize in film criticism.

It will also invite academic bodies concerned with local and international cinematic studies and research and local, regional, and international media outlets concerned with the cinema movement in the Kingdom.


Saudi Fashion Commission to launch Ramadan pop-up

Saudi Fashion Commission to launch Ramadan pop-up
Updated 30 March 2023

Saudi Fashion Commission to launch Ramadan pop-up

Saudi Fashion Commission to launch Ramadan pop-up
  • Four-day event will feature brands from over 160 local designers that reflect Saudi Arabia’s cultural diversity

RIYADH: The Saudi Fashion Commission will launch a Ramadan pop-up on April 5 featuring brands from over 160 local designers, Saudi Press Agency reported.

The four-day event will feature curated pop-up shops that reflect Saudi Arabia’s cultural diversity. 

CEO Burak Cakmak said the initiative is part of the commission's efforts to support young Saudi designers by promoting their work to local and international consumers.

 


Red Sea Global organizes local, regional meetings in bid to expand partnerships

Red Sea Global organizes local, regional meetings in bid to expand partnerships
Updated 30 March 2023

Red Sea Global organizes local, regional meetings in bid to expand partnerships

Red Sea Global organizes local, regional meetings in bid to expand partnerships
  • First regional meeting in Doha attracts over 100 businesses
  • Contracts worth about SR25bn are being sought by the Saudi tourism development company

RIYADH: Red Sea Global has organized a series of local and regional meetings highlighting projects being developed along the Kingdom’s Red Sea coast, as well as partnership opportunities with the company, Saudi Press Agency reported on Thursday.

The first regional meeting, held in Doha, reviewed details of the Saudi sustainable tourism development company’s projects and shed light on investment opportunities available to regional partners. It attracted over 100 businesses. 

Red Sea Global announced that contracts worth SR27 billion ($7.2 billion) and SR13 billion were awarded for its projects The Red Sea and Amaala this year. Other contracts worth about SR25 billion are also being sought by the company.

In 2023, 70 percent of existing contracts were awarded to Saudi companies.

Mohammed Al-Fardan, executive director of procurement at Red Sea Global, said that expanding partnerships at the local and international levels is a critical step in developing new relationships with Saudi Arabia’s private sector. 

Ben Edwards, group head of cost, commercial and procurement, highlighted opportunities in construction work for Red Sea Global destinations, including building infrastructure, marine and civil engineering, plumbing and furnishing. 

Edwards said that the company is also looking for partners with global experience in tourism, such as food and beverages and other hospitality services.

The Red Sea project is set to open its first three resorts this year, and its Red Sea International Airport is nearing the first phase of completion.

 


Ministry of Hajj and Umrah wins performance excellence award

Ministry of Hajj and Umrah wins performance excellence award
Updated 30 March 2023

Ministry of Hajj and Umrah wins performance excellence award

Ministry of Hajj and Umrah wins performance excellence award
  • The ministry said that the award was the result of its efforts in supporting innovation in institutional performance and preparing guides for Hajj and Umrah operations
  • It also stressed its digital transformation, an awareness of responsibility, integrity, justice and transparency, and its encouragement of employees to participate in community activities

JEDDAH: The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has taken first place in the excellent corporate performance category at the Madinah Award Foundation’s ceremony.

The event, which was held at Taibah University’s Conference Hall on Wednesday, was attended by Madinah Gov. Prince Faisal bin Salman, who is also chairman of the foundation’s board of trustees, and Hajj and Umrah Minister Tawfiq Al-Rabiah.

The ministry said in a press statement that the award was the result of its efforts in supporting innovation in institutional performance and preparing guides for Hajj and Umrah operations, which included follow-up procedures to achieve performance indicators.

It also stressed its digital transformation, the spreading awareness of responsibility, integrity, justice and transparency, and its encouragement of employees to participate in community activities and volunteer work.

Some 26 entities had applied for the award for the best government-performing organization.

Al-Rabiah expressed his appreciation to Prince Faisal for organizing the award, which he said aimed to encourage departments to achieve excellence.

He added that the ministry would not have achieved the distinction had it not been for the directives of its leadership which sought to help worshippers on their journeys to the holy places.