Ministry of Hajj and Umrah wins performance excellence award

Special Ministry of Hajj and Umrah wins performance excellence award
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The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has taken first place in the excellent corporate performance category at the Madinah Award Foundation honors ceremony. (Supplied)
Special Ministry of Hajj and Umrah wins performance excellence award
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The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has taken first place in the excellent corporate performance category at the Madinah Award Foundation honors ceremony. (Supplied)
Special Ministry of Hajj and Umrah wins performance excellence award
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The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has taken first place in the excellent corporate performance category at the Madinah Award Foundation honors ceremony. (Supplied)
Special Ministry of Hajj and Umrah wins performance excellence award
4 / 4
The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has taken first place in the excellent corporate performance category at the Madinah Award Foundation honors ceremony. (Supplied)
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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.


Saudi Arabia attends UN-Habitat meetings in Kenya

Fahd bin Mohammed Al-Jubeir
Fahd bin Mohammed Al-Jubeir
Updated 8 min 9 sec ago

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.

 


Six local, international documentaries on show

Six local, international documentaries on show
Updated 58 min 34 sec ago

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/


12k held for labor, residency, border violations in KSA

12k held for labor, residency, border violations in KSA
Updated 14 sec ago

12k held for labor, residency, border violations in KSA

12k held for labor, residency, border violations in KSA
  • The report showed that among the 619 people arrested for trying to enter the Kingdom illegally, 43 percent were Yemeni, 54 percent Ethiopian, and 3 percent were of other nationalities

RIYADH: Saudi authorities arrested almost 12,000 people in one week for breaching residency, work and border security regulations, according to an official report.

From June 1 to 7, a total of 6,303 people were arrested for violations of residency rules, while 4,136 were held over illegal border crossing attempts, and a further 1,171 for labor-related issues.

The report showed that among the 619 people arrested for trying to enter the Kingdom illegally, 43 percent were Yemeni, 54 percent Ethiopian, and 3 percent were of other nationalities.

A further 119 people were caught trying to cross into neighboring countries, and 19 were held for involvement in transporting and harboring violators.

The Saudi Ministry of Interior said that anyone found to be aiding illegal entry to the Kingdom, including transporting and providing shelter, could face imprisonment for a maximum of 15 years, a fine of up to SR1 million ($260,000), or confiscation of vehicles and property.

Suspected violations can be reported on the toll-free number 911 in the Makkah and Riyadh regions, and 999 or 996 in other regions of the Kingdom.

 

 


Students join handicrafts week to create, promote traditional crafts

Students join handicrafts week to create, promote traditional crafts
Updated 10 June 2023

Students join handicrafts week to create, promote traditional crafts

Students join handicrafts week to create, promote traditional crafts
  • Royal Institute of Traditional Arts stages special carving workshops
  • Saudi International Handicrafts Week runs until Monday

RIYADH: The Royal Institute of Traditional Arts staged several workshops this week as part of the activities of Saudi International Handicrafts Week.
The events focused on the carving of wood, gypsum and clay and sought to highlight and preserve some of the Kingdom’s traditional arts.
The wood carving workshop challenged participants to produce pieces inspired by the traditional doors found in different parts of the country, each of which is made from a particular type of wood, such as tamarisk, teak or juniper.
The gypsum carving event sought to produce pieces influenced by the historic houses of Jeddah, while the clay workshop aimed to create works inspired by the wall paintings of Al-Qatt Al-Asiri.
Al-Qatt Al-Asiri is an art form practiced exclusively by women and deeply rooted in the identity of the Kingdom’s southern region. It can be seen decorating the interior walls of guest rooms in Asiri homes.
In 2017, UNESCO added Al-Qatt Al-Asiri to its Intangible Cultural Heritage list.
Students from the institute also sold traditional fashion items, jewelry, wooden crafts and Al-Qatt Al-Asiri products at the event.
The Saudi International Handicrafts Week is organized by the Heritage Authority and runs until Monday at the Riyadh Front.


Kaaba kiswa raised in preparation for Hajj

Kaaba kiswa raised in preparation for Hajj
Updated 10 June 2023

Kaaba kiswa raised in preparation for Hajj

Kaaba kiswa raised in preparation for Hajj
  • Every year, on the ninth day of the Islamic month of Dul Hijjah, the black silk cloth is removed and a new kiswa is draped in its place

RIYADH: In keeping with tradition, the lower part of the kiswa — the black cloth covering the Kaaba in Makkah — has been raised about three meters and the area beneath has been covered with white cotton fabric, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Saturday.

The same procedure is repeated annually before Hajj season in order to protect the kiswa, as some pilgrims touch it when circling the Kaaba.

Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Sudais, president of the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques, was present when the kiswa was raised.

Sultan Al-Qurashi, assistant to the president general for the affairs of the King Abdulaziz Complex for Holy Kaaba Kiswa, exhibitions, engineering, technical, and operational affairs, said that “raising the lower part of the kiswa serves to preserve its cleanliness and (integrity) and preventing tampering.” He added that the kiswa is also raised to prevent some pilgrims’ practices “based on false beliefs.”

Every year, on the ninth day of the Islamic month of Dul Hijjah, the black silk cloth is removed and a new kiswa is draped in its place.