King Abdulaziz competition for Qur’an memorization begins

King Abdulaziz competition for Qur’an memorization begins
The 43rd King Abdulaziz International Competition for the Memorization, Recitation and Interpretation of the Qur’an began on Friday at the Grand Mosque in Makkah, under the patronage of King Salman. (X/@Saudi_MoiaEN)
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Updated 25 August 2023
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King Abdulaziz competition for Qur’an memorization begins

King Abdulaziz competition for Qur’an memorization begins
  • The competition is organized by the Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah, and Guidance
  • Contestants from 117 countries are participating in the competition, which runs until Sept. 6

MAKKAH: The 43rd King Abdulaziz International Competition for the Memorization, Recitation and Interpretation of the Qur’an began on Friday at the Grand Mosque in Makkah, under the patronage of King Salman.
The competition is organized by the Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah, and Guidance, represented by the General Secretariat of the Local and International Holy Qur’an Competition.
Contestants from 117 countries are participating in the competition, which runs until Sept. 6. A total of SR4 million ($1.07 million) will be awarded to the winners of its five categories.
Saudi Minister of Islamic Affairs, Dawah, and Guidance Sheikh Abdullatif Al-Asheikh, who is also the general supervisor of the competition, commended King Salman for his support of the competition, which, he said, “motivates Muslims all over the world to compete in memorizing and reciting the Qur’an.”
Maldivian Minister of State for Islamic Affairs Elias Jamal told Arab News that the contest is “one of the greatest international competitions ever.”
He said: “It is distinguished from other competitions by being located in the holiest part of the planet, in the heart of Makkah and right next to the Holy Kaaba.” He added that the contest is proof of the Kingdom’s care for Islam and its rituals.
“The competition is one of the greatest ways to memorize the Holy Book,” he continued. “The Maldives attaches great importance to this competition and nominates its elite memorizers to participate every year. Last year, we nominated a memorizer with special needs to participate in the competition. Despite having speaking difficulties, the contestant recited the Qur’an fluently.” Two Maldivian contestants will be participating this year.
“I am honored by this opportunity allowing me to highlight the importance of this competition, which touches the hearts of all Muslims, given the impact it has on Muslims all across the world, who show great interest in competing for a spot. The competition’s most significant impact is to introduce readers and memorizers from various countries to each other and to revive solidarity and synergy among Muslims,” Jamal said in a speech he delivered to the contestants, in which he asked them to thank God for being chosen to visit and perform their rituals in Makkah and Madinah.
Dr. Khaled Troudi, head of the Laboratory of Islamic Thought of Tunisia, told Arab News, “The Kingdom has attributed great importance to memorizing, reciting, and interpreting the Holy Qur’an (for decades), which has made teaching the Qur’an more common around the world.
“The competition is a continuous motivation. It is also a great opportunity to select the elite in the field to study at institutions established by the Kingdom (so they can) become global preachers,” he added.


Saudi foreign minister, UN chief discuss situation in Gaza

Saudi foreign minister, UN chief discuss situation in Gaza
Updated 07 December 2023
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Saudi foreign minister, UN chief discuss situation in Gaza

Saudi foreign minister, UN chief discuss situation in Gaza

RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan discussed on Wednesday the situation in Gaza  with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the Kingdom’s Foreign Ministry said.
Guterres called Prince Faisal and they discussed the importance of making more effort to reach an immediate ceasefire.
Israel is waging a ground and air offensive against Hamas in all parts of Gaza, resulting in mass civilian deaths and causing a humanitarian catastrophe.


Riyadh anticipates return of Diriyah Season

Riyadh anticipates return of Diriyah Season
Updated 06 December 2023
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Riyadh anticipates return of Diriyah Season

Riyadh anticipates return of Diriyah Season
  • Three-month cultural calendar is full of surprises that will take you through Kingdom’s culture and heritage

RIYADH: The 2023-2024 Diriyah Season is set to begin on Dec. 12 with a curated three-month calendar of events that combines arts and culture, and live performances and experiences that showcase nearly 600 years of history and heritage.

The season is off to a musically spectacular start with an exceptional lineup of cultural concerts. Tickets for the first cultural concept, featuring the Saudi music legends Rabeh Saqr and Ayed performing in Mayadeen theater, will go on sale on Dec. 10.

Diriyah Season cultural showcase includes immersive art installations and exhibitions, live and theatrical performances, and culinary experiences that celebrate both traditional and contemporary cuisine. (Diriyah Season)

This year’s theme honors Diriyah’s story and celebrates Al-Awja in a rallying call for all Saudis to unite and celebrate their shared culture and identity.

The season will be set in five distinct Diriyah locations: Wadi Safar, which will feature a Diriyah cultural basecamp; the iconic UNESCO World Heritage Site At-Turaif; Bujairi Terrace; the Mayadeen theater; and Diriyah district.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Diriyah Season is set to begin on Dec. 12 and will conclude in March.

• The theater will also host a theatrical equestrian show and cultural concerts.

• For the first time, Bujairi Terrace will feature a themed escape room called ‘Journey to the Future.’

• For more information, check diriyah.sa/season.

The season “blends the old with the new and takes us on a journey of self-discovery as we reconnect with our authentic selves. This is not just entertainment; it’s entertainment with meaning,” said Jerry Inzerillo, CEO of Diriyah Gate Development Authority.

“We want people from all over the world to see 300 years of our music, our food, our tents, our costuming, our storytelling, our poetry, our calligraphy,” Inzerillo said.

Diriyah Season cultural showcase includes immersive art installations and exhibitions, live and theatrical performances, and culinary experiences that celebrate both traditional and contemporary cuisine. (Diriyah Season)

The Diriyah E-Prix championship, immersive art installations and exhibitions, live and theatrical performances, plus culinary experiences that celebrate both traditional and contemporary cuisine, are also planned for the season.

The Culinary Arts Commission of the Ministry of Culture will present Shetana, an outdoor winter-evening Saudi culinary experience, every day for four weeks at the Mayadeen theater. There will be a theatrical equestrian show and cultural concerts at the theater as well.

Ahmad Alnuaisri, Diriyah Company assistant manager of media relations

Bujairi Terrace, the fine dining destination, will include an expanded return of Layali Diriyah, which sees one of Diriyah’s heritage farms transformed into an open-air illuminated wonderland, showcasing the best of local and international contemporary art, design, cuisine, dance, live music, poetry and theatrical performances.

For the first time, Bujairi Terrace will also feature a themed escape room called “Journey to the Future,” which will test players’ escape skills and explore the Kingdom’s historical narratives.

What is special about the Diriyah escape room is that it will carry a cultural aspect and requires reviewing your cultural and historical information to solve the puzzles at hand.

Ahmad Alnuaisri, Diriyah Company assistant manager of media relations

“The themed escape room is a unique experience. It is an activity that requires one to be a quick thinker, and quick at making decisions and solving puzzles,” said Ahmad Alnuaisri, assistant manager of media relations at Diriyah Company.

“What is special about the Diriyah escape room is that it will carry a cultural aspect and requires reviewing your cultural and historical information to solve the puzzles at hand,” he said.

Jerry Inzerillo, Diriyah Gate Development Authority CEO

This season’s events planned for the At-Turaif historic district include poetry pop-ups, workshops, a retrospective, an exhibition, Souq Al-Mawsim, and more.

The At-Turaif retrospective explores and embraces the values of At-Turaif’s continuing influence on the Kingdom while bringing Diriyah’s stories and memories together in a multimedia installation. The “Diriyah Doors” exhibition explores the significance and history of the vividly colored, intricately patterned and engraved doors in Diriyah and Najd.

We want people from all over the world to see 300 years of our music, our food, our tents, our costuming, our storytelling, our poetry, our calligraphy.

Jerry Inzerillo, Diriyah Gate Development Authority CEO

The season, which ends in March, is predicted to strengthen the Kingdom’s tourism sector by bringing in both local and international visitors and generating 178,000 jobs for young Saudis.

“Even though we’re a 2030 project, we opened assets in 2022 including our UNESCO site … we’ve already had 1 million visits,” Inzerillo said.

“And now the numbers are growing, and we’ll have a million people that will visit us … until Ramadan when this Diriyah season concludes,” he said.

The 2023-2024 Diriyah Season is presented by Diriyah Company in partnership with Diriyah Gate Development Authority.

 

 


Saudi wood sculptor creates odes to nature, wildlife, ancient history

Saudi wood sculptor creates odes to nature, wildlife, ancient history
Updated 06 December 2023
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Saudi wood sculptor creates odes to nature, wildlife, ancient history

Saudi wood sculptor creates odes to nature, wildlife, ancient history
  • Award-winning artist Sultan Al-Mrshood inspired by childhood on Buraidah farm
  • Work includes ‘snake’ cane, rosaries from coconut wood, pits of olives and dates

RIYADH: Award-winning artist Sultan Al-Mrshood — who is currently presenting his work at the Saudi Feast Food Festival — has mastered the art of sculpting hyper-realistic representations of nature from wood, inspired by his childhood living on a farm.

Al-Mrshood has a booth at the festival’s Olive Exhibition — showcasing the fruit’s use as food and cosmetics — where he says his artwork often has admirers gathering for long periods.

The sculptor has an assortment of work on display including an eagle, a wooden cane entwined by a snake, and several handcrafted rosaries made from coconut wood, and the pits of olives and dates.

In his stand, the sculptor presents his collection of carved sculptures resembling an eagle, a snake crutch, carved canvases, and a variety of hand-made rosaries made of olive and date pits and coconut wood. (AN photos by Huda Bashatah)

Al-Mrshood has crafted three snake canes, with each taking about three months to complete. He sold the latest one, facilitated by the Ministry of Culture at the festival, for SR30,000 ($8,000). Seven years ago, Al-Mrshood sold a cane to Prince Sultan bin Salman who gifted it to Bahrain’s foreign minister at the time, Khalid bin Ahmad Al-Khalifa.

“Each of my pieces is mixed with an event or ancient history in Saudi civilization … the snake (cane), which embodies the story of the staff of Moses, is the secret of my fame and was sold to Prince Sultan bin Salman,” he noted.

Saudi artist sultan Al-Mrshood carves rosaries from pits of olives and dates. (AN photos by Huda Bashatah)

He has also sold one to a well-known cane collector in Al-Qassim province.

Al-Mrshood previously won third place for his wood sculptures in a Souq Okaz competition. Souq Okaz is a part of Taif Season which showcases Arab culture through food, art and goods from the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Iraq, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco and Tunisia.

Al-Mrshood says that he has received positive feedback from the community on his snake canes. “It is classified as one of the rarest canes found in Saudi Arabia … The fact that there are not many sculptors in Saudi Arabia makes it very important and relevant. All the visitors’ responses are admiration and amazement.”

Sultan Al-Mrshood said ‘The snake crutch, which embodies the story of the staff of Moses, is the secret of my fame and was sold to Prince Sultan bin Salman.’ (Supplied)

He is inspired by images of a farm in Buraidah where he was raised. “I lived part of my life on a simple farm. My childhood at the farm was filled with adventures and I would always play with the wooden sticks and create shapes out of them. I would try to make masterpieces out of whatever was around me even though I didn’t know I would be an artist.”

“I have been an artist since childhood, and I was a painter before I was a sculptor. The art of sculpture is a complex process that relies on geometry, imagination, sculpting skill, and the use of many methods.”

Al-Mrshood says he is inspired when in “a mixture of calm solitude, meditation, and walking.”

He currently works at the Ministry of Culture as an instructor, passing on his knowledge to young Saudis through wood carving classes.

On challenges he faces as a wood sculptor, Al-Mrshood noted the “lack of availability to purchase manual machines to help me work accurately and quickly.”

While he caters for a niche market, which has its difficulties, there is also the appeal of its exclusivity. “If there are many wood carvers in Saudi Arabia, the price would decrease, but since the number of wood carvers in Saudi Arabia is very low, the prices of our handcrafted producers increase. This makes individuals like us very important and valued.”

 


Traditional Saudi Arabia folk dances, music showcased in Jazan

A total of 144 intermediate and high school students participated in the second National Folk Festival. (SPA)
A total of 144 intermediate and high school students participated in the second National Folk Festival. (SPA)
Updated 06 December 2023
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Traditional Saudi Arabia folk dances, music showcased in Jazan

A total of 144 intermediate and high school students participated in the second National Folk Festival. (SPA)
  • Jazan students took center stage with dynamic “Sword” and “Azzawi” dances, while Jeddah students enchanted with “Mezmar” and “Khobaiti” displays

RIYADH: The Kingdom’s rich music and dance heritage was recently showcased by students from across the country in Jazan, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday.

The second National Folk Festival saw 144 intermediate and high school students participate in the event organized by the local education department at the Jazan Heritage Village.

Outstanding performances were delivered by Riyadh and Al-Qassim students with the “Samri” dance, and Najran youth with drums, SPA reported.

Students from the Northern Border region engaged spectators with the rhythmic “Dahha” dance art form, and those from Makkah presented “Majrour and Rajaz” folk music.

Jazan students took center stage with dynamic “Sword” and “Azzawi” dances, while Jeddah students enchanted with “Mezmar” and “Khobaiti” displays.

Al-Baha students showcased the spirited “Mashbanani” and “Ardah” dances, and Al-Ahsa students delivered vibrant “Ashouri” and “Haydah Al-Harbiyyah” music and dance.

Beyond being a platform for showcasing creativity, the festival is aimed at connecting students with the nation’s regional and national art forms, SPA reported.

 


Saudi Arabia contributes $1.5m toward launch of new regional aviation safety body

Saudi Arabia contributes $1.5m toward launch of new regional aviation safety body
Updated 06 December 2023
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Saudi Arabia contributes $1.5m toward launch of new regional aviation safety body

Saudi Arabia contributes $1.5m toward launch of new regional aviation safety body
  • Al-Duailj said: “The establishment of the new organization will be a milestone for all its member states and is also a testimony to their commitment to aviation safety, quality, and efficiency

RIYADH: A new body to monitor aviation safety in the Middle East and North Africa region was on Wednesday unveiled at an international industry conference being held in Riyadh.

Abdulaziz Al-Duailj, president of the Saudi General Civil Aviation Authority, inaugurated the new MENA Regional Safety Oversight Organization — which will be based in Riyadh — during a ceremony as part of the 15th International Civil Aviation Organization meeting.

A memorandum of agreement was later signed by representatives of MENA-RSOO member states including Saudi Arabia, Djibouti, Sudan, Somalia, Palestine, Libya, Mauritania, and Yemen.

‎Inauguration ceremony ‎of the Regional Safety Oversight Organization ‎for the ‎Middle East and North African States (MENA-RSOO) which is hosted by ‎Riyadh ‎‎(Wednesday, December 6, 2023) by Abdulaziz Al Duailej President of the General ‎Civil Aviation Authority inaugurated.‎ (Supplied)

The new organization will aim to help develop and implement national training and safety programs, improve the monitoring of air safety, and work with nations to meet aviation safety standards.

In a speech, Al-Duailj said: “The establishment of the new organization will be a milestone for all its member states and is also a testimony to their commitment to aviation safety, quality, and efficiency.

“This step confirms the Kingdom’s keenness and commitment to aviation safety through its continued cooperation with international partners, to ensure the highest standards of air safety are achieved,” he added.

Al-Duailj noted that the ICAO wanted to see unified safety standards and the integration of technology throughout the civil aviation industry, especially regarding the design of aircraft engines, autonomous control, remotely piloted service aircraft, personal transportation via air taxis, and the overall performance of the air traffic network.

On Saudi Arabia’s financial contribution toward the setting up of the MENA-RSOO, he said: “Through this, the Kingdom aims to activate the role of this organization and support it with an amount of $1.5 million for the first two years of its establishment, in order for the organization to carry out its tasks and responsibilities in supporting air safety programs in our region.

“It also aims to assist member states in strengthening and raising the legislative and supervisory capabilities of their national air safety systems, enabling them to achieve higher levels of compliance with international rules and recommendations,” Al-Duailj added.

Salvatore Sciacchitano, president of the ICAO Council, said that the organization’s inauguration was an important step toward enhancing safety in the civil aviation sector.

“It embodies the amount of cooperation exerted to develop civil aviation safety in the Middle East,” he added.

He pointed out that the sector was an essential driver of economic growth and connectivity between countries.

Abdenbi Manar, director general of the Arab Civil Aviation Organization, noted ‎that the transportation sector played an essential role in the progress of nations.

He said: “It contributes to creating wealth and job opportunities, whether at the ‎industrial level or the infrastructure of the transportation system, and air transport ‎is usually an integral part of this system.

“The air transport sector is distinguished from other types of transportation by its ‎speed, efficiency, regularity, and high level of safety.

“Also, it relies on international ‎standards, whether at the institutional level or at the legal, financial, and technical ‎level,” Manar added.‎

The five-day ICAO conference is being hosted by the GACA until Dec. 7, with the participation of more than 100 countries and international organizations, and at least 700 industry experts.