RIYADH: Christmas would not be complete without a mouthwatering traditional turkey dinner. That is why, in the run-up to the festive season, households celebrating the holiday in Riyadh are on the lookout for the best place to buy their bird.
Whole turkeys can be bought from Carrefour and Lulu Hypermarket in the Saudi capital, but preparing an entire bird from scratch can be difficult and time-consuming. Many families will therefore look for pre-prepared dishes to save on time and mess.
“Since I moved to Riyadh earlier this year, I began the search for home-made turkey for hosting Thanksgiving for my Saudi friends,” Mildred, 32, from the Philippines, told Arab News. “People told me about Yawmiyat Catering and it was the most delicious I ever tried.
“Don’t tell my mom!”
Dalal Hajj Ibrahim, a 60-year-old Lebanese chef and owner of Yawmiyat Catering, is famous for serving one of the best turkeys in Riyadh. Although she mostly sells Lebanese cuisine and other Arab-inspired dishes, her festive fare has proven especially popular.
“Our style is that we serve two special dishes daily so our guests feel like they’ve been invited to their friends’ for a warm meal,” Ibrahim told Arab News.
Ibrahim says she has been an avid reader of culinary and recipe books since the age of 20. “I’ve always loved cooking for family and friends and hosting dinners and feasts. And so I translated that feeling into Yawmiyat’s cozy family kitchen,” she said.
At first, Yawmiyat did not offer turkey on the menu. It was only after she noticed a gap in the market for Thanksgiving and Christmas catering that she made it a speciality.
“Since I opened four years ago, people kept calling me before special occasions such as Thanksgiving and Christmas asking me to prepare turkey for them,” she said.
“I did my research in the Saudi turkey market and found that only five-star hotels are serving turkey feasts and very few new restaurants.”
The majority of Yawmiyat’s customers who place orders for turkey dishes are Saudis and Lebanese, while other foreigners make up about 5-7 percent of her clientele. Indeed, many Muslim Saudis have adopted the festive meal tradition having experienced it abroad.
“I loved spending the winter season in Washington D.C. because of the festive atmosphere,” Abdullah Khalid, 28, who was a student at the George Washington University in the US, told Arab News.
“Every year, I would celebrate Thanksgiving and be invited to my friend’s house for dinner.”
Since moving back to Riyadh, Khalid has consistently celebrated Thanksgiving with his family.
Ibrahim’s Christian customers are also grateful to find a familiar flavor. Mic, a Saudi Arabia-based South African from Cape Town, told Arab News that despite being away from home, he still celebrates Christmas.
“Turkiye is pretty important on Christmas. It’s very much a delicacy. Usually you’ll settle for chicken, but that’s just not good enough for the celebrations and cozy vibes.”
Mic recalled his perfect Christmas Eve. “Family and friends, music, great company, a crispy golden turkey and just chatting into the early hours of the morning and celebrating the occasion.”
As Muslims are a large minority group in South Africa, Mic says religious coexistence is something that he appreciates about his life back in Cape Town.
“Where I am from, at the end of Ramadan, we’ll celebrate with our friends by sharing iftar with them and their families. They also look forward to sharing the joy with us on Christmas.”
It takes Ibrahim about six days to prepare a turkey for the oven. First the turkey has to defrost for three days in the refrigerator before it is brined in a sugar and salt solution with vegetables for 24 to 48 hours to tenderize and flavor the meat.
Next, the meat is injected with a blend of butter and fresh herbs.
“The fourth step is the spices, and that depends on your preference,” said Ibrahim. “My signature turkey recipe has a mixture of Arabic and American seasoning to create my personal flavor.”
Her clients seem to prefer a Middle Eastern twist, which is served with a rice stuffing, packed with spices, seasonal dry fruits and chestnuts.
As for the cooking process, the turkey is baked for one hour for every few pounds, and basted every 30 minutes. “It’s very important to cover the turkey as it bakes so it doesn’t lose its moisture and juices,” said Ibrahim.
For the final 30 minutes, the turkey is uncovered and placed back in the oven so that it gets a crispy golden exterior.
Until just a couple of years ago, almost all turkey meat was imported into the Kingdom from the US company Butterball LLC. “Luckily, Saudi Arabia now has farms for grazing turkey and that freshness truly makes all the difference in the end result,” said Ibrahim.
“Our clients understand the long process and so they order it a week before. We accept orders through calls or walk-ins.”
Ibrahim says that the best sides to serve with turkey are pumpkin soup, potatoes, carrots, ginger, cranberry sauce, gravy, and bread stuffing. “A side salad made with beetroots, pecan and pumpkin is also a great way to stimulate your palette,” she said.
“All like that time spent caring for the turkey translates into this single moment when loved ones are gathered cozily around the feast. Maybe that’s one of the reasons it’s served on special occasions, because of the love that goes into preparing it.”
Why the humble Christmas turkey is seeing growing demand in Saudi Arabia
https://arab.news/6pfa6
Why the humble Christmas turkey is seeing growing demand in Saudi Arabia
- Kingdom’s Christian expats and their Muslim neighbors are embracing the holiday staple
- Dalal Hajj Ibrahim of Yawmiyat Catering shares her tips for preparing the perfect roast dinner
Saudi interior minister rewards winners of King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival
- Prince Abdulaziz awarded the prestigious King’s Sword to falconers Barghash Mohammed Al-Mansouri and Faisal Al-Qahtani
- He honored the winners of the festival’s elite rounds with King Abdulaziz Cup
RIYADH: Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif, Saudi minister of interior and chairman of the Saudi Falcons Club, honored on Tuesday the winners of the 2024 King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival.
Prince Abdulaziz awarded the prestigious King’s Sword to falconers Barghash Mohammed Al-Mansouri and Faisal Al-Qahtani, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
He also honored the winners of the festival’s elite rounds, who received the King Abdulaziz Cup. The champions included Al-Mansouri, Amin Abdullah Al-Mallah, Mohammed Hafez Al-Marri, Fahd Mohammed Al-Mansouri, Mohammed Ibrahim Al-Buainain, and Hamid Mohammed Al-Mansouri, the SPA added.
Additional awards were given to winners in the Mazayen falcon beauty pageant, covering both amateur and professional rounds, the SPA reported.
Prince Abdulaziz also honored the sponsors of the 2024 Saudi Falcons Club events at the end of the ceremony.
King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival was held from Dec. 3-19 at the club’s headquarters in Malham, north of Riyadh.
The event drew 1,032 falconers from nine countries, including 160 international participants, and showcased 3,322 falcons from countries such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the UAE and Italy.
The festival featured 138 rounds in Al-Malwah, highlighting falcon speed and talent, along with Mazayen competitions. It awarded more than SR 36 million ($9.6 million) in prizes, marking a record-breaking year for the festival.
Festival in Riyadh finds Common Ground between Iraqi and Saudi cultures
- We are ‘all one culture, one society and one message,’ says Iraqi official
RIYADH: From heritage to long-standing traditions, the deep connections between Iraq and Saudi Arabia span thousands of years to the pre-Islamic era.
The second Common Ground festival, an initiative by Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Culture, is an immersion in the bonds of the two nations through art, cuisine and performance.
Alataf Ebrahim, the head of the festival department at the Iraqi Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities, told Arab News: “Baghdad and all the Iraqi governorates are passionate about embracing Saudi culture. While the event is called Common Ground, with pride, we say that we are all one culture, one society and one message.
“This is a big and very important event, and the project is bold for planning and drawing joint cultural events now, and in the future. As the Ministry of Culture, this venture has been initiated for two years and we plan on having Saudi cultural nights in Baghdad as well as in 2025.”
HIGHLIGHT
Common Ground festival features an exhibition dedicated to the history of traditional clothing, musical instruments, songs, and significant cultural figures of Saudi Arabia and Iraq.
One of the main festival attractions is Al-Mutanabbi Street, which is recreated based on the historical road in Baghdad along with its iconic main gate. The renowned hub for intellectual life hosts various bookstores, clothing stores, live painting and oud performances, and panel discussions around various cultural crossovers.
In the heart of the bookshop district is one of Baghdad’s oldest coffee shops, Shabandar cafe, which opened its doors over a century ago and has since become a landmark in the city. The establishment has born witness to the twists and tragedies of Iraq’s tumultuous history.
“Shabandar cafe is an open corner for poets and intellectuals, and visitors as well, as they read about the latest cultural news through physical newspapers that are always on each table. This area is where the most prominent cultural activities in the capital (take place),” Ebrahim explained.
Al-Mutanabbi’s poems are also honored through 10, 3-meter-high scrolls. The works are written in a font that has the characteristics of the 4th century in the style of Ibn Al-Bawwab, the famous calligrapher who was born about a year after Al-Mutanabbi’s death.
“We’re presenting a mini cultural week that encompasses many experiences, not just books and literature, but also extends to musical performances; and an absorption between the two cultures and deepening that relationship,” he added.
As the Ministry of Culture, this venture has been initiated for two years and we plan on having Saudi cultural nights in Baghdad as well in 2025.
Alataf Ebrahim, Iraqi Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities official
Visitors can also indulge in local delicacies from both countries while enjoying the live folk music and dance performances that take place twice daily on the main stage.
The festival’s concert series featured an iconic performance by Iraqi singer Kadim Alsahir on the opening day, and a joint oud performance by Saudi singer and songwriter Abadi Al-Johar and Iraqi artist Naseer Shamma on Dec. 21.
The last show of the series will be on Dec. 25, featuring Aseel Hameem and Nawaf Al-Jabarti.
Over 100 artworks are on display at the “Beneath the Gaze of the Palms” exhibition, which examines questions of identity and heritage in Iraq and Saudi Arabia. The showcase includes Islamic, Mesopotamian and contemporary art.
At the entrance of the exhibition is a large structure known as the Mudhif, which is a traditional reed house, particularly in the Al-Ahwar region of southern Iraq. It is a type of communal guesthouse or gathering space that plays a central role in the social and hospitality traditions of the region.
A large part of the exhibition highlights Darb Zubaida, one of the historical pilgrimage routes from the city of Kufa to Makkah that not only facilitated the movement of people, goods, and ideas but also played a crucial role in the cultural and religious life of the Islamic world.
“This road became a place for exchanging ideas with our communities in the Kingdom. Saudi poetry and handicrafts were transferred to Iraq while Iraqi literary and cultural heritage was transferred to Saudi Arabia.
“This is an important aspect of the exhibition, alongside the many artworks that spotlight the traditional, modern, and contemporary art and the traditional tales that are embodied by the contributions of the participating artists.”
The festival also features an exhibition dedicated to the history of traditional clothing, musical instruments, songs, and significant cultural figures of Saudi Arabia and Iraq.
The festival, which runs until Dec. 31, is being held at Mega Studio in Riyadh’s Boulevard City.
Creative youth collective hosts art auction in Jeddah with jazz, community spirit
- One of Nama’s key collaborators, Mohammad Aboalola, founder and writer at Mena Youth Magazine, expressed his admiration for the collective’s approach: “Nama and Menayouth struck a chord in terms of their values and vision
JEDDAH: Nama, a new collective dedicated to empowering young creatives, hosted its first event in Jeddah this week at the bustling Huna Alhabib.
The two-day Jazz Night and Silent Art Auction was a display of the power of collaboration and a cultural celebration.
Nama’s debut featured more than 30 pieces by artists from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Spain, Canada, and beyond. These works were donated specifically for the auction to bridge artistic communities across borders.
Jana Abdulaziz, Nama’s founder and director, told Arab News: “For the longest time, Nama was nothing more than an online group of about a dozen high schoolers that joined solely off the identity statement I wrote. No logo, no solid plans, just an idea.
“I remember a couple months in with next to no progress almost giving up the idea of having an event or Nama becoming anything. I reached out to potential sponsors and hundreds of local and international artists from my personal accounts as a last-ditch effort, expecting nothing ... and to my surprise, people did.”
With the participation of 15-plus local brands and businesses as vendors, the event was much more than an art exhibition. Visitors enjoyed an immersive experience complete with live jazz and blues performances, as well as an artist sketching portraits of guests.
The event seems to have resonated with artists and attendees alike. Yousef Zaini, a local artist and artwork donor, said: “As an artist, my work is intended to invoke emotions, raise questions, and offer perspectives. I borrow heavily from my readings in philosophy.
“I’m honored to work with Nama and showcase my works and share the philosophies they embody. The event organized by Nama was a great mix and I am eager to collaborate with them in the future. Much better is to come.”
French-Tunisian artist E. L. Seed donated one of his lithographs to Nama, describing it as a valuable opportunity. He said that participating in Nama was a chance to support the event and inspire young artists, emphasizing that no event is too big or small when it comes to reaching art enthusiasts, especially in Jeddah.
The idea for Nama came to Abdulaziz in late 2023. Despite initial setbacks, her determination and passion brought the project to life. The seamless blend of jazz music and visual art has created an atmosphere that elevated creativity and engagement, bringing people together to celebrate the cultural richness of the region.
Jwan Abdulhafeez, Nama’s head of media, said: “We wanted our launch event to be more than just an auction, we envisioned a true celebration of art, culture, and fun. The evening featured a carefully curated silent art auction that showcased emerging talent while creating an atmosphere of sophistication with live jazz performances.
“Through the silent art auction, we were able to connect talented artists with art enthusiasts, creating meaningful relationships within our community.”
The auction was a celebration of global perspectives and artistic diversity, featuring works from renowned artists while providing a platform for young creatives to share their stories and build connections in the art world.
One of Nama’s key collaborators, Mohammad Aboalola, founder and writer at Mena Youth Magazine, expressed his admiration for the collective’s approach: “Nama and Menayouth struck a chord in terms of their values and vision. When Nama approached Menayouth for us to help with managing media and activities, their approach to things proved that they have ultimate care for who they work with. They came up to us offering to deal with the event as if it was our own.”
Experts discuss transforming Saudi museums into interactive cultural spaces
- The speakers discussed the role of technology in enriching visitor experiences and designing engaging programs and exhibitions
RIYADH: As part of efforts to develop Saudi Arabia’s museum sector and enhance the cultural and social roles of museums, the Museums Commission recently hosted an open meeting titled “Museums and Community Engagement: How Can a Museum Become a Community Hub?”
Moderated by Eman Zidan, director of the Red Sea Museum, the event featured Noha Al-Kadhi, director of programs at the Museums Commission; Hassa Al-Sudairy, senior manager of cultural programs at the Jeddah Historic District Program; and Maria Alam, director of learning and research at Hayy Jameel.
The discussion explored the role of museums in fostering community engagement, with speakers emphasizing the need to continuously refresh programs and activities to attract visitors and offer enjoyable experiences for all age groups.
Drawing from the commission’s experience, Al-Kadhi underscored the importance of understanding audience and community needs to create museum narratives and programs that resonate with diverse visitors.
She highlighted the value of involving schools and students to build strong connections between younger generations and museums, suggesting that children and youth could become “museum ambassadors” if they enjoy their visits.
Al-Sudairy shared insights from the Jeddah Historic District Program on engaging the local community in heritage preservation through targeted awareness and educational initiatives.
She cited successful programs involving children and students, such as workshops where participants restored heritage houses using miniature 3D models — activities that deepen their understanding of and connection to heritage.
Alam emphasized the importance of creating interactive programs for children and families to strengthen connections between museums and the community.
She highlighted Hayy Jameel’s initiative of engaging the local community in decorating the neighborhood facade, fostering interaction between art, the museum, and the public. This, she said, enhances visitors’ experiences and encourages repeat visits.
The speakers also discussed the role of technology in enriching visitor experiences and designing engaging programs and exhibitions.
Al-Kadhi highlighted technology as a powerful tool for providing innovative experiences while underlining the importance of balancing modern technology with the preservation of authentic heritage.
Alam added that blending modern media with heritage enhances museums’ appeal and delivers educational and experiential value.
Addressing challenges and opportunities in the museum sector, Al-Sudairy drew from the program’s experience to discuss the complexities of preserving heritage buildings through meticulous restoration processes that meet UNESCO and Ministry of Culture standards. She commended the local community’s support in advancing these initiatives.
The speakers stressed the importance of transforming museums into vibrant community hubs. They highlighted the need for interactive spaces that meet societal needs and encourage active participation, moving beyond the traditional role of merely displaying artifacts and decribing their histories.
Saudi Cabinet welcomes UN request for ICJ opinion on Israel’s obligations
- UN General Assembly resolution was put forward by Norway
- Advisory opinion from ICJ will clarify Israel’s obligations under international law
RIYADH: The Saudi Cabinet welcomed on Tuesday the adoption of a UN General Assembly resolution requesting an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice on Israel’s obligations related to the presence and activities of the UN.
Last week, UN member states requested the World Court to act urgently, with 137 countries voting in favor, 12 against and 22 abstaining.
The resolution was put forward by Norway on behalf of a core group of 13 countries, including the Kingdom.
An advisory opinion from the ICJ will clarify Israel’s obligations under international law to ensure and facilitate the work of the UN, international organizations and third states in providing life-saving humanitarian assistance and basic services to the Palestinian civilian population.
The resolution and its adoption come after Israel’s Knesset passed a law in October banning the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East from operating in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
The Cabinet expressed gratitude for the positive stance of the countries that supported the resolution, the Saudi Press Agency said.
The Saudi Cabinet meeting, chaired by King Salman, also discussed the recent meeting between Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ Al-Sudani.
On Sudan, the Cabinet affirmed Saudi Arabia’s position to end the conflict in the country, stressing efforts to enhance humanitarian aid and seek a political future that secures Sudan’s stability, unity and sovereignty.
The Cabinet commended the hosting of the first Arab Cybersecurity Ministers Council in Riyadh this month, aimed at enhancing cooperation among Arab nations in cybersecurity and computer-related threats.
Domestically, the Cabinet recognized the progress made by government agencies in the digital transformation index for 2024 and their efforts to improve services to residents and visitors of the Kingdom.
Minister of Media Salman Al-Dossary told SPA that the Cabinet praised the success of recent economic, cultural and media conferences and events in Riyadh, strengthening the city’s position as a global hub for science, knowledge, investment and innovation.
