RIYADH: Saudi Arabia and Egypt have agreed to develop the role of the Saudi-Egyptian Parliamentary Friendship Committee via more mutual visits and coordination on regional and international issues.
This was announced after a meeting in Riyadh between Abdullah Al-Asheikh, Shoura Council speaker, and Ali Abdel-Aal, speaker of the Egyptian Council of Representatives.
The agreement came on the heels of a meeting between King Salman and Abdel-Aal at Al-Yamamah Palace on Wednesday, during which they reviewed relations between the two countries.
King Salman and Abdel-Aal also discussed cooperation between Saudi Arabia and Egypt in the parliamentary field. Al-Asheikh attended the meeting.
Abdel-Aal said: “We are pleased to meet King Salman, who praised Saudi-Egyptian relations and the continuous coordination between the two leaderships in all fields and issues in the region.”
Former Shoura Council member Sadaka Yahya Fadil on Thursday said bilateral ties have benefited both countries, which are united against terrorism and support each other in all areas.
He urged Egyptian businessmen to visit the Kingdom and witness the “promising” Vision 2030 reform plan.
“The relationship is historical. Saudi Arabia is tied to Egypt and Egypt is tied to the Kingdom socially, politically and culturally, among others,” Fadil said, describing Saudis and Egyptians as one people living in two countries. “There’s a lot we can do together,” he added.
“The visit of the Egyptian Council of Representatives is another sign of the steady friendship between the two sides. The two brotherly countries always sign agreements if a visit takes place.”
Saudi Arabia and Egypt have a united position on the global stage, making them stronger and listened to on international issues, Fadil said, adding that both countries are members of the International Parliamentary Union (IPU).
“At the IPU there are many issues discussed, and Saudi Arabia and Egypt need support for their ideas and interests. Egypt has always been a supporter of Saudi Arabia and vice versa,” he said.
Saudi Arabia, Egypt agree to boost parliamentary friendship committee
Saudi Arabia, Egypt agree to boost parliamentary friendship committee
The Saudi artist giving traditional crafts a new voice
- Fatimah Al-Nemer honors generational knowledge through collaborations with Saudi craftswomen
RIYADH: What if traditional crafts were not relics of the past but blueprints for the future? Saudi artist Fatimah Al-Nemer, whose work is on show at Riyadh’s Naila Art Gallery, transforms ancestral materials into contemporary narratives, blending palm fronds, clay, and wool with concept and meaning.
For Al-Nemer, heritage is not something to simply preserve behind glass. It is something to touch, reshape and retell. And traditional crafts are far more than manual skills; they are living archives.
“In the Arabian Peninsula, people adapted to their environment by turning clay, palm fronds, and wool into tools for survival and then into objects of timeless beauty,” she told Arab News.
These crafts, shaped over generations, carry stories that Al-Nemer reinterprets through contemporary art.
Her project, Al-Kar, exemplifies this approach. Named after the traditional climbing tool used by date harvesters, the piece was created in collaboration with Saudi craftswomen.
Al-Nemer transformed humble palm fibers into a three-meter-long rug, elevating simple material into a conceptual installation.
HIGHLIGHTS
• Through her work, Fatimah Al-Nemer dissolves the boundaries between craft and art, heritage and modernity.
• Those curious about the artist’s work can view some of her pieces at solo exhibition ‘Memory of Clay,’ held at Naila Art Gallery until May 30.
“This is not merely an aesthetic celebration,” she said. “It’s a rewriting of our communal identity. Our heritage is rich — not only in materials, but in stories.”
Her work goes beyond decorative craft; she treats traditional practices as conceptual frameworks, weaving narratives through textiles, clay and palm fiber.
Her collaborations with artisans ensure that generational knowledge is embedded in each piece. “The material is never separate from the experience,” she added. “It becomes witness — marked by the presence of women, place and memory.”
Participation in international exhibitions has expanded Al-Nemer’s artistic outlook, allowing her to view local materials like clay and textiles as globally resonant.
This is not merely an aesthetic celebration. It’s a rewriting of our communal identity. Our heritage is rich — not only in materials, but in stories.
Fatimah Al-Nemer, Saudi artist
“The global art scene recontextualizes challenges like the marginalization of craft, and transforms them into dialogues about identity and memory,” she said.
For Al-Nemer, craftswomen are not merely implementers, but collaborators. “They carry manual intelligence honed across generations,” she added, commending institutions like Saudi Arabia’s Heritage Commission and Herfa Association that are now empowering artisans in alignment with the Kingdom’s cultural transformation.
“Craft is no longer confined to the past — it is a living contemporary practice with global relevance,” she said.
Those curious about the artist’s work can view some of her items at solo exhibition “Memory of Clay,” held at Naila Art Gallery until May 30.
The exhibition offers a contemplative journey into themes of memory, belonging and identity transformation, using clay as a visual and cultural symbol.
Featuring 12 works created through mixed media and a combination of traditional and contemporary techniques, Al-Nemer reimagines ancient Saudi crafts through a modernist lens, presenting clay not simply as raw material, but as a timekeeper and silent witness to human evolution.
“Clay is not just a medium,” she said. “It is a mirror of our collective memory, shaped as we are shaped, cracking to reveal hidden layers of nostalgia and wisdom.”
This philosophy materializes in the tactile depth, earthy hues and intricate details that define her works — each piece echoing the raw pulse of life.
To young Saudi women hoping to innovate through craft, Al-Nemer offers this message: “Believe in the value of what you hold. The world doesn’t just want the product — it wants the story behind it.”
With expanding institutional support and evolving creative spaces, the artist sees an opportunity: “Craft can thrive as both art and enterprise as long as authenticity remains at its core.”
Through her work, Al-Nemer dissolves the boundaries between craft and art, heritage and modernity.
Every thread and every texture becomes a testament to identity — crafted by hand, read by the eye and understood by the heart.
City Walk brings wildlife encounters to Jeddah
- More than 50 rare and exotic bird species from Indonesia, Australia, Africa, and South America are part of the experience this year
JEDDAH: Nature lovers are heading to the Birds and Reptiles Cave, part of Jeddah Season, at City Walk for a wild experience.
The exhibit, which runs until June 14, presents visitors with an array of exotic animals, from vibrant, free-flying birds to reptiles housed in carefully crafted enclosures. Visitors can touch, feed, and observe tame species under the supervision of experts and handlers.
More than 50 rare and exotic bird species from Indonesia, Australia, Africa, and South America are part of the experience this year.
Mohammed Bukhari, one of the exhibit’s wildlife experts, said, “We offer a unique experience that weaves together the magic and diversity of nature’s wildlife within an entertaining and consumer-friendly environment.”
FASTFACT
More than 50 rare and exotic bird species from Indonesia, Australia, Africa, and South America are part of the Birds and Reptiles Cave.
He emphasized the cave’s broad appeal, noting that it caters to both wildlife enthusiasts and casual visitors. “Parents are increasingly bringing their kids to connect with nature and experience wildlife,” Bukhari added. “From schoolchildren to the elderly, everyone gets rejuvenated and energized after spending some time exploring nature with such birds and reptiles.”
Hamdaan Al Buadaani from Taif, who visited the cave with his son, said: “My son was very happy to see birds flying over his head, holding little snakes in his hand, touching the big and small turtles and getting up close with macaws, owls, kangaroo and monkeys.”
Adel Al-Mansouri, who visited with his family, praised the cave as a great outing for children. “It is an ideal place to view reptiles and birds,” he said. “There is a good variety of birds and reptiles and my kids were so happy to touch and play with birds.”
Saudi e-game developers shine at Riyadh’s ‘Zero to Hero’ bootcamp
- The 12-week bootcamp aimed to enhance participants’s skills in game design and development while exploring industry trends, challenges, and opportunities
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Small and Medium Enterprises General Authority concluded the “Zero to Hero” gaming bootcamp by recognizing three winning teams for their standout entrepreneurial ideas in the electronic gaming sector.
Held at the authority’s support center in Riyadh, the event was attended by Deputy Gov. for Entrepreneurship Saud Al-Sabhan, along with industry experts and specialists.
Teams Hanka, Nomad, and AlUla were honored for their excellence in game design, development, and innovation, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Saturday.
The event drew wide participation, with attendees showcasing their projects to a select group of experts and investors, the SPA added.
The 12-week bootcamp aimed to enhance participants’s skills in game design and development while exploring industry trends, challenges, and opportunities.
Out of 148 applicants, 10 projects advanced, benefiting from 47 specialized workshops that boosted their technical and creative capabilities.
The program unfolded in four phases: an introduction to the bootcamp, intensive game development training, prototype creation, and final project presentations before a panel of experts and investors.
The initiative reflects the authority’s commitment to advancing the Kingdom’s gaming industry by nurturing local talent, fostering innovation, and empowering entrepreneurs to compete on regional and global levels.
Riyadh’s science oasis hosts global researchers
- The delegation was briefed on the oasis’ key initiatives and programs, which help to support a culture of innovation to advance scientific research
RIYADH: King Salman Science Oasis in Riyadh has hosted a high-level delegation from the Global Research Council, including leaders and experts in research, development, and innovation.
The visit coincided with the council’s 13th annual meeting — held for the first time in the Middle East and North Africa region — in Riyadh from May 18-22, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
An interactive session during the visit aimed to inspire scientific enthusiasm and foster innovation among future researchers.
The delegation was briefed on the oasis’ key initiatives and programs, which help to support a culture of innovation to advance scientific research.
Visitors praised the Kingdom’s commitment to investing in human capital and knowledge, aligned with the goals of Vision 2030.
Hosting the council’s annual meeting highlighted the Kingdom’s growing role as a hub for research, development, and innovation, and its rising prominence regionally and globally, according to the SPA.
King Salman Science Oasis is a scientific center focused on presenting science in an accessible and educational way. It offers activities across science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics for various groups in society.
Earliest use of harmal plant discovered in Saudi Arabia’s Tabuk
- The research was conducted jointly by the Saudi Heritage Commission, the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Germany, and the University of Vienna in Austria
RIYADH: A study published in the journal Communications Biology has revealed the earliest known use of the harmal plant (peganum harmala) — dating back about 2,700 years to the Iron Age — is based on findings from the ancient settlement of Qurayyah in Saudi Arabia’s Tabuk region, according to the Saudi Heritage Commission.
The research was conducted jointly by the Saudi Heritage Commission, the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Germany, and the University of Vienna in Austria. It examined the therapeutic and social aspects of ancient practices in the Arabian Peninsula.
Using liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry, researchers analyzed organic residues inside pottery incense burners and detected alkaloids from the harmal plant, providing evidence of its use in fumigation rituals for therapeutic purposes.
The harmal plant, known locally as rue, is recognized for its antibacterial and healing properties. Its use at Qurayyah suggests early medicinal knowledge and traditional practices in the region.
This discovery highlights the cultural and therapeutic traditions of the Arabian Peninsula and helps to support the commission’s collaboration with international researchers.
The study aligns with the Saudi Ministry of Culture’s efforts to promote research that advances the understanding of history and the cultural heritage of the Arabian Peninsula.
