OFF THE COAST OF JEDDAH: The sky is clear, the sun is shining, and the sea is a glimmering turquoise. Nouf Alosaimi is on a discovery dive around a small, sandy island in the Red Sea that’s home to busy crabs and a few seagulls.
Jellyfish float near the edge of the boat in waters so translucent the fish are visible deep below. The 29-year-old Saudi woman is wearing a diving suit and a necklace with a silver charm in the shape of shark’s tooth, a nod to her nickname, “Sharky.” In the water, she wears a swim cap and dive suit. At sea, the sole woman diver among a group of men, she’s momentarily free from the edicts that govern life on shore.
Out here in the Red Sea, it’s easy to forget this is Saudi Arabia, a conservative Muslim country where the vast majority of women cover their hair and face with black veils, wear long, loose robes, known as abayas, in public, are largely segregated from men and cannot travel abroad without the permission of a male relative.
The serene waters north of the bustling city of Jeddah are the scene of a dramatic experiment to encourage tourism in the reserved and traditionally closed kingdom. It’s exciting for Alosaimi on multiple levels. It’s bringing new opportunities for women, as a corner of the country is carved out with somewhat relaxed rules. And it’s opening up miles of untouched coastline teeming with unexplored seascapes for her and other divers.
“We are here on an island in middle of the Red Sea. We want to discover this place,” Alosaimi said before her dive. “We may find this island beautiful for a picnic. We are creating a diving product here.”
Alosaimi, a PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer, is a pioneer in her field, holding a local record for the deepest dive by a Saudi female at 345 feet (105 meters). The technical dive required five tanks and lasted more than 70 minutes.
Her passion for diving takes her on an hour-long bus ride to work each day from Jeddah to King Abdullah Economic City. There, she works at a dive center recently opened at the Bay La Sun Marina and Yacht Club in preparation for the kingdom’s plans to open up to tourists later this year.
For decades, visitors to Saudi Arabia have largely either been pilgrims heading to Makkah and Medina or business travelers heading to the capital, Riyadh, or other major cities like Jeddah and Dammam.
Saudi Arabia’s 32-year-old heir to the throne, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is trying to change that with the introduction of tourist visas. It’s part of a much larger plan to overhaul the economy in the face of sustained lower oil prices. Tourism is being promoted as a way to create more jobs for Saudis, attract foreign investment, boost the economy and improve the country’s image abroad.
Tourism official Salah Altaleb said the country isn’t targeting mass tourism, but select tour groups interested in nature, diving, hiking and cultural sites.
“Saudi Arabia is a Muslim country that hosts the two holiest sites in Islam and these facts need to be respected whenever (tourists) travel around, enjoy themselves and engage with people,” he said.
The government’s sovereign wealth fund, which the crown prince oversees, has identified a 125-mile stretch (200 kilometers) of Red Sea coastline that it plans to transform into a global luxury travel destination with diving attractions and a nature reserve. The fund says the area will be a semi-autonomous destination “governed by laws on par with international standards,” suggesting veils and abayas won’t be required for women.
The Red Sea is also the site of an ambitious $500 billion project called “Neom” — an independent economic zone in a corner of the country near Egypt and Jordan that sits on 10,230 square miles (26,500 square kilometers) of untouched land, an area bigger than the US state of Maryland. Prince Mohammed has said he envisions it as a hub for technological innovation that will create jobs and attract investment.
One lesser-known change has already had a huge impact on Alosaimi’s life. She says the Saudi Coast Guard no longer stops women from going out on boats without a male guardian, such as a husband, father or brother. Rather than do shore dives, she can now explore the waters freely.
Egyptian diver Tamer Nasr, who worked in Egypt’s Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh for more than 20 years, said it could take divers years to map out Saudi Arabia’s nearly 1,200 miles (2,000 kilometers) of Red Sea coastline.
“They have here a huge area to discover,” he said, adding that divers from Bay La Sun Marina have already found a number of underwater wrecks and dive sites that could draw tourists.
Diving remains rare among Saudis. To connect with other female divers in Saudi Arabia, Alosaimi created a group called “Pink Bubbles Divers” and organized a day in Jeddah last year for women to dive together and enjoy a private day at the beach.
Once the ban on women driving is lifted this summer, Alosaimi plans to take a road trip with friends to discover new dive sites further north.
“I used to feel bad because I know the Red Sea in Egypt more than the Red Sea in Saudi,” Alosaimi said. “Now, I have the opportunity to see all these places, the reefs.”
Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea divers explore freedoms off the coast
Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea divers explore freedoms off the coast
Saudi crown prince makes call to US president Trump
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman made a phone call on Wednesday to US President Donald Trump, the Saudi Press Agency said.
During the call, the Crown Prince congratulated Trump and conveyed the congratulations of King Salman to the president after being sworn in, wishing the American people further progress and prosperity.
The pair discussed bilateral cooperation to establish peace, security and stability in the Middle East, in addition to enhancing bilateral cooperation to combat terrorism.
The Crown Prince pointed out the ability of the president's administration, with its expected reforms in the US, to create unprecedented economic prosperity, which the Kingdom seeks to benefit from its available opportunities for partnership and investment.
He stressed the Kingdom's desire to expand its investments and trade relations with the United States in the next four years by an amount of $600 billion, which is expected to increase if additional opportunities become available.
Trump expressed his thanks and appreciation to the King and Crown Prince for their congratulations, stressing his keenness to work with the Saudi leadership on everything that would serve their common interests.
Saudi Arabia condemns Israeli attack on West Bank’s Jenin
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has condemned Israeli forces’ attack in the occupied West Bank’s Jenin area, the Saudi Press Agency said early Thursday.
Gunfire and explosions rocked Jenin on Wednesday, an AFP journalist reported, as the Israeli military kept up a large-scale raid for a second day.
The operation, launched just days after a ceasefire paused more than a year of fighting in Gaza, has left at least 10 Palestinians dead, according to Palestinian health authorities.
Israeli officials have said the raid is part of a broader campaign against militants in the West Bank, citing thousands of attack attempts since the Gaza war erupted in October 2023.
“The Kingdom renews its demand for the international community to assume its responsibilities towards halting Israeli violations of relevant international laws and treaties,” a Saudi foreign ministry statement read.
Saudi Arabia warned that the continuation of these violations might cause the fighting and chaos to return to occupied Palestinian territories, thus risking the security and safety of civilians and undermining chances of peace in the region.
Saudi ambassador receives UN Special Envoy to Syria in Riyadh
Saudi Ambassador to Syria Faisal Al-Mujfel received UN Special Envoy to Syria Geir Pedersen in Riyadh on Wednesday.
During the meeting, they discussed topics of mutual interest, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Meanwhile, Saudi aid agency KSrelief’s Assistant Supervisor-General for Planning and Development Aqeel Al-Ghamdi recently met Ambassador of Gabon to Saudi Arabia Ibrahim Membourou in Riyadh.
The two sides discussed relief and humanitarian issues, as well as prospects for humanitarian work in Gabon.
Dinner with strangers — the cure to loneliness in Riyadh?
- As the city grows, people are turning to novel ways to connect
- Online platforms offer new opportunities to make friends
RIYADH: Every Wednesday, in one of Riyadh’s many restaurants, groups of strangers from all walks of life meet over dinner for the first time.
In an increasingly disconnected world, people are looking for new ways to cope with isolation and forge genuine relationships.
“I kept seeing Timeleft’s ads on social media and I thought expanding my social circle would be a great idea, as it never hurts to try new things from time to time,” Muhannad Zahra, an engineering student and freelance filmmaker and designer from Saint Kitts & Nevis, told Arab News.
He is referring to the app through which you book dinner with strangers who are selected via a personality quiz and criteria such as budget.
This new platform has gained popularity around the world as a way of linking like-minded individuals, either in their home city or while traveling.
Taiwanese tourist TaoFang Chang, who goes by the name Jessie and works remotely, decided to take a long trip to visit Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Poland for the first time.
Landing at King Khalid International Airport, she was intrigued by the country in which she found herself.
“I was interested in all the countries in the Middle East, the culture and the religion, and what the people here think about marriage and relationships. On these trips, I’m not planning to go to a lot of attractions; I’m more interested to meet with the people,” she explained.
Timeleft is popular in Taiwan, she said, but she had never tried it.
“When I saw this was in Riyadh, I was so surprised. So for me it was good, because I downloaded Bumble and set my location to Riyadh, but I couldn’t find interesting people. I thought maybe Timeleft can give me an interesting surprise to meet some new people.”
On her first night in Riyadh, she dove headfirst into an event and met 10 people from six countries, including Saudi Arabia, India, Morocco, Yemen and St. Kitts & Nevis.
She said: “Everyone around the world is dealing with this issue of loneliness because humans are social beings. In Taiwan, we have a lot of these kinds of applications, not just Timeleft … we don’t have time to make friends.
“In Asia, because we use Instagram where a lot of information comes to us and every day we see thousands of pieces of information from the internet, we think ‘everyone is different and happy, so why is it only me (who feels) unhappy or not good enough or not successful or (without) achievement?’ but of course it’s a mask. Everyone’s the same, just posting positive things. Everyone feels lonely.”
While the platform offers the chance to meet new people in a rapidly growing city, not everyone is convinced this novel concept is a cure for loneliness.
Muhannad Zahra said: “I don’t think it’s the best idea to make new friends online or through social media. I like old school, whether from work, relatives or coffee shops. Timeleft isn’t a guaranteed friend-making platform, nor is it a dating app. It just gives you a kickstart to meet people, then the rest of the effort is on you and your personality. It’s a bit more hectic this way as people are still opening up and not used to it.”
On signing up, users complete a personality quiz that is supposed to match you with other people who have compatible traits and interests. Some users said the results seemed to be based on age, rather than personality.
Other platforms, like Bumble BFF and BeFriend, allow users to swipe left or right on profiles that do or do not appeal to them based on images. But platforms like Timeleft purport to focus solely on personality. Users have no way of knowing who their dining companions will be aside from their nationality, revealed a day prior.
Zahra’s first experience was at an Italian restaurant in Riyadh. He said: “There are some significant differences in personality from one person to another. For me, it wasn’t difficult to get along with them.
“As I joined multiple dinners, I noticed a pattern where 30 percent of users are introverts, 50 percent just moved to Riyadh and want to make new connections, and 20 percent join for no reason and no goal, and they don’t seem interested during the dinner as well.”
Ali Bin Salman met Zahra at his second Timeleft experience. The two found they connected on several levels and ended up on the same table at their next booking.
“I never have high hopes when meeting new people so as to not get disappointed later. But out of the 20 people that I met, I feel like three friendships will live on for a while,” Zahra said.
Bin Salman was born in Saudi Arabia but lived in Yemen and Egypt for six years. He was keen to re-explore the social scene on his return, leading him to check out Timeleft.
Describing the difficulty of moving to Riyadh, he said: “It’s not completely lonely, but it’s hard to meet people, especially in reality. It feels so artificial and the people are distant in a way. The ads were everywhere in Egypt, and when I came back here I tried it for the first time.”
Each Wednesday usually sees two dinner tables hosted at the chosen restaurant. At 8pm, when guests are expected to arrive, a game is unlocked consisting of ice-breaker questions such as “What is your secret talent?” or “Where is the strangest place you have visited?” It gives those attending a chance to get to know each other on a deeper level.
But the thrill of dining with strangers has its downside as well. It is up to users to build on the initial connection themselves.
Bin Salman said: “It does take effort, potentially, and you might feel like you’re not building into something. With friendships, you start as strangers, and then you build something, and then you become close friends. But if you keep going a lot (to different dinners), you will not build friendships. You will just build acquaintances at best.”
Saudi libraries to get upgrade including public theatres
- Libraries Commission is transforming the Kingdom’s libraries after the launch of a national growth strategy in 2021
- One aspect of the strategy includes a sorting and inventory project for information resources - other amenities will include training rooms and event halls
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s libraries are getting a major overhaul that will include the building of public theatres and other cultural amenities.
The Libraries Commission is transforming the Kingdom’s libraries after the launch of a national growth strategy in 2021, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
One aspect of the strategy includes a sorting and inventory project for information resources. Other amenities will include training rooms and event halls.
Carried out under the leadership of Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan, the minister of culture, the libraries development initiative is part of a five-year plan for 153 libraries throughout the Kingdom.
The inventory project involves migrating information resources to digital systems to better facilitate their preservation, retrieval, and use.
Speaking at a press conference at the King Fahd National Library in 2021, Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Asem, chief executive officer of the Libraries Commission, said that initiatives will include hosting events and activities to enrich knowledge, improve reading habits, and raise literacy levels.
These activities will include information literacy workshops, games for children and young adults, national youth competitions, and launching a national libraries day.
“The strategy includes multiple initiatives serving the sector, partners, and the general community, believing in the pivotal role of libraries in achieving the Ministry of Culture’s goals based on the objectives of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 as cultural, participatory, and development platforms that strive to develop capacities and businesses, as well as ensure continuous education, innovation, and workforce development, ensuring international cooperation and exchange of knowledge,” he said at the time.
In addition to working with experts and specialists, the commission conducted research on 27 countries’ library systems for guidance on what strategic pillars, objectives, initiatives, and key performance indicators to look out for.
Al-Asem added that the public libraries development strategy aimed to improve regulations and standards through financing and investment, as well as employee skill training.
It also hopes to improve community participation and will launch awareness campaigns on information literacy and public library services.
