Startup of the Week: Offering quality mementos, souvenirs representing the spirit of Two Holy Cities

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Updated 14 April 2020
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Startup of the Week: Offering quality mementos, souvenirs representing the spirit of Two Holy Cities

  • Located in Jeddah, Salam Gifts aspires to reach out internationally to the 1.8 billion Muslims around the world

JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia receives millions of foreign pilgrims every year for Hajj and Umrah and many return home bearing gifts for their families and friends.
Salam Gifts (@salamksa) is a Saudi startup that aims its products at the tourist and pilgrim markets with a range of quality mementos and souvenirs that represent the spirit of Makkah and Madinah.
Driven by a passion for design and creativity as well as dissatisfaction with the Kingdom’s Islamic souvenir market, Mahmoud Naseem (@mahmoudnaseem) founded Salam Gifts with the aim of enriching the bond between Muslims and their Islamic culture through products with a unique contemporary design.
The company is named after the word “peace” in Arabic and its products are designed to remind customers of special memories while reflecting on the peacefulness of Islam as a religion and the two holy cities.
“It is also a part of our daily greeting, assalamo alaykum, which is a widely used word even by non-Muslims,” CEO Naseem told Arab News.
The 34-year-old Saudi entrepreneur said that 95 percent of the souvenir market for pilgrims consisted of unorganized shops that offered low-quality goods. “We belong to the 5 percent who are trying to bring Islamic heritage and souvenirs in a funky casual way to be part of users’ daily life.”
Salam Gifts offers a wide range of products to all ages and genders at affordable prices, with most products costing less than SR100 ($27).
Inspired by the sights and scenes of Makkah and Madinah, the venture’s design range includes prayer mats and beads, bracelets, necklaces, bags, keychains, and magnets.
“We offer products with unique design, good quality and affordable price — these are the main factors that distinguish us from competitors,” Naseem added.
The startup is looking to expand its product range with fashion, perfume, dates and luxurious jewelry items and although focused mainly on spiritual tourism it is also working on other products for tourists reflecting Saudi Arabia’s culture and heritage.
“We were criticized when we first began in 2017, because the market depends on cheap merchandise, but we wanted to prove the high potential of our products and offer something that we believe is appropriate to represent this country and these holy places,” he said.
Located in Jeddah, Salam Gifts aspires to reach out internationally to the 1.8 billion Muslims around the world. “We are not targeting Saudis or people coming to Saudi Arabia, our focus is much wider and we know that there is a high demand for such products in the international market, especially in places with large Muslim communities such as Malaysia and the UK.”
Naseem and his two partners, Loai and Iyad Naseem, hope to open 20 branches around the Kingdom and internationally within the coming years.

“We believe we are still in our beginning stages, and we have to continue being creative and patient.
“People are looking for innovative and unique products … we noticed that our targeted customers are extremely satisfied with our products — we always receive encouraging comments,” added Naseem.
As a new local brand in a huge market, Salam Gifts faced challenges regarding the local manufacture of its goods and store rental prices.
“We do our best to support local factories, but it is not always available in the quality and price range we need. Although we try, we currently cannot manufacture all of the products 100 percent in Saudi Arabia. Rents are extremely high in holy areas too,” he said.
80 percent of the company’s sales are online, but its products are also available at Virgin Megastores and other concept outlets throughout the Kingdom, as well as at airports, and the opening of an independent store in Madinah is in the pipeline.
Products are available at salamgifts.sa, as well as other platforms such as Dokkan Afkar and shipments can be made worldwide.

 


Saudi crown prince, European council president discuss cooperation

Updated 30 January 2025
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Saudi crown prince, European council president discuss cooperation

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman received a phone call from European Council President Antonio Costa, the Saudi Press Agency said early Thursday.

The pair discussed enhancing cooperation between the Kingdom and European Union countries.

They also tackled a number of regional and international issues and the efforts made to achieve security and stability.


Interpol to establish regional office in Saudi Arabia

Updated 30 January 2025
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Interpol to establish regional office in Saudi Arabia

  • The Kingdom and the international police organization sign host country agreement

RIYADH: Interpol is to establish an office in Saudi Arabia that will serve the Middle East and North Africa region.

Hisham Al-Faleh, undersecretary at the Kingdom’s Ministry of Interior, and Jurgen Stock, secretary-general of the international police organization, signed a host country agreement on Wednesday.

Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud, the Saudi Minister of Interior, and Maj. Gen. Ahmed Naser Al-Raisi, the president of Interpol, also attended the signing ceremony, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

In addition, they discussed Interpol’s activities during a meeting that also included Nasser Al-Dawood, the deputy minister of interior; Brig. Gen. Abdulmalik Al-Saqeeh, the director general of Saudi Interpol; and other senior officials.


Saudi Shoura Council speaker receives Japan’s newly appointed envoy

Updated 29 January 2025
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Saudi Shoura Council speaker receives Japan’s newly appointed envoy

Saudi Shoura Council Speaker Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Ibrahim Al-Asheikh received Japan’s newly appointed Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Morino Yasunari in Riyadh on Wednesday.

The Japanese ambassador praised the strong ties between Saudi Arabia and Japan, affirming his country’s commitment to enhancing cooperation across various sectors, Saudi Press Agency reported.

During the meeting, the two sides also discussed ways to bolster parliamentary collaboration between the Shoura Council and the Japanese Parliament, and other topics of mutual interest.


Qassim governor praises green initiative’s success

Updated 29 January 2025
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Qassim governor praises green initiative’s success

  • The Green Qassim Land Initiative has completed planting 5 million trees as part of the broader Saudi Green Initiative

RIYADH: Qassim Gov. Prince Faisal bin Mishaal commended the success of the Green Qassim Land Initiative in planting 5 million trees as part of the broader Saudi Green Initiative.

In a meeting on Wednesday, he praised government and private sector efforts, particularly the contributions of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture and the National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification.

The governor also lauded the ministry’s and center’s innovative approach to repurposing materials confiscated from environmental regulation violators for sustainable reforestation, notably in Qassim National Park.

Prince Faisal reaffirmed the region’s commitment to expanding vegetation cover and strengthening environmental protection, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The ministry’s Qassim branch director general, Salman Al-Suwainea, said that the initiative has progressed through various stages of collaboration with governmental and nonprofit organizations, playing a key role in advancing the Saudi Green Initiative’s objectives.


King Faisal Prize announces winners for Service to Islam

Updated 29 January 2025
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King Faisal Prize announces winners for Service to Islam

  • The prize was awarded jointly to the Mushaf Tibyan Project for the Deaf, and Sami Abdullah Almaghlouth, consultant at the General Authority for Survey and Geospatial Information

RIYADH: The 2025 King Faisal Prize for Service to Islam has been awarded jointly to the Mushaf Tibyan Project for the Deaf, and Sami Abdullah Almaghlouth, consultant at the General Authority for Survey and Geospatial Information.

Mushaf Tibyan Project for the Deaf is a Saudi initiative by the Liajlehum Association, which serves people with disabilities.

Prince Turki Al-Faisal announced the laureates for the Service to Islam category at a ceremony in Riyadh on Wednesday.

Mushaf Tibyan Project for the Deaf has been awarded the prize for its provision of a complete Qur’anic interpretation in sign language, and for providing an interactive Qur’an for those with hearing disabilities.

It offers an innovative approach to Qur’anic interpretation, using techniques that enable the deaf to reflect on and understand the meaning of the Holy Qur’an.

Sami Abdullah Almaghlouth has been awarded the prize for his outstanding efforts in documenting Islamic history, his achievements in the field of historical and geographical atlases, and his accomplishments in both the diversity and comprehensiveness of the topics covered, which include most aspects of Islamic history, its figures, monuments and stages.

The Saudi national’s work includes atlases on the life of Prophet Muhammad, the history of the prophets and messengers, the Rashidun caliphs, atlases on religions, places in the Holy Qur’an, Islamic sects and schools of thought, Hadith scholars, and Holy Qur’an interpreters.

His work has been translated into several languages.

Earlier, on Jan. 8, the KFP, awarded in five categories, was announced, except for the Service to Islam prize. Announcing the winners then, Dr. Abdulaziz Alsebail, KFP secretary-general, said: “The selection committees, after meticulous deliberations, have reached decisions for ... Islamic studies, Arabic language and literature, medicine, and science. ”

The coveted prize for Islamic studies for 2025 was awarded jointly to Professor Saad Abdulaziz Alrashid and Professor Said Faiz Alsaid. Both are Saudi nationals and professors at King Saud University.

The prize for Arabic language and literature was withheld due to the nominated works not reaching the set criteria.

The prize for medicine was awarded to Michel Sadelain (Canada), and the prize for science awarded in physics to Sumio Iijima, a professor at Meijo University, Japan. 

The KFP was established in 1977, and given for the first time in 1979 in three categories — Service to Islam, Islamic studies, and Arabic language and literature. Two additional categories were introduced in 1981 — medicine and science. The first medicine prize was awarded in 1982, and in science two years later.

Each prize laureate is endowed with $200,000, a 24-carat gold medal weighing 200 grams, and a certificate inscribed with the laureate’s name and a summary of the work that qualified them for the prize.