Visitors see AlUla in new light during nighttime tours

Queen Shaklith Historical Re-enactment play taking place to familiarize the audience with Nabatean history (AN photo by Huda Bashatah)
Short Url
Updated 09 November 2021
Follow

Visitors see AlUla in new light during nighttime tours

  • Ancient monuments illuminated as part of 4-week Hegra After Dark program
  • Up to 3,000 battery operated candle lights have been set up around the historic site

AlUla: Visitors to the ancient sites of AlUla are being offered the chance to see the Saudi destination in a whole new light — through a series of illuminated nighttime tours.

Tourism chiefs at the UNESCO World Heritage Site have launched a four-week program titled Hegra After Dark, allowing visits to some of the area’s most significant monuments.
The Royal Commission for AlUla came up with the idea for the star-lit trips while conducting tourist research during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic lockdown period.
Andrew Hall, the commission’s executive director for site and asset management, told Arab News: “COVID-19 has affected us in the past year. We have learned a lot about the sites over that time, and also learned that people like to visit places at night.




Hegra site illuminated with 2000-3000 electric candles (AN photo by Huda Bashatah)

“I think this is the first time we have activated it on a major scale, especially at Hegra. People get a different feeling of the place, and it is part of a strategy to attract people back for second visits.”
As part of the Awaken the Senses attraction, up to 3,000 battery operated candle lights have been set up around the tomb at Hegra to give onlookers a fresh perspective on the historic site.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Tourism chiefs at the UNESCO World Heritage Site have launched a four-week program titled Hegra After Dark, allowing visits to some of the area’s most significant monuments.

• Tourists arriving after sunset are greeted by people dressed in traditional clothing before going on to explore the grounds and then being served with warm Nabataean drinks made from locally grown ingredients.

Hall said: “Awaken the Senses is a way to visit, relax, and enjoy the ambiance in a beautifully lit-up place. The lights create a wonderful atmosphere; we don’t do heavy explanations or anything like that, we just want it to be a place of contemplation.”
By illuminating the heritage sites, officials hope to heighten the natural senses of visitors, helping them to experience what it must have like living there for the ancient Nabataeans.
Tourists arriving after sunset are greeted by people dressed in traditional clothing before going on to explore the grounds and then being served with warm Nabataean drinks made from locally grown ingredients.




Queen Shaklith Historical Re-enactment play taking place to familiarize the audience with Nabatean history (AN photo by Huda Bashatah)

Khulood Ahmad, a journalist visiting the site, said she had noticed a big difference from her previous trip to AlUla in 2018.
“It is very different from how you would see it during the daytime. The best way I can describe these sites at night is by saying that they are poetic. The weather made the experience so much better,” she added.
To add to the atmosphere, actors also perform a play about Nabataean history and the reign of Queen Shaqilat, a warrior empress, telling how the land and its people became prosperous as migrants were drawn to the oasis from other countries.




Queen Shaklith Historical Re-enactment play taking place to familiarize the audience with Nabatean history (AN photo by Huda Bashatah)

Battle scenes are also re-enacted, and visitors are led to Al-Farid Palace where they learn about the importance of the stars and night sky to the Nabataeans.
“It has come a long way and I can really see the effort put into every single detail of AlUla, from the hotels and food to the sites. I can also see the amazing opportunities on the horizon for the people of AlUla.
“It brings me joy to see the openness in AlUla that will give the locals a chance to show their land,” Ahmad said.


Asir launches campaign to promote organic food culture

Updated 4 min 38 sec ago
Follow

Asir launches campaign to promote organic food culture

  • Ahmed Al-Mojathel: Our goal is to highlight the importance of organic products and foods as a safer, healthier dietary system
  • Initiative forms part of a broader strategy to promote organic food consumption throughout Saudi society

ABHA: A public awareness campaign by the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture kicked off Organic Food 2024 in Saudi Arabia, reported Saudi Press Agency.

Ahmed Al-Mojathel, director of the ministry’s Asir branch, said: “Our goal is to highlight the importance of organic products and foods as a safer, healthier dietary system.

“We are working to enhance consumer awareness about the benefits of organic foods while encouraging innovation and excellence in organic product quality.”

The initiative forms part of a broader strategy to promote organic food consumption throughout Saudi society.

Al-Mojathel said the campaign also aimed to achieve economic and social objectives supporting the development of the organic food sector across the Kingdom.


Officials detained as investigators smash drug-smuggling operation at Al-Jouf Airport

Updated 38 min 50 sec ago
Follow

Officials detained as investigators smash drug-smuggling operation at Al-Jouf Airport

  • 9 people arrested, including Ministry of Interior employee, 4 people associated with the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority, and a Saudi Electricity Company worker

RIYADH: A drug smuggling operation at Al-Jouf International Airport in Saudi Arabia, in which several government and other public-sector officials allegedly were involved, has been shut down following an extensive investigation.

An official source at the Ministry of Interior said on Thursday that nine people were detained, including a ministry employee, four people associated with the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority, and one from the Saudi Electricity Company.

Their alleged roles in the smuggling network included helping to get the drugs into the Kingdom, ensuring shipments bypassed inspections, transporting them, and concealing them in homes and at other locations.

They also engaged in the promotion and distribution of the narcotics in the country, the Saudi Press Agency reported. The amount and type of drugs involved was not immediately apparent.

The Ministry of Interior said it remains committed to confronting all threats to national security and will take stringent action against anyone who jeopardizes the safety and stability of the country.


Saudi Music Commission launches self-learn digital platform for budding musicians

Updated 6 sec ago
Follow

Saudi Music Commission launches self-learn digital platform for budding musicians

  • MusiqAI offers interactive programs to the public and teaches skills for playing Arabic and Western instruments

RIYADH: The Saudi Music Commission has launched an interactive digital platform to teach music to enthusiasts wanting to start playing an instrument or further their musical knowledge.

MusiqAI is the first self-learn digital platform for music in Saudi Arabia and the Arab region. It offers interactive programs to the public and teaches skills for playing Arabic and Western instruments.

The platform name, which includes “AI,” the abbreviation for artificial intelligence, can be translated from Arabic as “My Music.”

The commission said in a statement that MusiqAI offers online courses and trains enthusiasts and professionals on the latest technologies in music production. It also provides accredited certificates, easy access to video streaming courses, and a self-paced learning experience, anytime and from anywhere.

MusiqAI aims to offer a unique way of learning various music genres — in Saudi Arabia and globally — whether by picking an Arabic or Western instrument such as the drums, guitar or oud, and communicating with trainers and experts on the platform.

The commission said nurturing and supporting musical talent are part of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 goals. In March, the commission launched the Saudi Music Memory initiative to highlight the history of Saudi art and offer academically documented research for musicians and researchers.

To register on the MusiqAI platform, visit the commission website: https://music.moc.gov.sa/en 


OIC discusses draft humanitarian funds statute

Updated 14 November 2024
Follow

OIC discusses draft humanitarian funds statute

  • It discussed the draft humanitarian funds statute
  • Taha added that it was important to make every effort to finalize the statute of these funds

JEDDAH: The general secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation held a meeting of the open-ended Group of Governmental Experts in Jeddah on Thursday.
It discussed the draft humanitarian funds statute, in accordance with the Council of Foreign Ministers.
OIC Secretary-General Hussein Ibrahim Taha said that the meeting was held amid difficult and harsh humanitarian circumstances that required concerted efforts and collective action to adopt actions to help contain humanitarian crises and hardships.
In his speech, Taha added that it was important to make every effort to finalize the statute of these funds, undertake the necessary reforms to their working mechanism and support them with the financial resources to enable them to fulfil their role.
The statement delivered by assistant secretary-general for humanitarian, cultural and social affairs, ambassador Tariq Ali Bakhit, on behalf of OIC’s secretary-general, highlighted the significant challenges faced by member states in the humanitarian field.


KSrelief distributes shelter supplies in Afghanistan

Updated 14 November 2024
Follow

KSrelief distributes shelter supplies in Afghanistan

  • KSrelief will distribute 4,882 shelter items, such as tents, blankets, plastic mattresses and other supplies

KABUL: The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center has launched a shelter project for people returning from Pakistan to Afghanistan and victims of the 2024 floods.

It will distribute 4,882 shelter items, such as tents, blankets, plastic mattresses and other supplies across the provinces of Kabul, Ghazni, Bamyan, Badakhshan, Kunduz, Baghlan, Parwan, Kapisa, Panjshir, Herat, Nimroz, Nangarhar and Laghman. The project will help 29,292 people.

The scheme is part of the Kingdom’s humanitarian and relief efforts, through its humanitarian arm, KSrelief, to alleviate the suffering of the Afghan people.