Year in Review: New horizons open for Saudis

Saudi Arabia’s changing cultural landscape brought leading figures from the worlds of fashion, music and sport to the Kingdom, including France’s footballing great Thierry Henry (bottom right).
Updated 21 December 2018
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Year in Review: New horizons open for Saudis

  • Saudi Arabia can look back on a year that opened new horizons for its people — and changed the way it is seen by the world

JEDDAH: If there was a coming-of-age moment for Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 program, it was probably this. As six of the world’s top performers took to the stage in Riyadh for the Ad Diriyah E-Prix post-race concert at the weekend, thousands of Saudis swayed and danced to the music, enjoying themselves late into the night.

With 2018 drawing to a close, the world is seeing Saudi Arabia in a new light. It has been a year of change that many skeptics believed would never happen.

Life is changing for the people of the Kingdom in ways both big and small. The infamous ban on women driving has been lifted to wide acclaim. Mixed-gender events? Men and women can now attend music performances, professional wrestling bouts and football matches under the same roof.  Public entertainment? The Kingdom has more options than could be imagined even two years ago.

Notable both for their symbolism and substance, the moves transforming the lives of Saudi citizens are drastically changing the way the world views everyday life in the Kingdom. Women are driving, entertainment venues are popping up nationwide, gender segregation in public places is fading away, and people’s social lives have widened.

One of Vision 2030’s objectives is to increase and diversify entertainment to meet the needs of the population. Of equal importance is the promotion of Saudi contributions in art and culture. Since the unveiling of Vision 2030 two years ago, the number of social and cultural events staged in the Kingdom has risen steadily — but 2018 turned out to be a bonanza.

“This year has seen one unexpected joyful event after another,” Abdullah Salem, an investment banker based in Riyadh, told Arab News during a visit to the E-Prix venue. “I was never exposed to this much entertainment as a child. Now my children can see things I only got to see abroad on family vacations. They get the best of both worlds.”

Many Saudis will remember 2018 as the year cinemas reopened after a 35-year gap. “Black Panther” became the first blockbuster film to be screened in the Kingdom in recent memory. For many, it was a time to reminisce about their childhood movie experiences. For the first-timers, it was exciting just to bear witness to a historic moment.

However, according to Faisal Bafarat, senior adviser to the chairperson of the General Entertainment Authority (GEA), changes in the Kingdom “are just the beginning of  our journey.”

 GEA events covered about 45 cities this year, with 3,200 days of activities. “This is still less than what we hope to deliver,” he said. “It is just the start. There is a long way to go.”

In 2019, the GEA aims to make an even bigger impact by expanding its reach in the Kingdom, he said. 

Although many believed reforms in Saudi Arabia would happen gradually, the changes kept coming. If this shows anything, it is that the populace has embraced change wholeheartedly.

Retired psychologist Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Sobihi explains that people can find change difficult, since it comes with fear of the unknown that can cause anxiety.

Dr. Al-Sobihi believes that the Kingdom’s difficult “awakening” period after the 1979 attack on the Grand Mosque in Makkah pressured society on a both a social and psychological level. “People accepted these changes quickly not because they adapt to change in that manner, but because the ‘awakening’ period delayed many natural changes. So when change came, most were welcoming.”

Venues and institutions across Saudi Arabia have played their part as catalysts for the Kingdom’s vast talent pool. King Abdulaziz Cultural Center, Ithra’s Tanween, the Saudi Art Council, Souk Okaz, Al-Janadriyah Festival and others have helped build cultural bridges by merging traditional and global perspectives to create new experiences not only for the residents of the Kingdom, but also for visitors. 

Meanwhile, advances in the Kingdom’s national heritage sector have come with UNESCO recognition of sites overseen by the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage. Almost 20 new sites were registered this year, with plans to prepare more next year.

Travel and tourism made up 9.4 percent of Saudi GDP in 2017. With new e-visa systems allowing visitors easier entry to the Kingdom, that figure was expected to rise by almost 5 percent this year, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council.  

“No longer will we be known by ‘the only nation in the world’ nonsense — we are opening up to the world more than ever,” said college student Sufana A.J., a staff organizer at the at-Turaif historical site in Ad Diriyah. “We’re welcoming our first wave of international visitors and we expect more.”

Saudi Arabia has never been short of artists, but the recent transformation has brought on a new generation eager to reach their goals. Misk Art, a symbol of the Kingdom’s grassroots art scene, has been the subject of media interest since its world tour earlier this year. 

“Art is a mirror to understand ourselves, and also a window through which outsiders can have a clearer view into our world,” said contemporary artist Ahmed Mater. “Saudi culture and society is in flux. During such change, it’s even more important to find a way to process, assess and document.”

In its first curated event, the Saudi Film Council launched a pavilion at the Cannes Marche du Film, with Saudi filmmakers outlining the Kingdom’s industry ambitions. 

Cannes artistic director Thierry Fremaux said he was “thrilled that Saudi Arabia has ... a clear focus on nurturing its filmmaking talent and sharing its stories with the world.”

The Kingdom’s participation at Cannes was “a great way of opening up global opportunities for its creative talent,” he said.

As the year nears its end, reforms  on a social scale have been intense and focused. It is clear these changes are here to stay and are welcomed by Saudis. What’s next? We’ve yet to see.

 


Turaif traces historical, cultural mosaic to pre-Islamic era

Updated 03 July 2025
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Turaif traces historical, cultural mosaic to pre-Islamic era

  • Evidence of Stone Age settlements in the region
  • Has Tapline, Kingdom’s first industrial heritage site

TURAIF: Located in Saudi Arabia’s Northern Borders region, Turaif governorate stands as a crossroads of ancient civilizations and a gateway to Iraq and the Levant.

The governorate is home to a range of rich cultural and heritage sites, many of which date back to pre-Islamic times.

Heritage Commission sign board at the archaeological site of Qasr Duqrah, located 40 kilometers southwest of Turaif governorate. (SPA)

Among the most prominent heritage landmarks is the archaeological site of Qasr Duqrah, situated 40 km southwest of the governorate.

Adjacent to it lies a mountain known as Aqran, also referred to as Duqrah Mount, which has been recorded under the Comprehensive Archaeological Survey Program.

Zahi Al-Khalawi, a member of the Saudi Historical Society, said the site is among the Kingdom’s most significant archaeological locations because there is evidence of human settlements dating to the Stone Age.

He said habitation at the site continued through the later Roman period (2 to 6 centuries C.E.) and persisted into the Umayyad era (661 to 750 C.E.).

Another landmark is the Trans-Arabian Pipeline, or Tapline, one of Saudi Arabia’s most significant industrial heritage sites.

The pipeline stretches from the east of the Kingdom to its north, passing through Turaif, and has been registered in the National Industrial Heritage Register.

Known as the Tapline, this oil pipeline stretches from eastern Saudi Arabia to the northwest, passing through Turaif. (SPA)

It is the first documented industrial heritage site in the Kingdom, representing the early stages of Saudi Arabia’s oil industry and its developmental and economic significance.

Also noteworthy is the culturally significant site of Qaru Turaif, a water source developed by the Tapline Co. in the 1950s to help settle nomadic communities by order of the late King Abdulaziz.

To the east of Turaif, about 25 km away, stands Jabal Umm Waal, a historic landmark and northern gateway into the Arabian Peninsula.

The mountain tells the stories of Bedouin life and the passage of trade caravans and pilgrims traveling from the Levant and Iraq. For centuries, it served as a safe route for travelers making their way southward.

 


Saudi Arabia condemns Israeli minister’s call for sovereignty over occupied West Bank

Updated 02 July 2025
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Saudi Arabia condemns Israeli minister’s call for sovereignty over occupied West Bank

  • Kingdom’s foreign ministry said the move would violate international laws

RIYADH: A government minister’s threat for Israel to apply full sovereignty over the occupied West Bank was strongly condemned by Saudi Arabia on Wednesday.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Kingdom “condemned and denunciated” the statement made by the Israeli official calling for the imposition of sovereignty over the Palestinian territory.

Such action would be a violation of international law, the statement said. Saudi Arabia rejects any attempts to expand settlements on Palestinian land, the ministry added, while reiterating the Kingdom’s position on the importance of Israel abiding by international resolutions.

The statement followed comments from Israel’s Justice Minister Yariv Levin saying “the time has come” for Israel to apply sovereignty across the West Bank.

Israel occupied the West Bank and East Jerusalem in 1967 and has built dozens of settlements, deemed illegal under international law, across the territory.

The Saudi foreign ministry offered its support for the Palestinian people in restoring their legitimate rights and in establishing a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

 


Saudi ministry recalls faulty chargers over fire risk

Updated 02 July 2025
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Saudi ministry recalls faulty chargers over fire risk

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Commerce has announced the recall of 88,518 Anker portable chargers across multiple models due to a potential internal electrical short circuit that may cause overheating and pose a fire risk.

The ministry urged consumers to immediately stop using the affected products and contact Anker at the toll-free number 8008500030 to arrange a replacement or full refund, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.

Consumers can check if their device is included in the recall and start the replacement or refund process by visiting anker.com/mmrc2506.

Users are also advised to verify the model number of their charger against the list of affected products on the Defective Products Recall Center website ecalls.sa.

The ministry reaffirmed its commitment to consumer safety and stressed the importance of promptly addressing product defects to prevent potential hazards.


GCC passports departments chiefs hold meeting

Updated 02 July 2025
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GCC passports departments chiefs hold meeting

Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary-General Jasem Albudaiwi participated in the 39th Meeting of the Directors-General of Passports of the GCC countries, held on Wednesday at the headquarters of the General Secretariat in Riyadh.

During the meeting, he reviewed the latest developments, including the Gulf visa project.

The passport departments of the interior ministries of GCC countries, through a series of joint meetings, are making efforts to launch a unified tourist visa project in the near future, the General Secretariat said in a report.

“Everyone is working as one team to keep pace with technological developments and security requirements in a world characterised by rapid change,” Albudaiwi said.


Saudi FM discusses regional developments in call with US secretary of state

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan held a phone call with his US counterpart State Marco Rubio on Wednesday. (AFP)
Updated 02 July 2025
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Saudi FM discusses regional developments in call with US secretary of state

RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan held a phone call with his US counterpart Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday, Saudi Press Agency reported. 

During the call, Prince Faisal and Rubio reviewed US-Saudi relations and ways to enhance the strategic partnership between their countries. The latest regional and international developments were also discussed.