Interactive screens to guide Makkah pilgrims

The interactive screens display data in six languages and provide a QR code so that the routes can be viewed on smart phones and tablets. (SPA)
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Updated 21 May 2021
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Interactive screens to guide Makkah pilgrims

MAKKAH: The General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques, represented by the Projects and Engineering Studies Agency, announced on Thursday that it has installed interactive screens displaying a map of the Grand Mosque and its squares and facilities as part of its plan to upgrade the Grand Mosque's guidance system for visitors.

This service aims to facilitate access to religious sites and key locations including the Mataf (the area for circumambulation around the Holy Kaaba) and the Mas’a building.

The interactive screens display data in six languages and provide a QR code so that the routes can be viewed on smart phones and tablets.


Deputy governor of Qassim launches ‘World No Smoking Day’ events

Updated 8 sec ago
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Deputy governor of Qassim launches ‘World No Smoking Day’ events

  • Events were organized by the anti-smoking association Tadarak

BURAIDAH: Prince Fahd bin Saad bin Faisal bin Saad, deputy governor of the Al-Qassim region, launched the “World No Smoking Day” events on Thursday.

Organized by Tadarak, an anti-smoking association, the events were launched during a visit by Ayman Al-Raqiba, director general at the Health Ministry in Qassim, to the deputy governor’s office.

During the meeting, Prince Fahd was briefed on the association’s awareness efforts in collaboration with health authorities. These efforts include high-quality programs focused on smoking prevention, treatment and education, aimed at enhancing quality of life and aligning with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.


Opportunities and potential abound in Saudi Arabia, says US media trainer

Updated 10 min 4 sec ago
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Opportunities and potential abound in Saudi Arabia, says US media trainer

  • Former White House correspondent launches communication program for high schools

RIYADH: Former White House correspondent Bill Connor has praised the opportunities and potential available for media training in Saudi Arabia.

A seasoned media professional with more than 20 years of experience, the CEO of Three Media Consultancy appeared on episode two of the latest season of The Mayman Show, where he announced his latest project — working with the next generation of aspiring media professionals to hone their presentation skills.

In partnership with Spacetoon, a pan-Arab, free-to-air television channel specializing in animation and children’s programs, Connor has created Smart Speakers for the Spacetoon Education division.

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“We are going to launch — I don’t know when the show is going to air — but we are launching it in May 2025, around the same time as you and I are talking right now,” he said.

The program is for high school teachers and students, teaching them to communicate effectively and confidently at school, in life and, eventually, in their chosen careers.

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“So it’s going to be spacetoon.edu.com, as a matter of fact the website is open right now. you can look at it. We think it will be pretty beneficial for teachers and for students as well,” Connor said.

Connor has helped countless people around the world to master the art of presenting, making speeches and giving media interviews, including government officials and high-level corporate figures within the Kingdom.

Aside from spending quality time with his family, since stepping aside as a White House correspondent, Connor said his favorite thing was to travel to Saudi Arabia to help professionals hone their skills.

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It all began with a chance meeting in the US with Saudi media professional Ahmed Al-Amri, he recalled.

“In 2012 I was at a conference in Washington D.C. Ahmad walked up to me and introduced himself and he said, would you be interested in coming to Jeddah to work with my CEO and the executive team at my corporation? I said, that sounds fascinating, I would love to do that.”

Connor’s training approach focuses on creating real-life situations to show people how to be disciplined, colorful and charismatic in their communication. He also teaches them how to break free of some traditional conventions often practiced when delivering a speech or presentation, during interviews, or while handling difficult situations and questions.

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“So many people in leadership think that because they’re talking about something that’s really important, whether that is Vision 2030 or their own business or whatever it happens to be … that they have to be very serious,” he said, adding the secret of his training methods was to build skills beyond conveying a message: “It’s about figuring out how to tell your story credibly while still dealing with some questions that you might not want to deal with.”

When asked how he thought the current US administration was handling matters, including providing timely and accurate information about presidential events, making public statements and barring major media outlets from press briefings, he said: “Every presidency is different. The media strategy of every president is different. I will say President (Donald) Trump’s strategy is totally different from every other president that came before him. And that obviously presents a lot of challenges for journalists. But by and large, journalists work really hard and they’re trying to do the right thing.”

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Connor has traveled to Saudi Arabia every six weeks or so for the past 13 years, visiting around 70 times.

He said he appreciated the work opportunities available to him in the Kingdom, which allowed him to work with “extraordinary” professionals and enjoy warm friendships.

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He added his journalistic approach to media training had been well received.

“My style, which I suppose is a very American kind of style, has really been embraced here. I mean they keep asking me back. So I think the clients are reasonably happy,” he said.


Second group of King Salman pilgrim program beneficiaries arrives in Saudi Arabia

Pilgrims hosted by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Guests Program for Hajj, Umrah and Visit are welcomed on arrival.
Updated 21 min 10 sec ago
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Second group of King Salman pilgrim program beneficiaries arrives in Saudi Arabia

  • 1,053 Hajj pilgrims from 76 countries were welcomed to the Kingdom with roses and refreshments.

RIYADH: The second group of beneficiaries of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Guests Program for Hajj, Umrah and Visit for this year has arrived in the Kingdom, Saudi Press Agency reported on Thursday. 

1,053 Hajj pilgrims from 76 countries were welcomed to the Kingdom with roses and refreshments. 

The Minister of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance Sheikh Abdullatif bin Abdulaziz Al Al-Sheikh said hosting the pilgrims highlights the leadership’s keenness to care for Muslims around the world and to present a civilized model of warm welcome, generous hospitality, and comprehensive organization.

He emphasized that the ministry is working according to an integrated vision that addresses the smallest details, through an advanced field work system that aims to provide the utmost comfort to the program’s guests, from the moment they arrive until the completion of their rituals.

This will be achieved through quality services that include luxurious accommodation, comprehensive catering, facilitated transportation, comprehensive healthcare, and educational and enrichment programs that enhance the guests’ experience of their pilgrimage journey, the minister said. 

The minister added that the program clearly embodies the comprehensive development achieved by the Kingdom in managing Hajj affairs and the advanced capabilities and accumulated expertise it possesses, which allow it to provide the best services to pilgrims. 


KSrelief extends contract for Masam Project

Updated 29 May 2025
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KSrelief extends contract for Masam Project

  • Saudi personnel and international experts are implementing the project and working with Yemeni teams trained to remove all types of mines
  • Work aims to eliminate the threat of mines and protect the lives of innocent people from the dangers they pose

RIYADH: The Saudi aid agency KSrelief has extended by one year its contract for the Masam Project to clear mines in Yemen.

Saudi personnel and international experts are implementing the project and working with Yemeni teams trained to remove all types of mines planted in the country.

The work aims to eliminate the threat of mines and protect the lives of innocent people from the dangers they pose. In addition, the project also focuses on training and capacity-building activities for Yemenis in land mine clearance.

Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, adviser at the Royal Court and supervisor general at KSrelief, said: “The renewal of this contract with the implementing partner reflects the center’s sense of humanitarian responsibility toward our brothers in Yemen, given the critical importance of this unique project in completing the clearance of Yemeni territory from mines that were planted in an unprecedentedly indiscriminate manner.

“These mines, deployed in various forms and camouflaged in locations targeting unarmed civilians, have caused permanent injuries, lifelong disabilities and numerous casualties among women, children and the elderly, and other acts that pose a threat to security and life.”

He noted that the project has removed 495,855 mines and various shells to date.


Ancient Saudi city of Qurh a historic stop for pilgrim and trade caravans

Updated 29 May 2025
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Ancient Saudi city of Qurh a historic stop for pilgrim and trade caravans

  • Qurh was capital of Wadi Al-Qura, a center for Arab markets
  • Architectural features date back to the early Islamic periods

ALULA: Qurh, an ancient city in Saudi Arabia’s AlUla governorate, served for centuries as a vital hub for pilgrims and traders, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

Located about 20 km south of AlUla’s old town, near the village of Mughayra, Qurh is one of the Royal Commission for AlUla’s archaeological sites. AlUla’s other main heritage sites are Dadan, Hegra and the Old Town.

Qurh’s ruins spread across an expansive plain surrounded by medium-height mountains. The ruins include remnants of architectural structures, marketplaces, streets, and palaces, all of which highlight the city’s once-thriving economic and urban life.

Architectural features dating back to the early Islamic periods also suggest that settlement and cultural growth continued after the advent of Islam.

The ruins include remnants of architectural structures, marketplaces, streets, and palaces, all of which highlight the city's once-thriving economic and urban life.  (SPA)

Qurh was the capital of Wadi Al-Qura and a center for Arab markets, as described by the historian Hisham bin Al-Kalbi, who identified it as a commercial and cultural center and a cradle of the arts.

The city was located on the route of the historic Incense Road, a trade artery used to transport precious goods from the southern Arabian Peninsula to the north, passing through Wadi Al-Qura.

The ruins include remnants of architectural structures, marketplaces, streets, and palaces, all of which highlight the city's once-thriving economic and urban life.  (SPA)

According to Abdulrahman Alsuhaibani, the RCA’s vice president for culture, the excavations in Qurh have so far proved “that there was some interaction with China at the beginning of the Islamic period.”

“Evidence exists of interactions and trade extending as far as China,” he said in an interview produced by FT Longitude in partnership with the RCA.

“With China, for example, (there were) merchants who brought porcelain, medicines and silk to Arabia with incense for sure, ivory, while other valuables travelled in the opposite directions.”

AlUla, part of Saudi Arabia’s western province of Madinah, has been home to the ancient Dadanites, Lihyanites, Nabataeans, Sabaeans, Minoans, Egyptian, Romans and Arabs, he said.