Saudi crown prince reassures nation about king’s health during Cabinet meeting

Update Saudi crown prince reassures nation about king’s health during Cabinet meeting
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman chaired the cabinet meeting on Tuesday. (SPA)
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Updated 21 May 2024
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Saudi crown prince reassures nation about king’s health during Cabinet meeting

Saudi crown prince reassures nation about king’s health during Cabinet meeting
  • King Salman is undergoing treatment for lung inflammation
  • The crown prince also briefed the council on the outcomes of the Arab League Summit

RIYADH: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman made reassuring comments about King Salman’s health during a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Saudi Press Agency reported.

The king underwent medical tests at royal clinics at Al-Salam Palace on Sunday after he suffered from a high temperature and joint pain, SPA said. 

He was diagnosed with lung inflammation and prescribed a course of antibiotics as treatement at the palace in Jeddah.

The crown prince also briefed the council on the outcomes of the Arab League Summit, emphasizing the Kingdom's commitment to Arab issues, joint action development, regional security enhancement, and defending Arab interests.

Minister of Information Salman bin Youssef Al-Dosari stated after the session that the council discussed recent state activities, particularly efforts to strengthen regional and international cooperation.

The council affirmed the Kingdom's commitment to international cooperation in combating money laundering, terrorist financing, and corruption.

The Saudi cabinet also granted authority to the Minister of Energy, Prince Abdulaziz Bin Salman, to finalize a memorandum of understanding with Pakistan on energy cooperation. 

The cabinet also approved the Kingdom's accession to an international agreement on wetlands of international importance, particularly as habitats for waterbirds.


Launch of Cinamaa platform marks push for film studies in Saudi Arabia

Launch of Cinamaa platform marks push for film studies in Saudi Arabia
Updated 19 sec ago
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Launch of Cinamaa platform marks push for film studies in Saudi Arabia

Launch of Cinamaa platform marks push for film studies in Saudi Arabia
  • Saudi Film Commission and National Film Archive launch platform to educate and support budding filmmakers
  • Experts describe the importance of developing film studies in Saudi Arabia

RIYADH: The Saudi Film Commission has introduced a new initiative, Cinamaa, to promote film studies and support people entering the industry.

A launch event was held on Wednesday at the Cultural Palace in Riyadh, hosted by the commission and National Film Archive.

The Cinamaa website, a platform intended to help educate aspiring filmmakers, critics, and film enthusiasts, allowing them to share their work, gives users access to articles, research studies, discussions, workshops, and short films on various topics related to film.

Following a panel discussion in which she spoke on the importance of film studies in academia, Salma Tarek, professor of literature at the University of Cairo’s French language department, told Arab News: “We need to distinguish between academic studies, meaning university-level education, and studies at film institutes, which aim to train technicians and filmmakers.”

The latter is very important and widely available, she said, but cinema studies at the school and university levels are still lacking.

“Abroad, for example, children in elementary school have reading and literacy programs that include a section on how to ‘read’ a film. They learn what a shot is, what camera movement means, because these have become part of the basic language of how we interpret the world around us,” Tarek said.

“Cinema is no longer just an art form; it is a form of discourse. We are constantly exposed to it, and it’s very important that we learn how to decode its messages.”

Tarek said that these are messages that are constantly being sent to viewers, who must receive them in an open and thoughtful way.

“The university is the institution best suited to play this role.”

When asked what can be done to push this agenda forward, the professor said that first, there must be conviction in the value of cinema studies, a task she said is “not simple.”

The entry point, however, is in interdisciplinary studies.

“For example, literature departments can offer courses on the relationship between performance art and cinema. In history departments, there can be a course on cinema and history. Gradually, these borders will open up, and we will start to develop a cinematic culture within academic institutions.”

These institutions will then have the capabilities and foundation to establish dedicated departments for cinema studies, which Tarek said is the “ultimate goal.”

The panel also discussed the need for more original Arabic content in addition to translations of foreign films.

Tareq Al-Khawaji, film critic and cultural adviser at the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, said that young Saudis interested in screenplay writing have a great opportunity to develop scripts that can contribute to bolstering the cinematic scene in the Kingdom.

The launch of Cinamaa was followed by the signing of two memoranda of understanding between the Saudi Film Commission and its partners, the Saudi Broadcasting Authority and the International Federation of Film Critics.

The commission’s CEO Abdullah Al-Qahtani took the stage with Mohammed Fahad Al-Harthi, SBA CEO and former editor in chief of Arab News, and Fipresci CEO Ahmad Shawky.

The establishment of the Cinema Critics Association was also announced, the first independent professional entity dedicated to film criticism in Saudi.

At the end of the night, the doors opened to welcome guests into an exhibition on film history in the Arab world.


Red Sea Global unveils Laheq Island, a landmark luxury-living destination

Red Sea Global unveils Laheq Island, a landmark luxury-living destination
Updated 17 April 2025
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Red Sea Global unveils Laheq Island, a landmark luxury-living destination

Red Sea Global unveils Laheq Island, a landmark luxury-living destination
  • Laheq Island opens in 2028, first to focus on residential ownership
  • One of the world’s largest barrier reefs with over 2,000 rare species

TABUK: Red Sea Global has unveiled Laheq Island, Saudi Arabia’s first private residential island offering a luxury lifestyle experience.

The island marks the RSG’s first residential project following the completion of phase one, which welcomed its first guests in 2023 with the opening of five resorts.

Construction is underway to complete an additional 11 resorts on Shura Island, the Saudi Press Agency reported recently.

The destination is connected with other parts of the Kingdom and the world via the Red Sea International Airport.

Scheduled to open in 2028, Laheq Island will be the first project within the destination focused on residential ownership, complemented by exceptional hospitality facilities and services, the SPA reported.

Scheduled to open in 2028, Laheq Island will be the first project within the destination focused on residential unit ownership. (SPA)

Laheq is part of an archipelago of 92 pristine islands along the Kingdom’s west coast, surrounded by one of the world’s largest barrier reefs that are home to over 2,000 rare and unique marine species.

The island spans 400 hectares and features a wide array of recreational facilities and activities for residents and visitors.

The RSG, owned by the Kingdom’s Public Investment Fund, has pledged to plant 50 million mangrove trees and enhance their habitats while also regenerating coral reefs and surrounding marine ecosystems.

The Red Sea destination will become the world’s largest tourism attraction with all facilities and resorts powered entirely by renewable energy, the SPA reported.

All 16 resorts of phase one are expected to be operational this year. By 2030, it will have 50 resorts with 8,000 hotel rooms, and more than 1,000 residential units across 22 islands and six inland sites.


Investigation debunks claims about coalition strikes in Yemen

Investigation debunks claims about coalition strikes in Yemen
Updated 16 April 2025
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Investigation debunks claims about coalition strikes in Yemen

Investigation debunks claims about coalition strikes in Yemen
  • Coalition’s Joint Incidents Assessment Team (JIAT) held a meeting to address allegations regarding airstrikes in various regions of Yemen

RIYADH: An investigation found that a number of airstrikes carried out by The Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen did not target civilian sites including a hospital and farm as claimed.

The coalition’s Joint Incidents Assessment Team held a meeting on Wednesday to address allegations regarding airstrikes in various regions of Yemen in recent years.

On Jan. 13, 2022, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights reported that an airstrike partially damaged the emergency department and inpatient clinics of a hospital in the Al-Sawad area.

It was claimed that coalition forces targeted a military camp near the hospital.

The JIAT reviewed relevant documentation and found that a military camp, known as Al-Sawad camp, was located near the 48 Model Hospital, which is on the coalition forces’ no strike list.

On the day of the alleged strike, coalition forces conducted a targeted airstrike on military targets within the camp, based on intelligence regarding Houthi militia activities.

The bombs were guided and aimed to minimize civilian impact, hitting their intended targets accurately and remaining a safe distance from the hospital.

Therefore, the JIAT concluded that coalition forces did not target the hospital on Jan. 13, 2022.

On March 3, 2021, reports emerged alleging that coalition forces conducted an airstrike targeting a farm in the Al-Watadah area of the Khawlan Directorate in Sanaa Governorate.

The JIAT said it reviewed documents, including air tasking orders, daily mission schedules and satellite imagery.

The investigation revealed that no specific coordinates for the alleged farm were provided.

The JIAT found no record of airstrikes in Al-Watadah on the date in question, nor in the days surrounding it. Open-source searches yielded no corroborating information.

In conclusion, the JIAT determined that coalition forces did not target a farm in Al-Watadah on March 3, 2021, as alleged.

Other reports indicated that a missile fell near a house in Al-Malaheet village on Feb. 23, 2020. The JIAT investigated and found no evidence that coalition forces had conducted missile strikes in the area on that date.

On June 4, 2015, allegations surfaced regarding an airstrike on the governorate building in Zinjibar. The JIAT confirmed that no air missions were conducted in Abyan on that date.

Through these investigations, the JIAT aims to clarify allegations and uphold accountability and transparency.


Saudi deputy FM receives Mauritania envoy in Riyadh

Saudi deputy FM receives Mauritania envoy in Riyadh
Updated 16 April 2025
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Saudi deputy FM receives Mauritania envoy in Riyadh

Saudi deputy FM receives Mauritania envoy in Riyadh

Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Saud Al-Sati received Ambassador of Mauritania to the Kingdom Mokhtar Ould Dahi in Riyadh on Wednesday.

During the meeting, they discussed bilateral relations and various issues of common interest, the Foreign Ministry wrote on X.

Meanwhile, Faisal Al-Harbi presented a copy of his credentials as non-resident ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Pholile Dlamini Shakantu, the Eswatinian foreign minister, the Saudi Embassy in South Africa wrote on X.
 


Saudi Arabia celebrates World Heritage Day with 6 days of events in Riyadh

Saudi Arabia celebrates World Heritage Day with 6 days of events in Riyadh
Updated 16 April 2025
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Saudi Arabia celebrates World Heritage Day with 6 days of events in Riyadh

Saudi Arabia celebrates World Heritage Day with 6 days of events in Riyadh
  • The events, from April 16-21 at Laysen Valley, aim to honor and promote the historical and cultural values of the Kingdom and its heritage through educational and interactive activities
  • Visitors will be greeted with an immersive experience that transports them to the Kingdom’s eight World Heritage Sites and showcases their cultural significance

RIYADH: A series of special events are taking place this week at Laysen Valley in Riyadh in celebration of World Heritage Day on April 18.

Organized by the Ministry of Culture’s Heritage Commission, they run from April 16-21 with the aim of honoring and promoting the historical and cultural values of Saudi Arabia and its heritage through educational and interactive activities.

Visitors to Laysen Valley will be greeted with an immersive experience, organizers said, that transports them to the Kingdom’s eight World Heritage Sites and showcases their cultural significance through storytelling, a digital light show and live recreations of the locations.

A number of artists are participating in the events, including Abdullah Al-Fawzan, whose carved wooden works are inspired by Najdi designs. The doors of old Najd, known for their rich decoration and designs based on natural structures, are emblematic of the deep roots and culture of the central Saudi region. 

Abdullah Al-Fawzan is one of the artists participating in the event, presenting his carved wooden works inspired by Najdi door designs. (AN photo)

Al-Fawzan told Arab News that woodcarving is an essential element of his family’s traditions, dating back six generations. Under the guidance of his father, he began learning the skill at the age of seven years old. He has created about 100 Najdi-style doors for numerous projects in various parts of the capital, including Diriyah and Al-Doho, a historic neighborhood in southern Riyadh.

“We could say that craftspeople are considered the bridge between the past and the present,” he said. “We are working on pieces that are completely handmade, while preserving the authenticity and the identity of Najd.”

Al-Fawzan works for six to 10 hours a day carving and painting his works, and his craft has taught him the art of patience, especially when he encounters problems.

“We have a saying that says ‘He who is patience, triumphs,’” he explained. “I can’t work on anything big if I am in a bad mood. I must be in a clear mood, far away from any problems and ready to work.”

Other attractions at the Heritage Day events include a dedicated children’s area, and pavilions showcasing traditional arts and crafts. There are also workshops, live demonstrations by artisans, and marketplaces where craftspeople will be selling handmade items. In addition there will be a series of drone shows at Wadi Al-Turath on April 18.