Saudi health chiefs urge vaccination as COVID-19 cases triple in four days
Health ministry says 424 patients have recovered from the virus in the last 24 hours
Municipalities close several businesses and issue fines to a number of others for breaching coronavirus protocols
Updated 07 January 2022
Rashid Hassan and Sarah Glubb
RIYADH: Health officials urged Saudis on Wednesday to ensure that they were fully vaccinated against COVID-19 after the number of daily cases in the Kingdom more than tripled in four days.
Saudi Arabia reported 3,045 coronavirus cases on Wednesday, compared with 846 on Saturday, Jan. 1.
The Health Ministry confirmed one new COVID-19 related death on Wednesday, raising the total number of fatalities to 8,886.
In a surge in infections fueled by the omicron variant of the virus, the number of new cases has increased almost tenfold in just over a month, from only 34 on Dec. 1. A total of 109 COVID-19 patients are in a critical condition in hospital.
The highest number of cases were recorded in the capital Riyadh with 855, followed by Jeddah with 647, Makkah with 398, Hofuf confirmed 152, and Dammam recorded 144.
The ministry also announced that 424 patients had recovered from COVID-19, bringing the total number of recoveries in the Kingdom to 543,553.
Over 51.9 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered since the Kingdom’s immunization campaign started. More than 23.2 million people have been fully vaccinated.
While the omicron variant of the virus is less likely to cause serious illness or death, the MoH urged Saudis to receive a booster shot to avoid acute complications.
Saudi municipalities have also ramped up efforts to monitor compliance with health and safety measures.
The municipality of Jeddah carried out 6,008 inspection tours of commercial centers and facilities during the last two days. Authorities recorded 41 violations and closed 18 businesses for not adhering to the precautionary measures.
The Eastern Province Municipality carried out 1,388 tours on Tuesday and field teams issued fines to 74 commercial outlets for breaching protocols.
Officials have also called on the public to report any suspected health breaches by phoning the 940 call center number or contacting authorities through the Balady app.
The coronavirus pandemic has affected over 297 million people globally and the death toll has reached around 5.47 million.
Jeddah’s Balad Al-Fan Festival is haven for creative souls
Festival features art competitions, workshops, cultural talks, weekend markets, and live music shows
Updated 57 min 44 sec ago
SALEH FAREED
JEDDAH: Jeddah’s historic Al-Balad district has once again transformed into a vibrant hub of art for the second Balad Al-Fan Festival, which runs until June 13.
The festival, which began on April 5, and is organized by Zawiya 97 in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture, features more than 90 events, including artistic competitions, creative workshops, cultural talks, school workshops, live shows, and weekend markets.
Hashem Al-Shawi walks participants through the process of soap making at the festival while Khloud Nass prepares for her pottery class. (AN photos by Saleh Fareed)
Abdulrahman Al-Aseri, managing director of Zawiya 97, told Arab News: “Building on our mission at Zawiya 97 to enhance the cultural and artisanal presence in Historic Jeddah, we place creativity at the heart of our vision by bridging living heritage with the spirit of contemporary innovation. Through our participation in Balad Al-Fann 2, we present more than 90 artistic and craft events aimed at reviving Historic Jeddah with a crafting energy.”
The festival includes four themed weekends: handmade crafts; nature and sustainability; youth weekend; and “A Sweet-Scented Farewell,” which focuses on Al-Balad apothecaries.
HIGHLIGHT
The festival includes four themed weekends: handmade crafts; nature and sustainability; youth weekend; and ‘A Sweet-Scented Farewell,’ which focuses on Al-Balad apothecaries.
“This season, we have designed a vibrant platform that celebrates traditional crafts, reimagining them through sustainability, cultural storytelling, and youth empowerment,” said Al-Aseri. “We believe that creativity is not merely about having an idea, but about breathing new life into the timeless alleys of Al-Balad.
Visual artist Khloud Nass will be running one of the workshops. (AN photos by Saleh Fareed)
“With a new group of distinguished artisans joining our Artisans Incubator Program, we continue to build a community that preserves heritage and innovates for the future. We welcome everyone who shares this passion to be part of reviving Historic Jeddah.”
Visual artist Khloud Nass will be running one of the workshops. She said: “I have been working with Zawiya 97 for a year to train those who want to learn through workshops such as pottery.”
Azzam Al- Ghamdi from Dar Azzam will be working with fragrances including musk, oud, and rose, to showcase the art of perfumery using native plants of Saudi Arabia. (AN photos by Saleh Fareed)
Azzam Al- Ghamdi from Dar Azzam will be working with fragrances including musk, oud, and rose, to showcase the art of perfumery using native plants of Saudi Arabia.
He told Arab News: “Traditional know-how and the perfect soil for growing aromatic plants in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have given perfume a central role in our lifestyle. (It is) deeply entrenched in Saudi culture. The use of perfumes for cultural and religious purposes dates back many centuries in this country.”
The festival offers visitors the chance to take part in various competitions, including “Your Creativity Revives Al Balad” and “Handcraft & Calligraphy”. (Supplied)
Beside showcasing his creativity, Al -Ghamdi is also training visitors in his workshops.
Hashem Al-Shawi is offering soap-making workshops at the festival. “Organic skincare methods have always proven reliable and I am so glad to be part of this festival and to share the different types of soap and the process of soap making,” he said.
The festival also offers visitors the chance to take part in various competitions, including “Your Creativity Revives Al Balad” and “Handcraft & Calligraphy,” which allows them to redesign Al-Balad’s pavements and public spaces into works of art, with the chance of winning cash prizes.
Saudi fund CEO sheds light on economic power of culture
Al-Hugail emphasized the economic power of culture, saying that true investment extends beyond infrastructure or innovation alone and lies in securing the cultural sector’s lasting vitality within the economy
Updated 03 May 2025
Hebshi Alshammari
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is advancing with unwavering confidence toward a brighter future, honoring its deep-rooted cultural legacy while drawing strength from an ambitious vision for a sustainable cultural sector, the CEO of the Saudi Cultural Development Fund said at Expo 2025 Osaka.
Majed bin Abdulmohsen Al-Hugail virtually took part in a panel discussion, titled “Creative Sustainability: Investing in Culture with Long-Term Impact.”
The Saudi Cultural Development Fund is committed to driving long-term impact and sustainable growth within the cultural sector through innovative solutions and strategic partnerships between the public, private, and nonprofit sectors.
Majed Al-Hugail added: “The Kingdom’s participation at Expo 2025 Osaka is bringing the best of Saudi Arabia to the world stage and providing an opportunity for the world to witness Saudi Arabia’s remarkable transformation.” (Supplied)
Through pioneering solutions, the fund is contributing to turning Saudi Arabia’s cultural sector into a powerful economic force, while also fostering long-term sustainability — fully aligned with the ambitions of Vision 2030.
Al-Hugail emphasized the economic power of culture, saying that true investment extends beyond infrastructure or innovation alone and lies in securing the cultural sector’s lasting vitality within the economy.
By embracing visionary sustainable strategies, culture evolves into a living, breathing force, one that fuels economic prosperity, nurtures creativity, and weaves a stronger, more resilient social fabric.
The fund is taking part in Expo 2025 Osaka within the Saudi Arabia Pavilion. (Supplied)
During the panel discussion, Al-Hugail said: “At the Saudi Cultural Development Fund, sustainability is not just a goal; it is at the core of everything we do. Our approach is guided by key indicators that align with global Environmental, Social, and Governance standards.”
In pursuit of economic sustainability with lasting positive social impact, the Saudi Cultural Development Fund focuses on supporting businesses that build capabilities.
A notable example is the fund’s backing of the “CHEFPreneur” program, which has equipped 42 Saudi women with culinary and entrepreneurial expertise, empowering them with the skills to start their businesses in the culinary sector.
The panel also explored sustainable business models in the cultural sector. As funding landscapes continue to evolve globally, the sector is turning to innovative alternatives. This new wave of cultural financing includes emerging models such as public-private partnerships, which play a key role in fostering an economically sustainable cultural sector.
As an example, the fund has forged a pioneering collaboration with several leading Saudi banks and the Saudi Credit Bureau to strengthen its offerings and enhance the efficiency of credit decision-making processes.
Demonstrating its commitment to sectoral growth, the fund also contributed 40 percent to the $100 million Saudi Film Fund, aimed at expanding the Kingdom’s film industry, attracting private sector investment, and driving the sector’s long-term development.
Last year, the fund launched “Cultural Financing,” an inclusive umbrella of financial services designed to support micro, small, and medium-sized cultural enterprises across all stages of the value chain — fostering the growth and expansion of cultural projects.
Al-Hugail concluded the panel discussion by saying: “Through international exhibitions like Expo 2025 Osaka, visitors can experience Saudi Arabia’s rich cultural diversity and preview a forward-looking vision of the country’s future.”
He added: “The Kingdom’s participation at Expo 2025 Osaka is bringing the best of Saudi Arabia to the world stage and providing an opportunity for the world to witness Saudi Arabia’s remarkable transformation.”
The fund is taking part in Expo 2025 Osaka within the Saudi Arabia Pavilion, highlighting the Kingdom’s strategy to position culture as a major economic force while ensuring its sustainable growth.
This aligns with both the National Cultural Strategy and Vision 2030, which focus on diversifying the national economy, with the fund serving as a primary financial enabler for the cultural sector.
Activities featured an exhibition, seminars, training courses, language proficiency tests and student competitions, organized in partnership with Spanish universities and institutions
Updated 03 May 2025
Arab News
RIYADH: The King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language has concluded its Arabic Language Month program in Spain, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Held throughout April, the initiative is part of the academy’s global project to support Arabic education for non-native speakers and promote collaboration with international academic and cultural institutions.
The program included a range of educational and cultural events across Spanish cities such as Madrid, Granada and Cordoba.
Activities featured an exhibition, seminars, training courses, language proficiency tests and student competitions, organized in partnership with Spanish universities and institutions.
Key collaborators included Casa Arabe, Rey Juan Carlos University, the Autonomous University of Madrid and the University of Granada.
Targeting Arabic learners, educators and specialists, the program offered training sessions, awareness activities and academic forums.
It concluded in Cordoba with an introductory lecture and open forum for Arabic language enthusiasts.
The lecture outlined the academy’s global vision, highlighted its international projects and explored future partnerships with Spanish institutions.
The initiative has also been implemented in countries such as Uzbekistan, Indonesia, China, India, France, Brazil, Thailand and Malaysia, expanding its global reach.
Saudi-Turkish ministers discuss enhancing cooperation in mining sector, joint investment
The meeting was held at the Istanbul Natural Resources Summit, which brought together experts, leaders and policymakers to explore “evolving global and regional dynamics in energy and resource security”
Updated 03 May 2025
Arab News
ISTANBUL: Saudi Deputy Minister for Industry and Mineral Resources Khalid Al-Mudaifer met Alparslan Bayraktar, Turkiye’s minister of energy and natural resources, and Mehmet Yilmaz, president of the Turkish Miners’ Association, in Istanbul.
During the meeting, the two sides discussed ways to enhance cooperation in the mining sector as well as joint investment opportunities in the field of minerals, the Saudi Industry Ministry wrote in a post on X.
The meeting was held at the Istanbul Natural Resources Summit, which brought together experts, leaders and policymakers to explore “evolving global and regional dynamics in energy and resource security.”
Saudi Arabia showcases Islamic heritage at Jusoor exhibition in Kosovo
The 10-day event coincides with the launch of the final qualifiers for the third international Holy Qur’an memorization competition in the Balkans
Updated 03 May 2025
Arab News
RIYADH: Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti recently inaugurated the sixth Jusoor exhibition at Skanderbeg Square in the capital, Pristina.
The exhibition is organized by the Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs in cooperation with the religious attache at the Saudi Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The 10-day event coincides with the launch of the final qualifiers for the third international Holy Qur’an memorization competition in the Balkans, held in cooperation with the Islamic Sheikhdom in Kosovo.
The exhibition promotes authentic Islamic principles and highlights values such as moderation, mercy and justice, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
It features diverse cultural and outreach activities and showcases the Kingdom’s rich Islamic and historical heritage, aiming to foster intercultural dialogue and build bridges between communities.
Kurti praised the Kingdom’s historical and humanitarian support for Kosovo, noting its consistent solidarity, especially during critical moments in the country’s recent history. He added that this reflected the friendship and ties between the two nations.
“The Kingdom is close to the people of Kosovo, and the support it provided — especially during difficult times — is evidence of the strong and sincere friendship between us. We are grateful for it,” he said.
Kurti said that relations between the two countries had developed into a strong and growing partnership. He highlighted cooperation in tourism, education, the economy and culture, pointing to recent citizen exchanges for various purposes.
He added that the exhibition’s name reflected Arab heritage and the Kingdom’s spirit, enriching Kosovar understanding of Saudi culture.
Kurti said that this cultural bridge connected societies, serving as a platform for reflection and interaction.
The Kingdom stood as a model promoting peace and unity, honoring the past and offering hope for the future, he said.
Sheikh Naim Ternava, grand mufti and head of the Islamic Sheikhdom in Kosovo, expressed gratitude to the Kingdom for its support.
He said that the event resulted from cooperation between the Islamic Sheikhdom and the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, reflecting their shared commitment to promoting Islamic values, cultural exchange and building bridges of communication.
