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RIYADH: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman participated in the funeral prayer of Princess Latifa bint Abdulaziz on Wednesday at Imam Turki bin Abdullah Mosque in Riyadh.
Princess Latifa was buried at Al-Oud Cemetery in Riyadh on Wednesday following the funeral prayer which took place after the noon prayer. She passed away on Tuesday.
MANAMA: Saudi foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan arrived in Bahrain on Friday to participate in the Manama Dialogue 2024 Forum, Saudi Press Agency reported.
Upon his arrival at Bahrain International Airport, Prince Faisal was received by Bahrain’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abdullatif Al-Zayani, and Fahd bin Munikher, the Charge d'Affaires of Saudi Arabia’s embassy in Manama.
The IISS Manama Dialogue is an annual security summit organized by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) in collaboration with Bahrain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The forum brings together government officials, policy experts, and academics from across the globe to discuss pressing regional and international security challenges.
Since its inception in 2004, the dialogue has served as a platform for fostering dialogue, enhancing cooperation, and shaping policies to address critical issues such as Middle East security, economic stability, and international diplomacy.
RIYADH: JAX District in Diriyah, northwest of Riyadh, has hosted a week-long series of Noor Talks as part of community engagement activities accompanying the light festival Noor Riyadh 2024.
Noor Riyadh is running until Dec. 14 with the theme “Light Years Apart.”
The talks served as a platform for cultural dialogues, reinforcing Riyadh’s status as a global hub for art and creativity.
They blended creativity with critical thinking, inspiring participants to explore new horizons in the realms of art and society.
The talks were held to explore the dimensions of art and culture from a multifaceted perspective.
Sessions addressed topics related to art and culture and featured the participation of artists, curators, specialists, and cultural experts, as well as those interested in the sector.
The discussions also focused on the role of cultural institutions in boosting art and culture, as well as their importance in promoting communication between generations.
In a session moderated by Gaida Al-Mogren, artistic director of the Noor Riyadh Festival, Effat Abdullah Fadag and Alfredo Cramerotti, the festival’s co-curators, discussed the symbiotic relationship between the Earth and the stars and how this influenced both the symbolic and practical aspects of the festival.
They emphasized that curators and artists benefited from exchanging diverse viewpoints which allowed artworks to evolve and highlighted the festival’s theme, along with the variety of artistic perspectives.
In another session, Refik Anadol, Lachlan Turczan and Ebtehal Al-Rajhi discussed the creative process behind designing public art, emphasizing its importance in resonating with the audience to enhance community participation and strengthen cultural identity.
The session emphasized the ability of public art to seamlessly integrate with the surrounding environment, relying on technology, environmental harmony, and narrative approaches to interact with the public on multiple levels.
In a session moderated by Miguel Blanco-Carrasco, and featuring panelists Vilma Jurkute, Nawaf Alharbi, and Nour Kelani, building creative communities through collaborative work was discussed.
The session also touched on the role of music and artistic performances in fostering cultural innovation; the importance of creating sustainable networks to support creators; and providing spaces for dialogue and education.
The talks, which were held throughout last week, concluded with a dialogue moderated by cultural expert Sara Al-Mutlaq, in which the role of cultural institutions in the 21st century was discussed. The session featured Noura Al-Maashouq, Jack Persekian, Farah Abushullaih, and Nora Aldabal.
The participants emphasized the importance of museums and cultural institutions as platforms for inspiration and learning, especially for the young.
RIYADH: Efforts to build a new manufacturing and research and development hub in Saudi Arabia and across the wider Middle East are accelerating as more than 30,000 pharma professionals and decision-makers are expected to attend the inaugural CPHI (Convention on Pharmaceutical Ingredients) Middle East at Riyadh Front Exhibition and Convention Center.
CPHI Middle East, which is to be held from Dec. 10-12, will be the largest-ever gathering of pharma companies in the region as government officials, global pharma companies, biotechs and manufacturing partners meet to begin the next phase in the Kingdom’s plans to build a world-class R&D and manufacturing infrastructure.
Tahaluf, Saudi Arabia’s fastest-growing business event organizer, has been behind the event which has garnered the support of the Saudi Ministry of Health.
April Hung, brand manager for CPHI Middle East, said: “CPHI Middle East is set to be the portfolio’s most successful launch to date, with incredibly impressive attendee and exhibitor numbers. This level of interest reflects the region’s ambitions and strong demand for partnerships.”
Hung added: “The public-private collaboration here is impressive, and by bringing CPHI to Saudi Arabia we are helping accelerate the development of partnerships and supply ecosystems that will fuel growth over the next five years.
“We are thrilled to launch the show and play a role in building a new ‘heart of pharma’ in the Middle East.”
The event is expecting over 400 exhibitors, and representatives from more than 100 countries.
Pharma leaders predict that the first CPHI event in the Kingdom will help speed up efforts to establish a robust domestic manufacturing base.
Hala Audi, the CEO of Unizima, a consultancy specialising in public and private partnerships for bioproduction facilities in emerging markets, said: “The event’s success is just another indicator of the significant investment underway in the region.
“The rate of change is only accelerating, and the Kingdom is building pharma infrastructure at pace. The government is rightly driving the momentum, by focusing on its strengths — a sizable domestic market, growing scientific and medical talent, and financing power.
“I believe that with the right technology partnerships, the region is poised to build a biotech ecosystem that will compete with the best globally. Next generation technologies for vaccines and therapeutics, including for instance RNA-based treatments, offer an opportunity for the Kingdom and the region to leapfrog and lead the way in biotech.”
More than 150 experts are presenting at the event and a ministerial panel on Dec. 10 will outline the Kingdom’s strategy to develop a biopharma ecosystem, in alignment with the Kingdom’s vision to be the leading biotech hub in MENA (Middle East and North Africa) by 2030 and globally by 2040.
The Kingdom has ambitious plans to reduce its reliance on imported drugs. Saudi Arabia relies heavily on imports for its pharmaceutical needs, with only 30 percent of drugs manufactured locally. To address this, the government aims to increase local production to 40 percent as part of its Vision 2030 plan.
Among the event’s highlights, Audi will share insights on building biologics capabilities in emerging markets, while Greg Licholai, chief medical and innovation officer at Icon and faculty member at Yale School of Management, will explore “The Patient Singularity: How the Middle East can use AI to Improve Bio-Pharmaceutical Outcomes.”
The event will also feature prominent panel discussions, including a session on expanding Saudi Arabia’s domestic manufacturing hub, moderated by Eleonora Brero, head of consulting and financial institution consulting at IQVIA Middle East and Africa.
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Culinary Arts Commission has unveiled a pavilion celebrating the newly recognized Taif rose at the 19th UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Committee meeting in Asuncion, Paraguay, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
According to the SPA, visitors in the Saudi pavilion are discovering a curated selection of traditional rose-based culinary creations.
The exhibition features specialty beverages including rose-infused tea and lattes, alongside traditional sweets such as rose-flavored Saqudanah, all representing elements of Saudi national identity and contributing to global cultural diversity.
The commission’s presence at the forum highlights the importance of preserving the Kingdom’s natural resources while promoting sustainable environmental practices in the cultivation of Taif roses.
By marketing local Saudi products internationally, the commission is highlighting the Kingdom’s position as a source of premium agricultural products and stimulating investment in the national agricultural sector, the SPA reported.
RIYADH: The Tourism Development Fund recently celebrated the achievements of 15 Saudi startups in the Tourism Growth Accelerator for Handicrafts and Souvenirs program, in partnership with AlMashtal Creative Incubator in Riyadh’s Diplomatic Quarter.
Over 560 entrepreneurs and creators applied to the program, with 40 participants advancing to the final challenge phase and 15 projects being completed.
The program provided a competitive training framework involving a range of creative activities that aided local innovators in presenting their ideas with the aim of delivering them in high-quality formats that could find a place in the global market.
Additionally, the fund organized a specialized workshop in collaboration with the Al-Mushtal Creative Incubator focusing on intellectual property protection.
During the event, Qusai AI-Fakhri, CEO of the Tourism Development Fund, expressed his pride in the participants.
“We are proud of what the participants have accomplished through the Tourism Growth Accelerator for Handicrafts and Souvenirs program. The creative entrepreneurs have demonstrated their ability to transform ideas into products that tell inspiring stories,” said Al-Fakhri.
Princess Nourah bint Saud bin Nayef Al Saud, founder and CEO of the Al-Mushtal Creative Incubator, highlighted the importance of collaborating with Saudi brands, as it “contributes to supporting small and medium enterprises in the tourism sector, enabling them to be ambassadors of contemporary Saudi identity through their products,” she said.
Kholoud Attar, CEO of DRB Saudiverse and Souvenirs, one of the event’s spotlighted Saudi brands, presented products inspired by the Arabic love story “Majnun Layla,” in which lovers Qays and Layla, although born into the same tribe, are unable to be together.
“Today in the accelerator, we are doing a product concept called ‘Diar Layla,’ which is inspired by … Saudi culture. We were surprised to find that the poet Qays is from an area in Saudi Arabia called Alflag (a village near Riyadh), which a lot of people, including us Saudis, don’t know,” she said.
In the classic story, Qays becomes obsessed with Layla, and his tribe gives him the nickname “Majnun Layla,” a term that is still used to this day to describe someone who is madly in love.
The souvenirs are a necklace in the shape of a lock and a brooch that serves as a key with a design inspired by the iconic Najdi doors, known for their geometric patterns and colors.
“We created the lock to be the necklace, and the keyhole is the brooch for the men to wear, so it’s a two-in-one gift. She gets to keep the necklace, and he gets to keep the lock,” Attar said.
Attar said that the accelerator provided her with an educational experience that was curated for each brand and individual.
“I have been in several accelerators before, but what was really special about this was that … it was customized to each person … I learned how to create a product, design it, and (pitch) it to the market successfully.”
