JEDDAH: “Laki Al-Kiyadah” (Driving for Women), the first Saudi forum that monitors the historic event of women driving, will disclose a number of job opportunities, services and facilities the Kingdom will witness in the coming period.
The forum will be held in Leylaty Hall in Jeddah on July 8 and 9, and will be inaugurated by Prince Khalid bin Sultan Abdullah Al-Faisal, chairman of the Saudi Arabian Motor Federation.
It will monitor the economic and social effects of the decision, which was implemented amid overwhelming joy, in an exceptional event that caught the attention of Arab and Western media.
The forum targets more than 20,000 girls and women, and will witness the presence of six bodies including the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Media, with the strategic partnership of Traffic Management, the Saudi Committee of Traffic Safety and Standardization Committee, in addition to automobile dealers, banks, insurance companies and logistical service providers.
Five women leaders will present their papers and an integrated vision of the challenges women face after the implementation of the resolution, while legal advisers uncover the sanctions that entail women’s harassers while driving their cars. Economists will discuss the effects and diverse opportunities created by the decision.
The executive chairman of the forum, Sohail Al-Tayyar, announced families and women will not be charged an entry fee. He said this is the first event of its kind that interacts with the decision of women driving and surveys the economic and social effects of the decision. It focuses on raising awareness on women’s role in economic, social and urban development, and increases the joint effort in building a society and country, in response to modern changes and within the context of religious values.
The forum aims to present quality services, find job opportunities and special services, create the best conditions for women through a number of goals that include clarification of methods and demands of women driving as a partner in developing the community.
It also aims to explain traffic regulations and controls, regulatory provisions for women driving vehicles, all the while raising social awareness, highlighting the role of car dealers in presenting facilities and technology of vehicles and their requirements for women, along with credit facilities and the insurance sector as a partner in the system.
Al-Tayyar noted that the forum will witness a number of discussions and papers that tackle women driving and the economic and social effect, some of the biggest challenges facing Saudi women and women living in the country, the quantity and quality of training and career opportunities, the sanctions for hampering women driving, the implementation of the Vehicle Safety Act and a comprehensive definition of the harassment law which the authorities have started implementing to protect women from harassers.
He said: “The forum will be a platform that brings together all the services related to women driving under one roof, whether it is direct and indirect offers, reductions, services or facilities. The event will witness a number of awareness-raising workshops and lectures from official bodies participating such as the Ministry of Interior or the Ministry of Media, with a clarification of the formal and developmental framework and investment opportunities in the car market which will witness a significant rebound after the implementation of the resolution.”
Forum to discuss all issues related to women driving in Saudi Arabia
Forum to discuss all issues related to women driving in Saudi Arabia
- The Saudi General Directorate of Traffic and Najm Insurance Services celebrated the graduation of the first class of women investigators
- The forum will be a platform that brings together all the services related to women driving under one roof
Saudi Cultural Development Fund announces Expo 2025 participation
- CDF’s participation aims to foster cultural partnerships and global investments, reflecting the Kingdom’s continuous commitment to encouraging innovation
- CDF plans to organize various activities that showcase Saudi Arabia’s cultural landscape, focusing on entrepreneurship as a way to drive economic growth
OSAKA: Saudi Arabia’s Cultural Development Fund announced on Thursday that it will participate in Expo 2025 Osaka, highlighting the Kingdom’s rich cultural identity shaped by Vision 2030.
The CDF’s participation aims to foster cultural partnerships and global investments, reflecting the Kingdom’s continuous commitment to encouraging innovation.
It plans to organize various activities that showcase Saudi Arabia’s cultural landscape, focusing on entrepreneurship as a way to drive economic growth.
Additionally, the CDF will take part in panel discussions and networking sessions to offer insights on the Kingdom’s culture and host dedicated workshops to educate guests about the Saudi cultural sector’s economic potential.
“Our participation in Expo 2025 Osaka reflects our commitment to supporting and shaping a vibrant, sustainable cultural sector — one that fuels economic growth and attracts top-tier investment, both locally and globally. We are proud to feature the stories of CDF beneficiaries, who will share their creative journeys with Expo visitors as inspiring examples of Saudi cultural innovation,” said CDF CEO Majed Al-Hugail.
“We continue to reinforce the Kingdom’s position as a leading force in the global cultural scene, ensuring our efforts are fully aligned with the broader cultural ecosystem. Looking ahead, we remain committed to the journey toward becoming a center of financial excellence in the cultural sector and a key contributor to the ambitions of Saudi Vision 2030,” he added.
Expo 2025 Osaka will run until Oct. 13.
Saudi defense minister arrives in Tehran for an official visit
- Prince Khalid will hold several meetings to discuss bilateral relations
DUBAI: Saudi Minister of Defense, Prince Khalid bin Salman, arrived on Thursday in the Iranian capital, Tehran, on an official visit, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
During the visit, Prince Khalid will hold several meetings to discuss bilateral relations and issues of mutual interest between the two countries.
The visit follows renewed diplomatic engagement between the two countries. On Monday, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan held a phone call with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi, during which they discussed regional developments and efforts to address them.
بتوجيه من القيادة -أيدها الله- وصل صاحب السمو الملكي الأمير خالد بن سلمان بن عبدالعزيز وزير الدفاع، والوفد المرافق له، اليوم، إلى العاصمة الإيرانية طهران في زيارةٍ رسمية.
— وزارة الدفاع (@modgovksa) April 17, 2025
وسيعقد سموه خلال الزيارة عددًا من اللقاءات لبحث العلاقات الثنائية بين البلدين، ومناقشة القضايا والموضوعات ذات… pic.twitter.com/yiiNUUqU3D
Launch of Cinamaa platform marks push for film studies in Saudi Arabia
- Saudi Film Commission and National Film Archive launch platform to educate and support budding filmmakers
- Experts describe the importance of developing film studies in Saudi Arabia
RIYADH: The Saudi Film Commission has introduced a new initiative, Cinamaa, to promote film studies and support people entering the industry.
A launch event was held on Wednesday at the Cultural Palace in Riyadh, hosted by the commission and National Film Archive.
The Cinamaa website, a platform intended to help educate aspiring filmmakers, critics, and film enthusiasts, allowing them to share their work, gives users access to articles, research studies, discussions, workshops, and short films on various topics related to film.
Following a panel discussion in which she spoke on the importance of film studies in academia, Salma Tarek, professor of literature at the University of Cairo’s French language department, told Arab News: “We need to distinguish between academic studies, meaning university-level education, and studies at film institutes, which aim to train technicians and filmmakers.”
The latter is very important and widely available, she said, but cinema studies at the school and university levels are still lacking.
“Abroad, for example, children in elementary school have reading and literacy programs that include a section on how to ‘read’ a film. They learn what a shot is, what camera movement means, because these have become part of the basic language of how we interpret the world around us,” Tarek said.
“Cinema is no longer just an art form; it is a form of discourse. We are constantly exposed to it, and it’s very important that we learn how to decode its messages.”
Tarek said that these are messages that are constantly being sent to viewers, who must receive them in an open and thoughtful way.
“The university is the institution best suited to play this role.”
When asked what can be done to push this agenda forward, the professor said that first, there must be conviction in the value of cinema studies, a task she said is “not simple.”
The entry point, however, is in interdisciplinary studies.
“For example, literature departments can offer courses on the relationship between performance art and cinema. In history departments, there can be a course on cinema and history. Gradually, these borders will open up, and we will start to develop a cinematic culture within academic institutions.”
These institutions will then have the capabilities and foundation to establish dedicated departments for cinema studies, which Tarek said is the “ultimate goal.”
The panel also discussed the need for more original Arabic content in addition to translations of foreign films.
Tareq Al-Khawaji, film critic and cultural adviser at the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, said that young Saudis interested in screenplay writing have a great opportunity to develop scripts that can contribute to bolstering the cinematic scene in the Kingdom.
The launch of Cinamaa was followed by the signing of two memoranda of understanding between the Saudi Film Commission and its partners, the Saudi Broadcasting Authority and the International Federation of Film Critics.
The commission’s CEO Abdullah Al-Qahtani took the stage with Mohammed Fahad Al-Harthi, SBA CEO and former editor in chief of Arab News, and Fipresci CEO Ahmad Shawky.
The establishment of the Cinema Critics Association was also announced, the first independent professional entity dedicated to film criticism in Saudi.
At the end of the night, the doors opened to welcome guests into an exhibition on film history in the Arab world.
Red Sea Global unveils Laheq Island, a landmark luxury-living destination
- Laheq Island opens in 2028, first to focus on residential ownership
- One of the world’s largest barrier reefs with over 2,000 rare species
TABUK: Red Sea Global has unveiled Laheq Island, Saudi Arabia’s first private residential island offering a luxury lifestyle experience.
The island marks the RSG’s first residential project following the completion of phase one, which welcomed its first guests in 2023 with the opening of five resorts.
Construction is underway to complete an additional 11 resorts on Shura Island, the Saudi Press Agency reported recently.
The destination is connected with other parts of the Kingdom and the world via the Red Sea International Airport.
Scheduled to open in 2028, Laheq Island will be the first project within the destination focused on residential ownership, complemented by exceptional hospitality facilities and services, the SPA reported.
Laheq is part of an archipelago of 92 pristine islands along the Kingdom’s west coast, surrounded by one of the world’s largest barrier reefs that are home to over 2,000 rare and unique marine species.
The island spans 400 hectares and features a wide array of recreational facilities and activities for residents and visitors.
The RSG, owned by the Kingdom’s Public Investment Fund, has pledged to plant 50 million mangrove trees and enhance their habitats while also regenerating coral reefs and surrounding marine ecosystems.
The Red Sea destination will become the world’s largest tourism attraction with all facilities and resorts powered entirely by renewable energy, the SPA reported.
All 16 resorts of phase one are expected to be operational this year. By 2030, it will have 50 resorts with 8,000 hotel rooms, and more than 1,000 residential units across 22 islands and six inland sites.
Investigation debunks claims about coalition strikes in Yemen
- Coalition’s Joint Incidents Assessment Team (JIAT) held a meeting to address allegations regarding airstrikes in various regions of Yemen
RIYADH: An investigation found that a number of airstrikes carried out by The Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen did not target civilian sites including a hospital and farm as claimed.
The coalition’s Joint Incidents Assessment Team held a meeting on Wednesday to address allegations regarding airstrikes in various regions of Yemen in recent years.
On Jan. 13, 2022, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights reported that an airstrike partially damaged the emergency department and inpatient clinics of a hospital in the Al-Sawad area.
It was claimed that coalition forces targeted a military camp near the hospital.
The JIAT reviewed relevant documentation and found that a military camp, known as Al-Sawad camp, was located near the 48 Model Hospital, which is on the coalition forces’ no strike list.
On the day of the alleged strike, coalition forces conducted a targeted airstrike on military targets within the camp, based on intelligence regarding Houthi militia activities.
The bombs were guided and aimed to minimize civilian impact, hitting their intended targets accurately and remaining a safe distance from the hospital.
Therefore, the JIAT concluded that coalition forces did not target the hospital on Jan. 13, 2022.
On March 3, 2021, reports emerged alleging that coalition forces conducted an airstrike targeting a farm in the Al-Watadah area of the Khawlan Directorate in Sanaa Governorate.
The JIAT said it reviewed documents, including air tasking orders, daily mission schedules and satellite imagery.
The investigation revealed that no specific coordinates for the alleged farm were provided.
The JIAT found no record of airstrikes in Al-Watadah on the date in question, nor in the days surrounding it. Open-source searches yielded no corroborating information.
In conclusion, the JIAT determined that coalition forces did not target a farm in Al-Watadah on March 3, 2021, as alleged.
Other reports indicated that a missile fell near a house in Al-Malaheet village on Feb. 23, 2020. The JIAT investigated and found no evidence that coalition forces had conducted missile strikes in the area on that date.
On June 4, 2015, allegations surfaced regarding an airstrike on the governorate building in Zinjibar. The JIAT confirmed that no air missions were conducted in Abyan on that date.
Through these investigations, the JIAT aims to clarify allegations and uphold accountability and transparency.
