Futuristic Saudi exhibition showcases Vision 2030 mega-projects on sidelines of G20 summit
Futuristic Saudi exhibition showcases Vision 2030 mega-projects on sidelines of G20 summit/node/2370941/saudi-arabia
Futuristic Saudi exhibition showcases Vision 2030 mega-projects on sidelines of G20 summit
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Visitors attend the Media Oasis exhibition organized by the Saudi Ministry of Media on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in New Delhi on Sept. 9, 2023. (AN photo/Rahaf Jambi)
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Visitors attend the Media Oasis exhibition organized by the Saudi Ministry of Media on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in New Delhi on Sept. 9, 2023. (AN photo/Rahaf Jambi)
Futuristic Saudi exhibition showcases Vision 2030 mega-projects on sidelines of G20 summit
New Delhi event is the third Media Oasis edition, and the first to be held outside Saudi Arabia
Exhibition takes visitors on a virtual tour of Saudi heritage sites, futuristic infrastructure
Updated 10 September 2023
Rahaf Jambi
NEW DELHI: A special exhibition by the Saudi Ministry of Media, being held on the sidelines of the G20 summit in New Delhi, offers an interactive multimedia experience of the Kingdom’s main mega-projects under Vision 2030.
The three-day Media Oasis at The Oberoi Hotel has been organized in partnership with the Saudi flagship $500 billion smart city project NEOM, the Saudi ministries of energy, sports, culture, as well as the Future Investment Initiative, Invest Saudi, the Saudi Authority for Data and Artificial Intelligence, and the Royal Institute of Traditional Arts.
The opening of the exhibition on Saturday was witnessed by ministers from the official G20 Saudi delegation, as well as foreign officials and dozens of international media outlets.
“Media Oasis is a new initiative by the Ministry of Media to redefine media coverage by leveraging modern technology to achieve greater creativity, innovation and excellence in covering national events, major occasions, and Saudi Arabia’s international engagements,” Alhanouf Abohaimed, head of partnerships at the Saudi Center of Government Communications, told Arab News at the venue.
She said the exhibition was “utilizing cutting-edge technologies to showcase the milestones reached by significant national transformative initiatives” under the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 social and economic diversification plan.
The interactive exhibition takes visitors on a virtual tour where they can engage with UNESCO-class Saudi heritage sites, resorts along the Red Sea coast, new high-tech solutions for clean energy, the residential designs and infrastructure of the future, and projects taking sporting experiences to the next level.
The Media Oasis in New Delhi is the exhibition’s third edition, but the first one outside the Kingdom. Two earlier ones took place in Jeddah in June this year.
Indian visitors who came to the exhibition were fascinated not only by the immersive experience it offered, but also the sustainable solutions in place and spearheaded and developed in Saudi Arabia.
“It’s really interesting to see how advanced technology is being leveraged by Saudi Arabia to create such wonderful outcomes. What I really like, or what I really enjoy, is the undivided focus on the idea of sustainability that I’m getting to witness here,” Haripriya Arora, a social media influencer, told Arab News.
“I am seeing representations by SABIC, for example, just seeing how they are so invested in the idea of recycling ocean waste, for example, and creating something so useful out of it. It really helps you get a vision of how important sustainability is and how it can’t be compromised, how the future is dependent on it.”
The experience was eye-opening even for someone like Zikrur Rahman, who has lived in the Kingdom. He was in awe of how many projects have been launched by Saudi Arabia in recent ears and how “progress has been given a push” in all industries and sectors.
“The progress that you are making, this is not known to the world, I wish that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia showcase(s) such an event in other countries also,” he said.
“Media Oasis is a very good initiative. It’s a projection of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia ... it was very, very much needed in a country like India.”
Japan relaxes visa requirements for Saudi nationals
The scheme will come into effect on Dec. 4
Updated 25 sec ago
Arab News Japan
Japan on Wednesday announced the relaxation of visa requirements for Saudi nationals, introducing multiple-entry visa schemes for Saudis who meet certain financial requirements.
According to the Japanese Embassy in Saudi Arabia, the new visa was introduced for short-term stays for the purpose of tourism, business, and visiting relatives or friends. It will be granted for a period of 90 days with a validity of three years.
The scheme will come into effect on Dec. 4, and will require applicants to visit the embassy or consulate-general in order to submit their application.
“We hope the several visa relaxation measures the Government of Japan has taken will make the relationship between the people of Japan and Saudi Arabia closer and deeper,” the embassy said in a statement.
Riyadh to host World Expo 2030 after defeating challenges from South Korea, Italy
Saudi capital was picked by majority of 119 out of 165 votes by member states of Paris-based Bureau International des Expositions
The secret ballot was carried out using electronic voting, and Riyadh was confirmed as the successor host to Osaka in 2025
Updated 29 November 2023
Zeina Zbibo
PARIS: Riyadh will host the World Expo 2030 after defeating challenges from South Korea and Italy for the prestigious event.
The Saudi capital was picked by a majority of 119 out of 165 votes by the member states of the Paris-based Bureau International des Expositions.
The secret ballot was carried out using electronic voting, and Riyadh was confirmed as the successor host to Osaka in 2025.
During the BIE event in the French capital, candidates presented their final Expo progress reports to member states and government-appointed delegates in an 11th-hour attempt to win votes.
The event is expected to represent the culmination of Vision 2030 and showcase the Kingdom’s achievements, with a particular focus on hospitality, tourism, and culture.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman used a visit to Paris in June to showcase the Kingdom’s bid for the Expo, attending an exhibition held by the Royal Commission for the City of Riyadh that showcased Saudi Arabia’s rich heritage and cultural depth.
The bid began to draw support from high-profile French backers, with influential French senator Natalie Goulet saying that holding the expo in the Saudi capital would be “the culmination of Vision 2030.”
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said: “I would like to thank the 130 countries that have already announced their support for the Kingdom’s bid. Distinguished dignitaries, you have all acted as indispensable partners providing insight, feedback, and support throughout the Kingdom’s campaign.”
He reaffirmed Saudi Arabia’s “unwavering commitment to collaborate with all nations to deliver an Expo built by the world for the world and to find new pathways for collective action and collaboration.”
The foreign minister said the Kingdom will “provide facilities packages of $348 million to a pool of 100 eligible countries.”
Arab News backed the Expo bid through a #WhyRiyadh campaign launched on Sept. 23 – the Saudi National Day.
The program also seeks to increase green coverage from 1.5 percent to 9.1 percent, enhancing quality of life by creating open areas to improve public health, reduce energy consumption, and ultimately make Riyadh one of the 100 best livable cities in the world.
Seventy percent of the Saudi population is under the age of 30, and with a qualified labor force across industries fueling the race to 2030, there is excitement, energy, and enthusiasm in the first Arab capital to host the world event.
“Diriyah will be very famous by 2030, the city of Riyadh will be unrecognizable,” Jerry Inzerillo, CEO of the Diriyah Group, told Arab News during an event leading up to the Expo 2030 announcement.
“What Singapore did in 60 years, what the Emiratis did just in tourism in 30 years, the crown prince wants to accomplish that in 15 years,” he added.
In a symposium held in Paris earlier in November, the Royal Commission’s directors of landscape architecture, Lamia Al-Muhanna, and Nouf Al-Moneef, unveiled a color-coded map with planned pavilions, performance venues, support facilities, and an exhibition village.
Princess Haifa bint Mohammed Al-Saud, Saudi Arabia’s deputy minister of tourism, used the event to say: “Choosing Saudi, choosing Riyadh, is choosing the world.”
Delivering Expo 2030 will mean massive infrastructure developments in the Saudi capital, including an increase in hotel capacity by 70,000 new rooms.
The venue will be accessible via a newly developed metro linking Expo City to a reconstructed King Salman Airport, set to be one of the largest aviation hubs in the world at 57 million sq. meters.
The Kingdom’s new airline, Riyadh Air, will further increase the capital’s accessibility, with flights to 100 countries by 2025.
“As host, we will create a world-class site expo to enable you to build pavilions and experiences in a way that matches your national priorities and aspirations,” said Ghida Al-Shibl, a member of the Riyadh Expo 2030 team.
She said: “By Feb 2028, participant parcel and expo village will be open. We will fast-track all necessary requirements including imports, visas, and regulations.”
Al-Shibl said the Kingdom will launch a participant lab in 2025 that will run through 2030 as a 24/7 concierge service to support “your move, and a variety of housing options for teams and families, in addition to access to excellent healthcare and education and banking services.”
Noor Riyadh returns to transform city into glowing work of art
Top curators, artists get together to stage biggest light art festival in the world
Updated 29 November 2023
Rebecca Anne Proctor
RIYADH: Following its first showcase in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic, the beauty of Noor Riyadh has been its ability to bring art to not only the city of Riyadh, its various districts and neighborhoods, but to the Saudi populace.
Large-scale art installations produced by artists from Saudi Arabia, the greater Middle East and across the world can be found throughout the city of Riyadh during the festival. Viewing these artworks at night when they are illuminated becomes a way to discover the Saudi capital, neighborhoods and monuments many were unaware even existed, as well as find new artists, ways of thinking and cultures.
Noor Riyadh’s power, according to its directors and curators, lies in its ability to unite everyone, from all walks of life within the city, through alluring specially commissioned artworks.
London Launch of the 2023 noor Riyadh festival. (Supplied)
“One of the key components of the festival is to stage it everywhere in the city of Riyadh,” Miguel Blanco-Carrasco, adviser at the Royal Commission for Riyadh City and Riyadh Art, told Arab News.
“Our audience is very diverse. We are targeting people who are museumgoers and who have a profound interest in art, and those who would not regularly go to an art exhibition.”
Speaking about the significance of the event, he added: “Noor Riyadh is part of the creative transformation that is taking place in the Kingdom.
Ahaad Alamoudi’s ‘Ghosts of today and tomorrow.’ (Supplied)
“This year we concentrated all artworks in five main hubs to improve the visitor experience. We also have three works in other locations across Riyadh.”
Noor Riyadh will showcase artists from around the world working in diverse mediums, including performance art, architecture, engineering, graphic design, and even medicine.
The five main hubs are located throughout Riyadh, with the central hub situated in the King Abdullah Financial District, the Saudi capital’s preeminent destination for business and lifestyle, which recently witnessed the staging of the inaugural Riyadh Fashion Week.
‘Oasis’ by Belgian conceptual artist Arne Quinze displayed at the 2022 Noor Riyadh festival. (Supplied/ Instagram/noorriyadhfestival)
The third Noor Riyadh begins on Nov. 30 and runs until Dec. 16 under the theme “The Bright Side of The Desert Moon,” and explores the desert as a place of reconnection.
It will include 120 artworks by more than 100 artists from around 35 countries, including a significant representation of Saudi talents who comprise one third of participating artists.
Artworks include prominent pieces by Ange Leccia, Carsten Holler, Chris Levine, Dana-Fiona Armour, Diana Thater, Janet Echelman, Ivan Argote, Laurent Grasso, and Philippe Parreno, among others.
Community engagement remains a cornerstone of our festival. Our focus is on making art accessible and educational through various initiatives like talks, workshops, and school programs.
Nouf Al-Moneef, Noor Riyadh project manager
While the artist lineup has expanded, there are also several returning artists this year. These include Muhannad Shono, Rashed Al-Shashai, Bruno Ribeiro, Christopher Bauder, Studio Drift, Ahaad Alamoudi, and Zahra Al-Ghamdi.
Noor Riyadh’s curatorial team is just as diverse and multinational as its artist lineup and comprises both local and internationally renowned names. It is led by Jerome Sans and supported by curators Pedro Alonzo, Fahad bin Naif, and Alaa Tarabzouni.
Running concurrently to the festival is Noor Riyadh’s exhibition “Refracted Identities, Shared Futures.” It is being staged by Neville Wakefield who returns as lead curator, working alongside Maya Al-Athel, who served as artistic director of the festival in 2022.
Nouf Al-Moneef, Noor Riyadh project manager
The show, which runs until March 2, will include work by artists such as Abdullah Al-Othman, Ahaad Alamoudi, Conrad Shawcross, Farah Al-Qasimi, Julian Charriere, Kim Farkas, Mariko Mori, Rashed Al-Shashai, Sarah Brahim, and Sophia Al-Maria.
Noor Riyadh aims to help the art community as well as making the city an even bigger attraction.
Nouf Al-Moneef, project manager of Noor Riyadh and architectural adviser at the Royal Commission for Riyadh City, told Arab News: “Community engagement remains a cornerstone of our festival.
“Our focus is on making art accessible and educational through various initiatives like talks, workshops, and school programs.”
Among the noteworthy aspects of this year’s event is the diversity of its artistic representation, which, according to Al-Moneef, has increased this time.
She added: “Each year’s innovative theme has deeply resonated with the worldwide topical themes, fostering a dialogue that bridges local and global perspectives.
“A testament to the festival’s growing prominence is the record-breaking attendance in 2022, with 2.8 million attendees and six Guinness World Records (totaling eight over the years), highlighting the largest celebration of light art globally.”
The festival is also pushing various artistic mediums. “We are further exploring the intersection between art and technology,” explained Blanco-Carrasco. “We are seeing what we can do with drones that hasn’t been done before. How can we use this medium to attain new artistic abilities?”
Noor Riyadh is an initiative of Riyadh Art, dubbed one of the largest public art initiatives in the world, which was launched in March 2019 by King Salman, under the supervision of the Committee of Grand Projects chaired by the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Riyadh Art was created “to foster local artistic talent and ignite Saudi Arabia’s cultural economy,” according to a statement.
The ambition and vision of Riyadh Art is to transform the Saudi capital into an inspiring “gallery without walls,” showcasing over 1,000 public artworks dispersed throughout the city through 10 programs and two annual events.
“Through Riyadh Art, we’re bringing art directly into the everyday lives of citizens and visitors by integrating public art installations throughout the city,” said Al-Moneef.
“This approach not only makes art more accessible to a wider audience but also embeds it into the very fabric of the city, transforming public spaces into areas of inspiration and conversation.”
Noor Riyadh’s editions have offered “unique moments of joy” for millions of residents and visitors to the Saudi capital. The festival gives visitors the chance to view Riyadh in a new light and appreciate its ever-evolving landscape and great history.
Red Sea Lodge Program aims to support emerging filmmakers in Kingdom, Arab region and Africa
Updated 29 November 2023
Nada Hameed
JEDDAH: The third Red Sea International Film Festival will be held in Jeddah from Nov. 30 to Dec. 9 under the “Your Story, Your Festival” theme.
A pivotal component of the Red Sea Film Foundation is the Red Sea Labs which runs the Lodge feature film development program, conducted in collaboration with TorinoFilmLab and sponsored by the Film AlUla.
After the resounding success of its previous outings, the fourth Red Sea Lodge Program returns under the umbrella of Red Sea Labs.
The Red Sea Lab is an initiative of the Red Sea Film Foundation, aimed at empowering filmmakers, writers and industry professionals to realize their creative visions.
Ryan Ashore, the head of Red Sea Labs, emphasized the significance of progress in bringing in new regions during a media dialogue session on Monday at Jeddah’s Ritz Carlton.
FASTFACTS
• The program aims to support emerging filmmakers in Saudi Arabia, the Arab world and Africa.
• Selected projects will benefit from opportunities such as access to a wide network of creative mentors and cinema professionals.
Ashore told Arab News: “This is the fourth year for the Lodge, and there has been significant progress in entering new regions, as two projects from Africa joined us, making a total of 12 projects, five Saudi projects and other five Arab projects.”
“The notable renaissance in African cinema is evident, but they need support for their talents. As a global foundation, we have learned that including them in regions that require development in the film industry is essential.
“We started the program in AlUla in various areas of the city because it is the main sponsor. After 10 months of training, participants will present their films at the Red Sea Film Souk to compete for prizes, as now they have scripts, pitch deck and ready for production.”
The program aims to support emerging filmmakers in Saudi Arabia, the Arab world and Africa. Selected projects will benefit from opportunities such as access to a wide network of creative mentors and cinema professionals.
The Lodge presents a total of $200,000 that is $50,000 for four projects.
Among the selected projects from the Kingdom are “In the Beginning it is the End” by Ghadeer Binabbas, “The Night Whisperer” by Lina Mahmoud, “Mecca, Berlin” by Mujtaba Saeed, “By Hasnaa’s Side” by Amaal Yousef, and “The Middle One” by Sarah Mohammed Almuneef.
The Arab region is represented by projects such as “An Endless Night” by Mohamed Kassaby, “The Girl and The Missing Bed” by Samer Battikhi, “Temporary Lives” by Wessam Hachicho, “The Sun Seens Everything” by Wissam Tanios, and “My Father Killed Bourguiba” by Fatma Riahi.
Meanwhile, African projects include “Black Snake” by Naishe Nyamubaya and “Fantastic Tale” by Vincho Nchogu.
Another program under Red Sea Labs is “Music for Film,” an intensive on-site training program conducted over the course of a week. This program is designed to develop the skills of musicians in film scoring and music composition.
“Music is an integral part of the story,” Ashore said.
The program offers a comprehensive curriculum rich in technical dimensions and tools encompassing the skills that a composer needs to create original music to the highest standards, as well as many masterclasses and workshops.
“We received 150 applicants, and only seven were selected. The first thing we highlighted is the distinction between songwriting and film music composition, a difference that is not small at all,” Ashore said.
He added: “It was a great success to have seven Saudi composers that we were not aware of their existence. The main goal of this program is to equip these talented individuals with a new set of skills that they can apply to larger projects. We are promoting them so that they can secure actual work for short films, a starting point for them. One of them has already begun composing for a TV series.”
The total prize pool for winners at the King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival is an estimated SR33.6 million ($8.96m), which includes the Al-Melwah and Al-Mazayen competitions
Updated 29 November 2023
SPA
RIYADH: The King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival kicked off on Tuesday at the headquarters of the Saudi Falcons Club in Malham, north of Riyadh.
Elite falcon owners from Saudi Arabia, the Gulf and around the world will take part in the event, which runs until Dec.14.
The King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival has attracted exceptional numbers since its launch in 2019. (SPA)
The club’s official spokesman, Walid Al-Taweel, said the festival included the largest falconry competition in the world. This was within the framework of the Saudi leadership’s keenness to preserve the Kingdom’s cultural and civilizational heritage.
Al-Taweel said the club was constantly working to improve its activities as each year saw increased development and support for falconers. The total prize pool for winners at the King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival is an estimated SR33.6 million ($8.96m), which includes the Al-Melwah and Al-Mazayen competitions. The festival will also feature a falcon beauty pageant.
FASTFACT
The total prize pool for winners at the King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival is an estimated SR33.6 million ($8.96m).
Al-Taweel said new categories had been added, such as 20 prizes in the Al-Melwah competition instead of the previous five, an international auction for falcon production farms, and 10 international competitor prizes instead of three. There will also be an additional round in the Al-Mazayen contest exclusively for Saudis, where the top three will receive SR300,000, SR200,000 and SR100,000 respectively.
The King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival has attracted exceptional numbers since its launch in 2019. Its first edition entered the Guinness World Records as the largest falconry competition in the world, attracting 1,723 participants. The second event, later the same year, did the same, with 2,350 falcons taking part.
