Ramadan meet, greet initiative launched for Makkah pilgrims, umrah visitors

Ramadan meet, greet initiative launched for Makkah pilgrims, umrah visitors
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The presidency distributed gifts including a prayer rug, an umbrella, and Zamzam water. (SPA)
Ramadan meet, greet initiative launched for Makkah pilgrims, umrah visitors
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Pilgrims are welcomed and greeted at Haramain train station and King Abdulaziz International Airport. (SPA)
Ramadan meet, greet initiative launched for Makkah pilgrims, umrah visitors
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The presidency distributed gifts including a prayer rug, an umbrella, and Zamzam water. (SPA)
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Updated 27 March 2023

Ramadan meet, greet initiative launched for Makkah pilgrims, umrah visitors

Ramadan meet, greet initiative launched for Makkah pilgrims, umrah visitors
  • Greeting points will be set up at Haramain train station and King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah
  • Nada Al-Malki: The pilgrims are warmly welcomed, and a set of gifts are presented to help them perform their rituals with ease

RIYADH: The Grand Mosque in Makkah has launched a welcome initiative for pilgrims and umrah visitors arriving in Saudi Arabia.

The scheme has been initiated by the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques represented by its media affairs, public relations, and women’s exhibitions agency.

Greeting points will be set up at Haramain train station and King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah.

Agency official Nada Al-Malki said: “The pilgrims are warmly welcomed at the designated train station, and a set of gifts are presented to help them perform their rituals with ease.”

The initiative was started last year at the railway station with senior management greeting pilgrims and distributing information on digital services, and gift packages including a prayer rug, umbrella, and Zamzam water.

On Sunday, the presidency, represented by the agency responsible for libraries and cultural affairs, launched its Ramadan program in the Grand Mosque library which will include scientific and cultural meetings and seminars.

The first evening session looked at various aspects of the life of the Prophet Muhammad.


Saudi commerce minister concludes visit to UK to enhance economic partnership

Saudi commerce minister concludes visit to UK to enhance economic partnership
Updated 20 sec ago

Saudi commerce minister concludes visit to UK to enhance economic partnership

Saudi commerce minister concludes visit to UK to enhance economic partnership

LONDON: Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Commerce Dr. Majid Al-Qasabi held a number of meetings with British ministers and leaders of major companies in the UK aimed at boosting trade and economic partnership between the two countries, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Saturday.
During his visit, Al-Qasabi met with Minister of State for Energy Security and Net Zero Grant Shapps, Minister of Trade and Business Kimi Badinosh, Minister of Investment Dominic Johnson, Minister of State for Middle East and North African Affairs Lord Tariq Ahmed, and Minister of State at the Department of Education Nick Gibb.
The meetings were attended by Saudi Ambassador to the UK Prince Khalid bin Bandar and Deputy Minister of Commerce and CEO of the National Competitiveness Center Dr. Iman bint Habbas Al-Mutairi.
Al-Qasabi also held meetings with undersecretary of the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology Viscount Camrose, adviser to the British Prime Minister for business and investment Frank Petitgas, the Prime Minister’s special representative for education, Sir Steve Smith, and CEO of the British Accreditation Authority Matt Gantley.
The meetings tackled the strategies and programs of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 to expand business opportunities and investments between the two countries, and encouraging British companies to expand their businesses in Saudi Arabia.
They also discussed ways to encourage and finance emerging companies to enter promising fields of research and innovation and reviewed British expertise in developing entrepreneurship.
Al-Qasabi also held meetings with leaders of the British business sector, including CEO of Rolls-Royce Tufan Erginbilgic, and participated in a dialogue session with members of the Asian House, a think-tank concerned with promoting trade between Asia, the Middle East and Europe.
The Saudi delegation had a scheduled visit to Dulwich College where it was briefed on the British practices and expertise in the field of education.
The minister’s visit to UK coincided with the third meeting of the Economic and Social Committee of the Saudi-British Strategic Partnership Council, which convened in the capital, London.
The forum, which consisted of 45 officials from 22 government, non-profit and private agencies, was organized by the National Competitiveness Center, the Joint Saudi-British Business Council, and the Federation of Saudi Chambers.
The Central Bank of Saudi Arabia, the Public Investment Fund, the Mohammed bin Salman “Misk” Foundation, Roshan Real Estate Group, the Federation of Saudi Chambers and the joint Saudi-British Business Council all took part in the event.


Saudi Arabia launches Makkah Route initiative in Cote d’Ivoire

Saudi Arabia launches Makkah Route initiative in Cote d’Ivoire
Updated 10 June 2023

Saudi Arabia launches Makkah Route initiative in Cote d’Ivoire

Saudi Arabia launches Makkah Route initiative in Cote d’Ivoire
  • The Makkah Route initiative aims to receive pilgrims and help them complete their procedures from their countries with ease

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia launched the Makkah Route initiative in Cote d’Ivoire at Abidjan International Airport on Saturday.

The event was attended by the chairman of the supervisory committee of the initiative and director general of the General Directorate of Passports, Lt. Gen. Sulaiman bin Abdulaziz Al-Yahya, Saudi Ambassador to Cote d’Ivoire Saad bin Bakheat Al-Qathami, and several other key officials.

The Makkah Route initiative aims to receive pilgrims and help them complete their procedures from their countries with ease. The process begins with the issuance of electronic visas and collection of vital information, followed by streamlined passport procedures in before departure for the Kingdom.

These steps are fulfilled after verifying health requirements, in addition to coding and sorting luggage according to transportation and accomodation arrangements in Saudi Arabia.

Upon their arrival, they go directly to buses to take them to their places of residence in Makkah and Madinah, while service agencies deliver their luggage.

The Ministry of the Interior has implemented the initiative in seven countries this year, including Malaysia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Morocco, Bangladesh, Turkiye, and Cote d’Ivoire, with the participation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, the General Authority of Civil Aviation, Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority, Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority, Pilgrim Experience Program and the General Directorate of Passports.

 


Saudi Arabia attends UN-Habitat meetings in Kenya

Fahd bin Mohammed Al-Jubeir
Fahd bin Mohammed Al-Jubeir
Updated 10 June 2023

Saudi Arabia attends UN-Habitat meetings in Kenya

Fahd bin Mohammed Al-Jubeir
  • The UN-Habitat Assembly is the UN’s highest-level legislative body on sustainable urbanization and human settlements, comprising 193 member states

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Quality of Life Program concluded its participation in the second session of the assembly of the UN Human Settlements Programme, known as UN-Habitat, which was held in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi from June 5-9.

The program was represented in a delegation headed by Mayor of the Eastern Province Fahd bin Mohammed Al-Jubeir and the program’s CEO Khalid Al-Bakr, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Titled “A sustainable urban future through comprehensive and effective pluralism that achieves the goals of sustainable development,” the meeting featured discussions on promoting climate action and improving the urban environment, as well as the strategic plan of UN-Habitat.

The UN-Habitat Assembly is the UN’s highest-level legislative body on sustainable urbanization and human settlements, comprising 193 member states. The assembly convenes every four years and provides a platform for member states and stakeholders to share their views and adopt guidelines and recommendations to progress toward achieving sustainable urban development.

UN-Habitat aims to improve education and work toward a better urban future, as its mission is to promote the sustainable development of human settlements and provide adequate shelter for all.

 


Who’s Who: Ahmad bin Askar, chief communication officer at the Sports Boulevard Foundation

Ahmad bin Askar
Ahmad bin Askar
Updated 10 June 2023

Who’s Who: Ahmad bin Askar, chief communication officer at the Sports Boulevard Foundation

Ahmad bin Askar

Ahmad bin Askar has been the chief communication officer at the Sports Boulevard Foundation since 2021. Bin Askar was previously the foundation’s senior vice president of marketing.
He has also been a member of the advisory board for the College of Business Administration at Prince Sultan University since 2020.
In his current role, Bin Askar is central to the foundation’s goal of making Riyadh an international hub for sports and well-being and encouraging the people of Riyadh to participate in sports.
Bin Askar has activated several successful initiatives and campaigns at the Sports Boulevard Foundation, most recently the piloting of the communications roll-out of the Sports Boulevard Design Code that will be implemented in Riyadh.
Bin Askar has over a decade of experience in innovative strategic communications and branding. In 2017, he was appointed marketing director at the Saudi Customs Authority. During this time, he led communication campaigns, events, and branding and digital marketing assignments.
Prior to that, Bin Askar was the marketing and PR manager for Volkswagen Group Saudi Arabia from 2013 until 2017.
Bin Askar holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Prince Sultan University, a nanodegree in digital marketing from Udacity, California, and certifications in brand management and advanced leadership, including a certificate in creativity from Cannes Lions School.

 


Six local, international documentaries on show

Six local, international documentaries on show
Updated 10 June 2023

Six local, international documentaries on show

Six local, international documentaries on show
  • Red Sea Documentary Film Days is underway at Hayy Cinema in Jeddah
  • It is showcasing three Saudi films: “Yallah, Yallah, Beenah!,” “The King’s Poem,” and “Memories From The North”; and three international films

JEDDAH: The Red Sea Documentary Film Days is showcasing six documentaries from Saudi Arabia, France, Guinea, Syria, and Iraq, exploring themes of migration, camaraderie, and cinema archives at Hayy Cinema in Jeddah.
The event, which kicked off on Thursday and will run until June 25, is co-curated by the Red Sea International Film Festival Foundation and Art Jameel.
It is showcasing three Saudi films: “Yallah, Yallah, Beenah!,” “The King’s Poem,” and “Memories From The North”; and three international films: Iraq’s “My Lost Country,” Guinea/France’s “The Cemetery of Cinema,” and Syria’s “Becoming Iphigenia.”
In a press release, Mohammed Al-Turki, CEO of the Red Sea International Film Festival Foundation, described documentaries as an “integral” part of film culture that help raise awareness on important issues.
“We are excited to showcase this medium as documentaries become more popular than ever, winning many of world cinema’s top festival prizes,” he added.
In an exclusive interview with Arab News, Kaleem Aftab, director of international programming at the Red Sea International Film Festival Foundation, said that through the Red Sea Documentary Film Days, the foundation is “looking at partners and collaborators to show films that are a little bit more tricky and (that) Saudi audiences are not used to.
“We are more used to narrative dramas, not so used to having documentaries.”
The Red Sea International Film Festival Foundation and Hayy Jameel previously partnered for “Red Sea: Immersive at Hayy Jameel,” a program of virtual reality experiences organized as part of the inaugural Red Sea International Film Festival back in 2021.
Speaking of the collaboration with Art Jameel, an organization that supports artists and creative communities, Aftab said that Hayy Jameel is a perfect partner.
“They have a wonderful location, a great cinema, and we have similar sensibilities and a desire to engage with the public in Jeddah to further arts and to create debate,” he said.
“Yallah, Yallah, Beenah!,” “Becoming Iphigenia,” and “The Cemetery of Cinema” (which also played at the Berlin Film Festival), premiered in the Middle East and North Africa region for the first time during the event’s opening weekend.
“We are very happy because all of these films received support from the (foundation),” Aftab said, adding that the screenings provide an opportunity for the public to “engage with not just cinema or documentaries, but with ideas.”
Saudi director Mohammed Hammad of “Yallah, Yallah, Beenah!” said: “The film is a dedication to the city of Jeddah, which I remember as a kid and pre-teen.”
The Red Sea Documentary Film Days is accompanied by an extended public program that includes talks and workshops for all ages.
To learn more about the program, documentaries or to book tickets, visit: https://www.hayycinema.org/