Makkah is a city embracing cultural, linguistic diversity

Foreigners come to Makkah from all over the world for religious purposes, and some stay back for economic purposes, where they often intermarry and contribute to enriching the cultural, social fabric of the society. (Shutterstock)
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Updated 12 April 2022
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Makkah is a city embracing cultural, linguistic diversity

  • Pilgrims from around the world come to worship at the Grand Mosque all year long

MAKKAH: It’s no surprise that the people of Makkah are skilled in speaking many languages due to their close and constant interaction with people from all over the world, who come to perform Hajj and Umrah.  

Dr. Hassan Bukhari, the dean of the Institute of Arabic Language for non-Native Speakers, said: “Makkah has unique characteristics that make it a unique model of coexistence and for the convergence of civilizations from all over the world.”

Bukhari told Arab News that Makkah had become a cultural incubator as pilgrims from all over the world come to worship at the Grand Mosque all year long, bringing and sharing their cultural, social, and economic knowledge with the city’s people.

HIGHLIGHTS

● Since people from all over the world come to Makkah and Madinah for Hajj and Umrah, Saudi Arabia has not only trained its people in many languages to facilitate the pilgrims but also put up signs in various languages in the two Holy Cities. The translators usually interpret fatwas, provide guidance, answer queries, speeches from the day of Arafah during Hajj, snippets from biography of Prophet Muhammad and Holy Qur’an.

● The Kingdom’s Vision 2030 aims to receive 30 million visitors by 2030. Hence, Qazzaz believes that the guests of Allah should be given the best experience through digital transformation. He said that the current generation should enroll themselves in specialized institutes to learn more languages.

The dean believes that pilgrims are emotionally attached to the Kingdom and show great enthusiasm to learn Arabic — not only to converse but also to understand the language. The people of Makkah, in return, make great efforts to learn the language of their guests.




The tallest clock tower in the world with the world's largest clock face, atop the Abraj Al-Bait Towers, overshadows Muslim pilgrims as they circumambulate around the Kaaba in the Muslim holy city of Makkah, Saudi Arabia. (AP file photo)

Often foreigners live in Makkah for economic purposes, where they sometimes intermarry and contribute to developing and enriching the cultural and social fabric of the Arab society.  

Dr. Othman bin Bakr Qazzaz, head of the research and media affairs department at the Institute of Research on Hajj and Umrah, said that the people of Makkah are used to the presence of pilgrims and visitors during the Umrah season, which lasts throughout the year.

He said that the intensive presence of the guests of Allah — who come in millions to Makkah and Madinah — leads to extensive interaction, communication and cultural interaction with the people of Makkah, especially the service providers.

Makkah has unique characteristics that make it a unique model of coexistence and for the convergence of civilizations from all over the world.

Dr. Hassan Bukhari, Dean of the Institute of Arabic Language for non-Native Speakers

He added: “The society of Makkah achieved this cultural diversity by opening their minds and hearts to receive and accept these new cultures, which has pushed the society toward prosperity.”

Qazzaz said that the gateway for this influence is through the language with which the people of Makkah communicate and interact with the pilgrims and visitors. They mostly pick up the languages through economic means, such as through the abundance of shops around the Grand Mosque, conveyance, or by providing services to pilgrims at the Grand Mosque. Hence, a person from Makkah usually knows many languages, or even various Arabic dialects.

Since people from all over the world come to Makkah and Madinah for Hajj and Umrah, Saudi Arabia has not only trained its people in many languages to facilitate the pilgrims but also put up signs in various languages in the two Holy Cities. The translators usually interpret fatwas, provide guidance, answer queries, speeches from the day of Arafah during Hajj, snippets from biography of Prophet Muhammad and Holy Qur’an.

He added: “This cultural exchange between the people of Makkah and the guests of Allah contributed in keeping the positive impact and image of the people of Makkah in the minds of the guests of Allah, as the people of Makkah accepted them and received them well as they are merciful, hospitable and compassionate toward the guests of Allah. In addition, they offered commodities and services to them in an atmosphere of serenity and noble spiritual sentiments.”

The Kingdom’s Vision 2030 aims to receive 30 million visitors by 2030. Hence, Qazzaz believes that the guests of Allah should be given the best experience through digital transformation. He said that the current generation should enroll themselves in specialized institutes to learn more languages.

To achieve the objectives of the Quality of Life program, and the objectives of the Services of the Guests of Allah program, all services should be of the highest quality, including language, which is the main medium of communication with the pilgrims and visitors. It would offer them comfort and joy and facilitate them in performing their rituals in a serene atmosphere, he said.


Visionary eight-year-old Saudi wins global competition with glasses for blind

Updated 24 min 31 sec ago
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Visionary eight-year-old Saudi wins global competition with glasses for blind

  • Vision Friend uses cameras, sensors, and alarms
  • Design beat nearly 1,000 entries from 19 countries

JEDDAH: An eight-year-old inventor from Saudi Arabia won an international competition for designing a pair of glasses that aim to help blind people navigate the world safely.

Lama Al-Badin, from Dammam, won an $800 cash prize for her Vision Friend design after beating nearly 1,000 entries from 19 countries in the “Glasses of the Future” competition.

Organized by the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, the competition challenged children worldwide to reimagine eyewear to support eye health and accessibility.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Organized by the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, the competition challenged children worldwide to reimagine eyewear to support eye health and accessibility.

• Despite her young age, Lama Al-Badin demonstrated resourcefulness throughout the competition. She acknowledged the challenges she faced during the design phase.

Al-Badin’a design impressed the jury with its cameras and sensors that would detect obstacles and alert blind and visually-impaired users of dangers through various alarm sounds and vibrations.

“I always have scientific discussions with my family at home, which often spark various ideas that serve life in meaningful ways,” Al-Badin told Arab News.

“When I learned about the competition through a school announcement, the idea for the glasses emerged. I envisioned them as a companion to help people face road dangers through sensor systems. I wanted to add warning tones to enhance their auditory sensitivity and active awareness.”

Her design incorporates eco-friendly materials such as bamboo and recycled plastic, and includes cutting-edge features like sensors, an alarm system, and a multi-functional charging case.

Despite her young age, Al-Badin demonstrated resourcefulness throughout the competition. She acknowledged the challenges she faced during the design phase and said, “embarking on a new experience was an exciting challenge for me.

“During the design phase, the main challenge was translating my idea and vision from paper into a digital design. At that point, I sought help from my older sister because I hadn’t yet learned this type of drawing.”

Winning the competition has brought immense pride to her family and the country. She said: “I feel happy and proud. Winning is a motivation for me to develop further and achieve more accomplishments.

“I feel proud and hope to be an active member in the development and building of my beloved country.”

Her family, too, played a pivotal role in her journey. “They were very happy with this wonderful achievement. My family is my primary supporter, and I thank them.

“They have been my source of inspiration and encouragement. Praise be to God, I live in an aware family. At home, we love exchanging information and brainstorming solutions to all kinds of problems.”

Al-Badin’s design resonated with Caroline Casey, president of the IAPB and a member of the competition jury.

“The thing that stood out the most was how conscious and aware Lama was about her role in protecting the planet that she lives on and her ability to see how technology can be an enabler,” she told Arab News.

“In her mind, there were no barriers in the way of creating a product that was friendly to the planet and friendly to humans. When you consider her glasses, you’d think, ‘Yeah, why aren’t I doing it?’”

She continued: “A young person’s imagination doesn’t seem to focus on what we can’t achieve but on what is possible. I just love her approach and can’t wait to wear a pair.”

Casey also underscored the broader impact of initiatives like the “Glasses of the Future” competition. She said: “I want every child to be able to ‘see their future,’ both literally and metaphorically. Ensuring that every single child on this planet has access to affordable, accessible eyecare and health determines the future potential of our global citizenship and planet.”

Alongside Al-Badin, five-year-old Grace Rita from Kenya won the Younger Kids category for her vibrant and imaginative glasses, A Friend for My Eyes.

Rita’s design focuses on making eyewear fun and approachable for children with features like glow-in-the-dark frames and customizable lenses.

Besides Casey, the competition’s judging panel was composed of a global jury of experts, including Jo Frost, parenting expert and TV personality, and Dr. Prabha Choksi, ophthalmologist and founder of the Dr. Choksi Vitiligo Foundation.

Frost told Arab News: “I was truly impressed by the creativity and innovation of these little geniuses, each design brought a big smile of joy. We can all agree that eye health is often overlooked in our busy day-to-day lives of raising children, despite its importance to a child’s development and future.

“However, with Lama’s design’s inclusiveness, scientific aspects, and Grace’s bright and inspiring colors, these designs not only demonstrate the need to engage children in the global conversation about eye health but also empower eyewear wearers around the world.”

The competition also comes on the heels of critical research by the IAPB, which revealed that children with low vision learn only half as much as their peers with good or corrected vision in school.

This study, released in collaboration with the Seva Foundation on World Sight Day, underscores the profound impact of early interventions like eye exams and prescription glasses.

 

 


Japanese orchestra meets video gaming in Riyadh

In the first part of the concert, the orchestra performed works like “Victory Fanfare” and “Moebius.” (Supplied)
Updated 40 min 7 sec ago
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Japanese orchestra meets video gaming in Riyadh

  • World-renowned Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra performed two nights of concerts at Princess Nourah University’s Red Hall

RIYADH: What does video gaming and the orchestra have in common? Collaboration, immersive experiences, and the art of storytelling at its finest.

The world-renowned Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra spoiled guests with two nights of concerts powered by Qiddiya Gaming at Princess Nourah University’s Red Hall on Thursday and Friday.

Producer and director of Final Fantasy XIV Naoki Yoshida and renowned sound editor and composer Masayoshi Soken took the opportunity to introduce themselves to a full house of fans, wearing traditional Saudi thobes.

The world-renowned Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra was held at Princess Nourah University’s Red Hall on Thursday and Friday. (Supplied)

Arab News had the opportunity to interview Yoshida, Soken, senior story designer Natsuko Ishikawa, and localization supervisor Michael-Christopher Koji Fox.

Yoshida expressed his gratitude toward the game’s loyal fans in the Middle East, saying: “I’m really appreciative of the fans in the Middle East and Saudi Arabia that have loved the Final Fantasy franchise.

“We are finally here to give back to the community that’s loved us and supported us for so long. To be able to bring them the excitement, we are bringing them sound and music.

The event also offered fans a dedicated merchandise area featuring exclusive items and other products shipped directly from Tokyo. (Supplied)

“We don’t envision this as the end; we envision this as something that’s going to connect us into the future.”

In the first part of the concert, the orchestra performed works like “Victory Fanfare” and “Moebius.”

In order to give gamers a true gaming experience, Soken had the idea of creating the same in-game pause during the orchestra’s performance to reflect the battle in the game.

In the first part of the concert, the orchestra performed works like “Victory Fanfare” and “Moebius.” (Supplied)

Soken said: “During that battle, there’s an in-game mechanic where time stops and the player stops, so when playing that song in concert we want the players to feel like that in music; the game experience and their memories of the game are connected in that way.

“We wanted to figure out a way to recreate that time stop while being played in the concert by an orchestra. So the idea we came up with is if time stops in the game, how about making the concert stop?”

Soken’s idea was turned into reality and the crowd was in awe as the orchestra paused for a few seconds.

In charge of creating graphics and videos, Ishikawa said her job was about picking scenes that resonated with the players.

She said: “What we created here feels like it was created by the Final Fantasy development team, even though it’s a concert.”

Unlike a typical concert, in which each song evokes different emotions to each individual, Soken said gaming concerts created a joint emotional experience.

Soken said: “With a game concert, everyone is experiencing the same thing because they experienced the same game, so everyone shares that excitement.”

More than 100 musicians traveled from Japan, accompanied by vocalists, to bring the soundtrack from Final Fantasy XIV to life.

Soken said: “We know that Saudi Arabia and Japan have a long history of friendly collaboration but there has not been a lot with music, and there’s probably been nothing with gaming music.

“The people that experience (the concert) will be able to go home and tell their friends how exciting an experience it was and how these people from Japan brought this great thing that we have never seen before.”

The event also offered fans a dedicated merchandise area featuring exclusive items and other products shipped directly from Tokyo.

Diamond ticket holders also had the opportunity to meet Yoshida, Soken, Ishikawa, and Fox, receiving a signed poster and photo.

With over 30 million total registered players, Final Fantasy XIV is one of the most popular MMORPG games today, while Qiddiya, which was launched in 2018 under the leadership of King Salman, is an emerging capital for entertainment, sports and culture that aims to enhance the quality of life of visitors and residents.

 


King Salman Center for Disability Research signs agreements

Updated 9 sec ago
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King Salman Center for Disability Research signs agreements

  • Prof. Imed Gallouzi, chairman of the Center of Excellence for Smart Health at KAUST, emphasized the significance of the new partnership with the King Salman Center for Disability Research

RIYADH: King Abdullah University of Science and Technology signed an agreement on Thursday with the King Salman Center for Disability Research aimed at enhancing collaboration between the two parties in diagnosing, managing, and treating disabilities.

The agreement was signed in King Abdullah Economic City by Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, special advisor to King Salman and chairman of the board of trustees of the King Salman Center for Disability Research, and KAUST president Prof. Edward Byrne.

Prof. Imed Gallouzi, chairman of the Center of Excellence for Smart Health at KAUST, emphasized the significance of the new partnership with the King Salman Center for Disability Research.

 


Saudi Heart Association teams up with Bayer to enhance cardiac care

Updated 29 November 2024
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Saudi Heart Association teams up with Bayer to enhance cardiac care

  • Partnership aims to educate Saudi healthcare professionals on cardiovascular disease
  • Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide and in Saudi Arabia

RIYADH: The Saudi Heart Association has entered a partnership with healthcare leader Bayer to enhance cardiac care and educate Saudi healthcare professionals on cardiovascular disease to reduce mortality and improve heart health.

“We are proud to announce a new partnership between Bayer and the SHA aimed at advancing cardiovascular care in Saudi Arabia, focusing on improving early detection and prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease,” Bayer, a global leader in life sciences with a strong emphasis on healthcare and nutrition, posted on X.

“The goal of the partnership is to strengthen bilateral cooperation to improve cardiac care in Saudi Arabia in alignment with Vision 2030. The agreement will prioritize early detection of at-risk patients of cardiovascular diseases who exhibit a combination of modifiable risk factors (such as hypertension, smoking, poor diet, physical inactivity, high cholesterol) and non-modifiable risk factors (such as age, family history, gender, and genetic predisposition),” a statement from Bayer said.

Saudi Heart Association, Bayer enter partnership aimed at advancing cardiovascular care in Saudi Arabia, focusing on improving early detection and prevention of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease. (Supplied)

CVDs are a major health concern globally. In 2016, more than 200,000 Saudi citizens were living with CVD and the current prevalence of CVD in Saudi Arabia is expected to be significantly higher, given the rise of CVD risk factors in the country (obesity, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, hypertension and others).

Saudi Vision 2030 aims to reduce the clinical and economic burden of CVD and scale up vitality and longevity in a new era of comprehensive healthcare.

From a health economics standpoint, CVDs are a burden on healthcare systems directly through expenditure and indirectly through years living with the disease, low productivity, premature morbidity and mortality.

Under the terms of the partnership, Bayer and the SHA will seek to advance educational initiatives for healthcare professionals in Saudi Arabia, with a focus on the primary prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

Throughout the partnership, emphasis will be on delivering educational lectures and hands-on workshops for healthcare professionals, introducing them to the latest diagnostic tools that streamline early CVD detection in a cost-effective manner.

Additionally, the partnership will promote evidence-based early risk management local guidelines and strategies in clinical practice, aligning resources to achieve superior patient outcomes.

Elaborating on the partnership, Maged ElShazly, managing director, Bayer Saudi Arabia, and country commercial lead for Bayer Consumer Health, said: “This partnership marks a significant step forward in advancing cardiovascular health in the Kingdom. Aligned with Saudi Vision 2030, our goal is to collaborate closely with the SHA to support the government’s efforts in reducing CVD mortality and morbidity, improving heart health, and enhancing the quality of life for individuals at high risk.

“Additionally, this collaboration with SHA will further propel our efforts to develop and implement local guidelines for effective CVD management, ensuring long-term impact and sustainability in healthcare practices across the Kingdom,” ElShazly said.

Bayer will support SHA with two main initiatives — a key opinion leaders’ engagement campaign to promote early CVD risk management among healthcare professionals and a media campaign to raise public awareness about CVD risk factors, early detection, and prevention strategies.

 


KSrelief’s Masam Project clears 840 mines

Updated 29 November 2024
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KSrelief’s Masam Project clears 840 mines

  • The Masam team successfully cleared four unexploded ordnances in Zinjibar
  • The team successfully removed 14 unexploded ordnances from Al-Waht district

ADEN: The Masam Project, an initiative launched by the Saudi aid agency KSrelief, successfully dismantled 840 mines across various regions of Yemen during the third week of November, including 29 anti-personnel mines, 129 anti-tank mines, and 682 unexploded ordnances.
The Masam team successfully cleared four unexploded ordnances in Zinjibar in the Abyan Governorate, and 162 in Aden Governorate. Two anti-tank mines in Al-Khawkhah and one unexploded ordnance in Hays, in Al-Hudaydah Governorate, were also removed. The team cleared one anti-personnel mine and one unexploded ordnance in the Qataba district of Al-Dhale Governorate.
The team successfully removed 14 unexploded ordnances from Al-Waht district and 22 from Al-Madaribah in Lahj Governorate, while in Marib Governorate four unexploded ordnances were cleared in the Al-Wadi district, along with 12 anti-personnel mines and 120 anti-tank mines in the Marib district.