Sports stars, celebrities performing Hajj share emotional journey on social media

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Sana Khan, an Indian actress who has quit the entertainment industry for religious reasons, in Makkah for Hajj with her husband Anas Saiyad. (Supplied)
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Pakistani legendary fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar in Makkah. (Supplied)
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Updated 08 July 2022
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Sports stars, celebrities performing Hajj share emotional journey on social media

  • Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Akhtar tweeted that he was invited by Saudi authorities to perform “honorary Hajj”
  • Cricketer Rashid has skipped England’s series against India to embark on the Hajj pilgrimage

RIYADH: Pakistan’s legendary bowler Shoaib Akhtar, England’s leg spinner Adil Rashid and former Indian actress Sana Khan shared snippets of their emotional Hajj journey on social media.

Akhtar, one of the fastest bowlers in world cricket who used to dominate the opposition batter with his sheer pace, said that the Saudi authorities had invited him to perform “honorary Hajj.”

“Going for honorary Hajj as a state guest of Saudi Arabia. I will also be addressing the Hajj Conference attended by leaders of the Muslim world in Makkah,” the cricketer-turned-commentator tweeted, showing pictures of himself in Ihram clothing.

In another tweet, he posted a photo with the caption: “At the Grand Hajj Symposium 2022 representing Pakistan in the Holy land of Makkah Mukarramah.”

The Pakistani cricket star also expressed gratitude to the Saudi Embassy in Islamabad for this honor.

In a series of tweets documenting his “beautiful journey from Makkah to Madinah,” he shared videos from the two holy cities, including a unique view of the Holy Kaaba from the top of the Makkah Clock Tower, the Haramain High-Speed Railway Station in Makkah, the Quba Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah.

Akhtar, who retired from international cricket after the 2011 World Cup, became popular for his aggressive pace attack during his career. His fans called him the “Rawalpindi Express” since he bowled at 100 miles per hour at least twice during his heyday, making him the fastest bowler.

Cricketer Rashid, meanwhile, has skipped England’s series against India to embark on the Hajj pilgrimage.

 

 

Rashid said earlier this year that he had “reached the right time in his life” to make the pilgrimage to Makkah.

He was granted leave by the England and Wales Cricket Board and his club Yorkshire to perform Hajj and is expected to return in mid-July before England’s white-ball series against South Africa.

“I’ve been wanting to do it for a little while, but I’ve found it pretty difficult with the timings,” Rashid told ESPNcricinfo. “This year, I felt as though it was something that I had to do and something I wanted to do as well.”

He added: “I spoke to the ECB and to Yorkshire about it, and they were very understanding and encouraging, like: ‘Yes, you do what you’ve got to do and then come back when you can.’ Me and the missus are going and I’ll be there for a couple of weeks.

“It’s a massive moment: Each faith has got their own different thing, but for Islam and being a Muslim, this is one of the biggest ones. It’s a big thing for my faith and for myself. I knew that I needed to do it while I’m young, strong, and healthy. This is something that I really committed to myself that I would do.”

Congratulating Rashid and wishing him the best for his lifetime journey, England Cricket, the official Twitter account of the England cricket team, tweeted: “Hajj Mubarak, Rash. We all wish Adil well as he makes The Hajj pilgrimage to Makkah.”

Khan, a former Indian actress who quit the world of entertainment for religious reasons saying she wants to serve humanity, shared a video montage upon reaching Saudi Arabia for her first Hajj with her husband, Anas Saiyad.

Taking to Instagram, Khan was seen smiling and posing with Saiyad after she arrived in Makkah.

In the clip, both don Ihram clothing to begin their Hajj journey. A part of her caption reads: “Can’t wait to experience the most beautiful journey of my life of Hajj with my husband.”

In another post, she wrote: “I don’t have words to express my feelings. May the Almighty Allah accept our Hajj and make it easy.

“This whole vibe of coming to Allah’s house is so fulfilling. May Allah make it easy for everyone who are here performing their Umrah and Hajj,” she posted.

On Thursday, she tweeted: “Leaving for Mina today for Hajj. If I have hurt someone consciously or unconsciously, please forgive me, for God sake. I say it from the bottom of my heart to kindly forgive me. The Almighty Allah be kind to you.”


Saudi pavilion at UNESCO Arab Week in Paris celebrates Kingdom’s camel culture

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Saudi pavilion at UNESCO Arab Week in Paris celebrates Kingdom’s camel culture

  • It shows how the role of the camel evolved from essential means of transport and provider of resources to a cultural icon embodying the Kingdom’s values

PARIS: The Saudi pavilion at UNESCO’s Arab Week event in Paris this week featured a showcase of the Kingdom’s deep-rooted connection to camel culture.

It explored the role of the animals as a vital part of the nation’s heritage, identity and civilization, and offered a glimpse into their enduring place in society, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday.

The exhibits showed how the role of the camel has evolved from essential means of transport and provider of resources to a cultural icon that embodies the Kingdom’s values, and the ways in which camels are embedded in Saudi customs, traditions and literature, including poetry and proverbs.

The Saudi Ministry of Culture designated 2024 “The Year of the Camel” to highlight and reinforce the status of the animal as a national symbol and cornerstone of the Arabian cultural identity. Camels are regularly celebrated across the country through dedicated festivals, race events, clubs and research centers.

UNESCO’s Arab Week, which features 22 Arab nations, was initiated by Saudi Arabia. Guests at the official opening of the event on Monday included Saudi envoys, ambassadors representing other nations, Arab and other international diplomats stationed in France, and officials from UNESCO.


AI makes media industry more efficient and drives growth, expert says

Martin Sorrell, founder and executive chairman of S4 Capital, speaks to Arab News at the Athar Festival of Creativity.
Updated 48 min 4 sec ago
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AI makes media industry more efficient and drives growth, expert says

  • Martin Sorrell: ‘AI speeds up writing processes, increasing efficiency’
  • New tech allows for increasingly personalized content

RIYADH: Artificial intelligence is being used more effectively and efficiently to drive higher economic development in the media industry, said Martin Sorrell, founder and executive chairman of S4 Capital.

At a panel session at the Athar Festival of Creativity Sorrell described how media agencies, such as S4 Capital and its subsidiary, Media.Monks, are using AI in a number of ways.

One application of AI in media, he said, is in “speeding the execution of copywriting and visualization.”

Time to market is drastically decreasing: “What took us literally days is now taking us three hours,” he said. Yet this produces another problem because reducing the time of procurement cuts costs, but this also means it is necessary to move to a model that increases gains in outputs,” he said.

Another application is in personalizing content for consumers. Sorrell told Arab News: “Individualization, hyper personalization, are going to become more important. Knowing the consumer in excruciating detail, using data, using the signals from the platforms, using first-party data, it becomes even more important.”

Using Netflix audience feedback algorithms as an example, Sorrell pointed out that AI enables these algorithms to produce larger and more accurate quantities of output, for example, recommendations based on user profile readings.

“We charge on a per asset used basis. Price of the asset may come down, but total revenue grows because we’re using multiple assets,” he said.

A growing area is in “media planning and buying.” Sophisticated algorithms can far more efficiently choose the distribution of planning and buying than individual media planners.

Technological capital and human capital, however, go hand in hand.

“We as agencies have to validate the algorithm’s analysis. We have to make sure that the client’s money is spent in the right way.”

Another benefit of AI is its ability to improve organizational efficiency. Where organizational silos once kept departments and specializations separate, AI opens up information to the majority of users.

To maintain the emotional connection and trust of the brand-consumer relationship in a technologically driven world, according to Sorrell, understanding individual motivation is increasingly crucial.

“Insights into culture, insights into language, into custom, into belief, into family, into country, that knowledge becomes critically important, far more so in a globalized world,” he said.

The diversity and knowledge of global and local organizations are essential for the success of any company, but the value of personalization means that local knowledge may take the lead, he added.

Quoting Harvard Business School professor Ted Levitt, Sorrell continued: “because remember, consumers will consume everything in the same way everywhere.”

Advising young professionals in tech, media and other industries operating in an AI-powered future, Sorrell said that rather than stripping away opportunities from creatives, avoiding the risk of “bombarding” consumers with much of the same, AI means “creativity becomes even more important.”

Additionally, creatives need to familiarize themselves with the skills and roles that are complementary to the new world: “I think every creative should learn Chinese. I think every creative should learn Spanish, probably Arabic too … and they should learn code.”

“The skills of the ‘Mad Men’, that Don Draper had or his colleagues … are very different to what you need now.”


Green initiative launched in Eastern Region

Updated 05 November 2024
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Green initiative launched in Eastern Region

  • Goal is to plant more than 500,000 trees and 3 million flowers throughout Dammam’s streets and parks
  • Scheme, in line with Vision 2030’s goal of increasing green spaces, also aligns with the broader national afforestation campaign

DAMMAM: The Eastern Region Municipality has announced a special initiative involving 30 volunteers to mark National Greening Season, launched by Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Abdulrahman Al-Fadley.

The goal is to plant more than 500,000 trees and 3 million flowers throughout Dammam’s streets and parks in a bid to improve air quality, reduce heat and enhance biodiversity, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The scheme, in line with Vision 2030’s goal of increasing green spaces, also aligns with the broader national afforestation campaign under the Saudi Green Initiative, which aims to promote sustainable environmental development and enhance vegetation cover.

The municipality emphasized the initiative would help combat desertification and promote the achievement of environmental balance through the use of locally suitable plants. 

It highlighted how collaboration with various institutions will raise awareness about afforestation and support green infrastructure, thereby improving the quality of life in the Eastern Region.


Madinah research center releases map of 50 prominent archaeological sites

Updated 05 November 2024
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Madinah research center releases map of 50 prominent archaeological sites

  • Map includes documented historical landmarks, their current locations, and their association with the life of the Prophet Muhammad
  • Forms part of the center’s scientific and cultural documentation efforts, with the map featuring an interactive barcode for each historical landmark

RIYADH: The Madinah Research and Studies Center has released an updated version of the Innaha Taybah map, which features 50 historical and archaeological sites in the region.

The map includes documented historical landmarks, their current locations, and their association with the life of the Prophet Muhammad.

This comes as part of the center’s scientific and cultural documentation efforts, with the map featuring an interactive barcode for each historical landmark that introduces the place and allows users to view the historical site’s details.

It contains significant landmarks that tourists can visit, starting with the Prophet’s Mosque, the most prominent site in Madinah and a destination for Muslim visitors throughout the year.

Also featured are Baqi’ Al-Gharqad, Al-Safiyyah Museum and Park, the Architecture of the Prophet’s Mosque Exhibition and the International Fair and Museum of the Prophet’s Biography.

The map also includes prominent historical mosques that were built during the Prophet’s era and are still standing, such as the Mosque of Al-Ghamama, Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq Mosque, Omar bin Al-Khattab Mosque, Ali ibn Abi Talib Mosque, Al-Sajdah Mosque, Al-Ijabah Mosque, Al-Suqya Mosque, Al-Manaratain Mosque, Bani Haram Mosque, Al-Fatah Mosque, Al-Rayah Mosque, Bani Harithah Mosque, Al-Shaikhain Mosque, Al-Jumu’ah Mosque, and Quba Mosque.

The Innaha Taybah map includes numerous archaeological landmarks, notably the Sela Mountain, Jabal Aynayn (Al-Rumat), the Martyrs of Uhud Cemetery, and ancient wells that have been rehabilitated as part of a project to restore historical sites in the region. These include Bir Al-Khatam (Well of Arees), Athq Well, Al-Ihn Well, the Well of Ghars and Al-Foqair Well. Other sites include the Urwa Palace, Al-Jamawat, the King Fahd Complex for the Printing of the Holy Qur’an, and natural landmarks connected to events that took place in Madinah during the time of the Prophet Muhammad and subsequent eras.


Saudi cabinet calls for Arab-Islamic summit, urgent political solutions amid regional crises

Updated 05 November 2024
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Saudi cabinet calls for Arab-Islamic summit, urgent political solutions amid regional crises

RIYADH: The Saudi cabinet discussed the Kingdom’s call for an Arab-Islamic summit to address ongoing Israeli aggression in Palestinian territories and Lebanon, in a session chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Tuesday.

The cabinet also stressed the urgent need for a political resolution to the crisis in Sudan, urging all parties to honor the commitments outlined in the "Jeddah Declaration" of May 2023. It emphasized the importance of an immediate ceasefire in Sudan, a cessation of hostilities, and the unobstructed delivery of humanitarian aid to those in need.

The cabinet also reviewed the Kingdom’s recent hosting of the inaugural meeting of the Global Alliance to Implement the Two-State Solution, which brought together representatives from 90 countries and international organizations.