Layali Maraya spotlights Arab designers’ ingenuity in Riyadh

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Updated 30 January 2025
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Layali Maraya spotlights Arab designers’ ingenuity in Riyadh

  • Designers tell Arab News what inspires their creativity
  • Haruss founder says ‘it’s an honor’ to represent the Saudi fashion industry

RIYADH: As part of their mission to empower Arab designers, Layali Maraya is featuring regional designers at the Mansard Hotel in Riyadh until Wednesday.

The three-day event, held under the patronage of Ameera Al-Taweel, Layali Maraya features modern luxury in a collection of Arab brands including Okhtein, an Egyptian label known for its handcrafted handbags with detailed accents that represent the beauty of Egyptian culture.




The products offered by Maraya range from fashion and fragrance to accessories, jewelry and home decor. (AN Photo by Abdulrhman Bin Shalhuob)

Also featured is Lynyer, a Lebanese brand by Leen Abelnour, who finds inspiration in Asian and Middle Eastern jewelry aesthetics and nature to create bold pieces.

“I ended up going for very big statement pieces that go with Middle Eastern women, and make women stand out wherever they are, especially for confident women who want to walk into the room and turn heads,” she said.

HIGHLIGHT

Maraya is the region’s first omni-channel platform with a Riyadh store, an e-commerce platform, and mobile app.

“All the pieces that you see here are nature inspired. They are also very culturally inspired by India, Pakistan, and by Lebanon, which is where I’m from.”




Leen Abelnour, the founder of Lynyer Statement Jewels, is inspired by Asian and Middle Eastern jewelry, blending nature's delicacy into bold pieces. (AN Photo by Abdulrhman Bin Shalhuob)

Growing up in the Kingdom and traveling internationally to pursue her career, Abelnour said that being back in Riyadh was a full-circle moment for her.

“When I launched the brand, I wanted to work with small artisans around the world … I started realizing that growing up in Saudi Arabia has really affected my taste in jewelry,” she said.




Saudi clothing brand Harjuss is designed to meet "basic, essential, human needs," according to its founder Saud Saleh. (AN photos by Abdulrhman Bin Shalhoub)

The founder of Saudi clothing brand Harjuss, Saud Saleh, said the label completes “basic, essential, human needs.”

Harjuss’s ready-to-wear collections are created around the seasons. The winter collection plays with texture and heavy fabrics while the summer line uses linen for breathability.

“It’s a very smart casual, very simple, very classy collection and it’s a 100 percent Saudi brand, founded by young Saudi talents,” Saleh said. “This is an honor to us to be representing the fashion industry of Saudi Arabia to the region and the outside world.”

Layali Maraya also featured Saudi labels 1886, Abadia, Dalal Jewelry, and Nora Alshaikh, among others.

Maraya is the region’s first omni-channel platform with a Riyadh store, an e-commerce platform, and mobile app.

The products offered by Maraya range from fashion and fragrance to accessories, jewelry and home decor.

 


Royal reserve limits grazing to protect vegetation

Updated 4 sec ago
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Royal reserve limits grazing to protect vegetation

RIYADH: The Imam Abdulaziz bin Mohammed Royal Reserve Development Authority has prohibited grazing within the reserve, allowing it only for licensed local community members in designated areas, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The authority emphasized its ongoing efforts to enhance vegetation cover and regulate sustainable grazing to prevent land degradation, loss of plant diversity, and soil erosion.

It confirmed that penalties will be imposed on those who violate these regulations to protect the reserve’s biodiversity and vegetation, the SPA added.

The authority encouraged those seeking information about grazing to consult its website and official channels.

Recently, the National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification launched the Agroforestry Action Plan Development Project to promote environmental sustainability, social development, and economic growth.

The project focuses on assessing the current state of agroforestry, applying global best practices, and encouraging investment to ensure sustainable forest management.

The center is also working to establish sustainable vegetation cover in forests through its initiative to plant 60 million trees — equivalent to rehabilitating 300,000 hectares by 2030.

It aims to implement a national plan for sustainable forest management, protect and develop forests, and regulate grazing in forest areas.


Saudi authorities make arrests in ongoing anti-drug operations

Updated 29 min 17 sec ago
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Saudi authorities make arrests in ongoing anti-drug operations

  • The authorities have urged the public to report information related to drug smuggling by calling 911 in Makkah, Riyadh and the Eastern Province

DUBAI: Saudi authorities have arrested several people in separate operations as part of the Kingdom’s ongoing efforts to combat drug smuggling and dealing.

In Najran, the General Directorate of Narcotics Control arrested two citizens for selling amphetamine and referred them to the Public Prosecution.

In another operation, Border Guard land patrols in the Al-Rabou’ah sector of the Asir region arrested three Ethiopian nationals for violating border security laws and attempting to smuggle 45 kg of qat.

The authorities have urged the public to report information related to drug smuggling by calling 911 in Makkah, Riyadh and the Eastern Province, or 999 in other regions. Reports can also be made in confidence to the General Directorate of Narcotics Control at 995 or by emailing 995@gdnc.gov.sa.


Saudi, US defense chiefs discuss regional security in phone call

Updated 07 April 2025
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Saudi, US defense chiefs discuss regional security in phone call

RIYADH: Saudi Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman received a phone call from US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Monday, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The two discussed defense cooperation between the two countries, SPA added.

They also spoke about regional developments and shared efforts to enhance security and stability in the region and beyond.


Saudi Arabia highlights cultural preservation efforts at UNESCO Executive Board session in Paris

Updated 07 April 2025
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Saudi Arabia highlights cultural preservation efforts at UNESCO Executive Board session in Paris

  • Kingdom’s permanent representative announces two digital initiatives to be launched in partnership with UN body
  • Abdulelah bin Ali Al-Tokhais says Kingdom remains committed to advancing the organization’s strategic priorities

PARIS: Saudi Arabia has highlighted its work in cultural preservation at the 221st session of the Executive Board of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization at the organization’s headquarters in Paris, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The session, which opened Monday and runs until April 17, is being attended by representatives from member states and key international stakeholders.

The UNESCO Executive Board, of which Saudi Arabia is a member, is one of the organization’s three main governing bodies, alongside the General Conference and the Secretariat.

Comprising 58 member states elected for four-year terms, the board evaluates the organization’s work, oversees programs, and reviews budgetary matters.

Saudi Arabia’s delegation is led by Abdulelah bin Ali Al-Tokhais, the Kingdom’s permanent representative to UNESCO.

Also in attendance are members of the Saudi National Commission for Education, Culture and Science, and representatives from various national institutions.

Delivering the Kingdom’s address during the opening session, Al-Tokhais underscored Saudi Arabia’s historic and ongoing partnership with UNESCO, highlighting that the Kingdom was among the first nations to sign the UN Charter in 1945.

He emphasized the robust cooperation between Saudi Arabia and UNESCO, particularly through the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning, a partnership that recently culminated in the Kingdom hosting the Sixth International Conference on Learning Cities, held under the patronage of King Salman.

Al-Tokhais also noted the Kingdom’s role in cultural preservation, citing the Saudi Fund to Support, Protect and Promote Culture and Heritage at UNESCO.

As part of collaborative efforts, he announced that two digital initiatives — the Virtual Museum of Stolen Objects and the Digital Heritage Platform — will be launched in partnership with UNESCO in the first half of 2025.

He also reaffirmed Saudi Arabia’s support for UNESCO’s mission, and said that the Kingdom remained committed to advancing the organization’s strategic priorities and contributing to global development goals.


Saudi development agency improves Yemen’s sports infrastructure to empower youth

Updated 07 April 2025
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Saudi development agency improves Yemen’s sports infrastructure to empower youth

  • SDRPY has built over 30 basketball and volleyball courts in schools across various Yemeni governorates
  • Agency is dedicated to implementing sports projects in Yemen that meet global standards to enhance youth skills

RIYADH: The Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen has supported various sports and youth initiatives in the country as part of the Kingdom’s commitment to empower Yemeni youth.

The SDRPY has built over 30 basketball and volleyball courts in schools across various Yemeni governorates, and supported the construction of FIFA-standard stadiums for clubs such as Al-Jazira, Al-Rawdah, and Al-Menaa.

In a report, the agency said that it remains dedicated to implementing sports projects in Yemen that meet global standards to enhance youth skills, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The SDRPY’s work in Yemen includes restoring sports facilities, sponsoring tournaments, providing technical support and sports education, and developing athletic skills among Yemeni children.

Various sports tournaments have been organized by the development agency to provide young Yemeni athletes with opportunities to compete, the SPA added.

In recent years, it has helped restore the Ali Asad Muthanna Sports Hall in Aden after a long period of disuse, providing youth with a renewed space to engage in physical activities.

It has also organized major tournaments in the country, including the Marib Football Championship, which involved 14 clubs and 588 young participants, and a basketball tournament in Hadramout, which involved 17 clubs and 289 young participants.

The agency celebrated the Yemeni U-17 national team for their victory in the West Asian Football Championship against the Saudi U-17 national squad in December 2021 as a gesture of encouragement and acknowledgment, the SPA reported.

In June 2020, SDRPY signed a memorandum of cooperation with the Saudi Ministry of Sport to support athletics in Yemen. Since then, it has backed 264 projects and initiatives across various sectors in the country, including sports, education, health, water, energy, and developmental programs.