JEDDAH: Just like many Saudi children who grew up in the 90s, Arabic dubbed Japanese animations influenced Mohammad Makki as a child and paved the way for his filmmaking career.
Makki, 28, is a Saudi filmmaker with Indonesian roots. He got into the Comic Con world when he was around the age of 6, as he used to read manga comics such as “Dragon Ball Z” in Indonesian, in addition to watching Arabic dubbed Japanese anime cartoons “Plawers Sanshiro,” “Future Boy Conan” and “Romeo’s Blue Skies.”
Makki is filming his new comic show named “Mas7our” or “Bewitched.” He is also the director and producer of the YouTube show “Takki,” a Saudi TV drama centered on the lives of six characters living in Jeddah, and is currently working on the third and final season.
The concept of “Mas7our” was inspired the well-known X-Men character.
“The idea came when I was chilling with my friends and we talked about why there is no Saudi superhero,” Makki said. “We want to create a story that has a universal theme with a local Saudi touch.”
The idea of “Mas7our” was born and will soon come to light with the help of his friends Bador Al-Hethell, Jotaro, and Adham Adel, Makki said in an exclusive interview with Arab News.
Makki does not want capes made of shimagh (headwear for men) nor sirwal and fanelah (traditional underwear for men) as a costume. “We want Mas7our to be a simple concept with compelling and rich characters with superpowers.”
The story will set in modern day Jeddah, where the events will take place between the young Saudis and the clergies or religious police.
The story will show how these two groups of people work together on solving the mystery of a sudden wave of superpowers.
“Of course, like any other drama it needs obstacles and conflict between them, but nothing to an extent that would cause controversies or divides in the real life,” Makki said.
Every group will be presented decently, as no group will be presented in a demeaning way. Makki revealed that the show will have dark moments, but, like any other drama, it all will be resolved.
“It’s a choice between normal life and extraordinary life,” Makki added.
“It’s a choice between being extremely talented and not. It’s a choice between following your deep beliefs and others. Between what you want to do and what you should do. Between what you personally want and what the world needs.”
Makki has never participated in any comic con event before, but he attended Dubai’s Middle East Film & Comic Con Festival (MEFCC) in 2015.
Makki was thrilled to receive the invitation to speak at Saudi Comic Con, which kicks off Thursday. “It is overwhelming,” he said. “It makes me proud and happy. (I) hope it happens every year, as it gives the boys and girls (the opportunity) to create and show their work.”
Makki said that he is not very much involved in the local comic community, but he knows Mohammad Tamimi from Madinah who writes and distributes a Shonen Jump Comic journal (manga anthology) published in Saudi Arabia, where there are three small manga stories in one book and collaborating with other manga creators, according to Makki who is fascinated by his work.
As for the international celebrity guests who will be joining the first Saudi Comic Con event, Makki expressed his excitement about meeting the three announced celebrities: Mads Mikkelsen, Julian Glover and Giancarlo Esposito. “I’m honored to see them. We watch these guys on TV all our lives and [now] we get to see them in real life. It’s too good to be true. Hopefully, in the near future, they’d even film productions here in Saudi.”
Every Saudi child has grown up watching Japanese animations dubbed in Arabic, and Makki is expecting a good number of people to show up for the three-day event.
One of Makki’s biggest supporters is his wife who is also a filmmaker studying at Effat University. He sees a potential talent in his wife. “She’s becoming excellent in her skills every day. [She is] very passionate, always trying new things,” he said proudly about his life partner who also shares the same passion.
“She will be someone really great in the Saudi film industry one day.”
Makki advised comic amateurs who aspire to get their works out there to keep creating and posting their works on Instagram. Making money, in the beginning, may be not an option, but they should never neglect their creation. “Have a job somewhere else, keep creating on the side and share it with the world. Work hard on it that one day it becomes your full-time job,” he said.
Saudi Arabia's first Comic Con to highlight local talent Thursday
Saudi Arabia's first Comic Con to highlight local talent Thursday
Saudi industry minister tours Danish technology, pharmaceutical hubs
- At Novo Nordisk, Alkhorayef examined cutting-edge insulin and biopharmaceutical production technologies
- At DTU Science Park, he was briefed on innovative solutions driving industrial growth and sustainability
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s minister of industry and mineral resources toured key Danish industrial and scientific sites as part of his current trip to Denmark, the Saudi Press Agency reported recently.
Minister Bandar Alkhorayef’s visit to the Nordic country is focused on boosting industrial cooperation and exploring joint investment opportunities.
His tour included stops at pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk and the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) Science Park.
At Novo Nordisk, a global leader in diabetes care, Alkhorayef examined cutting-edge insulin and biopharmaceutical production technologies, the report said.
Alkhorayef highlighted the strategic partnership between the company and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), via Lifera, aimed at localizing the production of GLP-1 drugs and insulin within the Kingdom, it added.
Saudi officials have said the partnership is aimed at meeting domestic demand and position Saudi Arabia as a regional hub for pharmaceutical manufacturing and research.
At the DTU Science Park, Denmark’s premier technology and innovation hub, Alkhorayef was briefed on advanced research and development units, key industrial research projects, and innovative solutions driving industrial growth and sustainability.
The Science Park fosters a competitive environment for scientific research, innovation, and modern technology development.
The visits underscore the Kingdom’s dedication to bolstering strategic international partnerships, facilitating the exchange of expertise, and enabling technology and knowledge transfer. Such efforts aim to localize promising industries within Saudi Arabia and realize the Saudi Vision 2030’s goals to diversify the national economy.
Built by hand, rooted in history: National Historical Palace in Taif is one man’s tribute to Saudi heritage and Islamic history
- Built by Majid Al-Thabiti, the site blends Islamic history with contemporary design, rooted in the symbolism of the number seven
- Spanning 70,000 sq. meters, the palace features seven museums, seven facades, seven gates and almost 7 million stones cut and laid by the man himself
MAKKAH: In the heart of Wadi Qarn in Taif governorate, one man’s vision has resulted in one of Saudi Arabia’s most striking heritage landmarks: the National Historical Palace for Islamic Civilization.
Built by Majid Al-Thabiti, the site blends Islamic history with contemporary design, rooted in the symbolism of the number seven.
In an interview with Arab News, Al-Thabiti said: “The number symbolizes perfection and completeness in several Qur’anic verses, including the seven heavens, the seven earths and the seven shaded by God in his shadow, among others.”
The project was born out of Al-Thabiti’s strong will. He believed in his dream and devoted his effort, time and energy to bring it to life.
Spanning 70,000 sq. meters, the palace features seven museums, seven facades, seven gates and almost 7 million stones cut and laid by the man himself.
The museums offer distinct cultural and education experiences. Exhibits cover Islamic architecture, local heritage, plastic arts and sculpture, rare collections, astronomy, military history documenting the unification of the Kingdom and an agricultural museum featuring seeds mentioned in the Holy Qur’an.
The palace includes 600 square meters of flooring adorned with colored stones and inspired by the historical art of Sadu, an intangible cultural heritage recognized by UNESCO.
Al-Thabiti said that he personally cuts, shapes and stacks the stones himself. “The manual labor is what gives the project its true spirit, as every corner bears (my) imprint, effort and dedication,” he added.
He used seven types of stone sourced from across Saudi Arabia, including basalt, quartz and shale. His attention to detail is reflected in features such as hand-shaped facades, floor mosaics inspired by Sadu art and stonework colored in seven hues that mirror the Kingdom’s geological diversity.
Highlights at the palace include an Abbasid-style minaret with a water fountain in honor of Zubaida, the wife of Harun Al-Rashid; an observatory used to track the crescent moon; and stone engravings of Saudi megaprojects like NEOM and The Line.
The site also includes engravings on stone of the Kingdom’s military vehicles, such as a fighter jet and ship.
Al-Thabiti also built a 700-meter sports track along the banks of Qarn valley, a stable for purebred Arabian horses, as well as replicas of symbolic gates like Makkah Gate, Taif Gate and King Abdulaziz Islamic Gate, with stones from Mounts Al-Nur, Thawr and Uhud. Other exhibits, like Diriyah and Yawm Badina (The Day We Began), commemorate key moments in Saudi history.
According to Al-Thabiti, his goal is to transform the palace into a cultural and educational destination that celebrates the Kingdom’s history and heritage.
“We possess a great civilizational legacy and a deep-rooted history. It is our duty to present it to the world in the finest way. This palace is the beginning,” he said.
Ancient terrace farming technique shapes Asir’s agricultural heritage
- Together, the thumalah and mughayyid systems stand as a testament to early innovation sustaining life in one of Saudi Arabia’s most challenging landscapes
RIYADH: For centuries, the people of Saudi Arabia’s Asir region have cultivated food on steep mountain slopes using stone terracing systems.
They began with the construction of stone retaining walls known locally as “thamayil,” the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Each individual wall, called “thumalah,” is anchored into bedrock and can rise two to six meters in height.
They serve as critical infrastructure for mountain agriculture by creating level growing surfaces on otherwise impossible terrain.
“The thumalah represents a stone containment system designed to capture sloping mountain terrain,” Ahmed Al-Bariqi, an architectural heritage researcher, said in an interview with the SPA. “After building the stone barrier, the enclosed space is filled with a mixture of clay, soil and rocks to create a flat, arable surface suitable for both farming and habitation.”
Local builders adapted to their surroundings, often reinforcing these structures with juniper and sidr tree trunks, as well as massive stones to withstand the pressure of heavy seasonal rains.
Water management is equally sophisticated. The “mughayyid” regulates irrigation and controls flooding by channeling water flow between terraced fields.
“Ancient builders displayed remarkable engineering precision in the mughayyid’s construction,” Al-Bariqi has said in his book “Antiquities and Heritage in Bariq Governorate.”
He added: “Square or elongated stones formed the base structure, while carefully polished flat stones were placed at the top, precisely leveled to allow water to flow at calculated rates between terraces.”
Positioned at strategic elevations, the mughayyid retains optimal water volumes while preventing destructive flooding that could compromise the entire terrace system.
These terraces do more than support agriculture. According to Dr. Ghaithan bin Jurais of King Khalid University, they reflect a deep-rooted civilization in Asir dating back thousands of years.
“These structures preserve soil resources, establish clear property boundaries between neighboring farms, and historically served as recognized markers of family and tribal land ownership,” he said.
Together, the thumalah and mughayyid systems stand as a testament to early innovation sustaining life in one of Saudi Arabia’s most challenging landscapes.
Saudi, British foreign ministers discuss regional and international developments
- Two ministers also discussed Saudi-UK relations
RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan on Saturday spoke with his British counterpart David Lammy, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The two ministers discussed Saudi-UK relations, as well as regional and international developments and the efforts being made in this regard, SPA added.
The call came on the same day as Prince Faisal's meeting with Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi in Jeddah.
Saudi minister meets with UNIDO director-general
During his official visit to Denmark this weekend, Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayef met with Gerd Muller, the director-general of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization.
The Saudi Press Agency reported that the two men “discussed ways to deepen the strategic partnership between the Kingdom and the organization in a way that supports the goals of sustainable industrial development.”
Alkhorayef also held bilateral meetings with leaders of several leading Danish companies in the industry and mining sectors, according to the SPA, to discuss “joint investment opportunities, as well as the incentives offered by the Kingdom to investors.”
