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RIYADH: The 24th Abha Shopping Festival has attracted more than 200,000 visitors since its launch on July 1, Saudi Press Agency reported on Thursday.
The festival includes six shopping halls displaying household items, clothes, perfumes and sweets. It also offers many entertainment programs and events, including an amusement park, live performances and restaurants.
The event will run until Aug. 14 at the Abha International Exhibition Center.
MADINAH: Madinah Deputy Gov. Prince Saud bin Khalid, on behalf of Madinah Gov. Prince Salman bin Sultan, sponsored the “Giving and Inspiring” event organized by Fazaa Volunteering Association at the Namaa Almunawara’s headquarters.
During the event, Nayef Al-Sharif, a member of the board of directors of Fazaa, said that the ceremony expressed the spirit of volunteering and giving, on the occasion of the Saudi and International Volunteer Day.
Al-Sharif highlighted the importance of volunteering as a noble mission and a key pillar of Saudi Vision 2030, which places great emphasis on promoting the culture of volunteering by increasing the percentage of volunteers in society and empowering youth to actively participate in serving their country.
The attendees watched a presentation showcasing the history of the association from its establishment to the present, highlighting its efforts and achievements in serving the community. The event also featured a segment titled “Volunteer Dialogue,” which shed light on the positive impact of volunteering on individuals.
JAZAN: Jazan Encounters 2024 demonstrated its commitment to inclusivity by implementing support services for visitors with disabilities. The initiative featured real-time sign language interpretation and accessible infrastructure for people with mobility challenges, ensuring all those attending could fully participate and access the event’s venues.
Organized by the Human Resources Development Fund at Jazan University and concluding on Thursday, the event attracted significant crowds. Meetings were structured around five key tracks: job seeking, private sector employment, student development, employer services, and entrepreneurship.
Organizers deployed dedicated staff members to assist visitors with special needs throughout the venue. The assistants helped attendees navigate the event’s various sections and participate in scientific sessions, workshops, seminars, and educational lectures.
The event provided real-time sign language interpretation for deaf and hard-of-hearing visitors, and also featured specially designed pathways and facilities to accommodate those with mobility impairments.
ALULA: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan welcomed Sayyid Badr Al-Busaidi, Oman’s minister of foreign affairs, in AlUla on Thursday, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The two dignitaries co-chaired the second meeting of the Saudi-Omani Coordination Council on Thursday, the SPA added.
The meeting, held under the directives of the leaderships of both countries, set out to advance cooperation in several sectors and enhance their regional and international roles.
In his address, Prince Faisal expressed gratitude for the ongoing efforts to bolster Saudi-Omani relations. He highlighted the importance of continuous collaboration on bilateral, regional and international matters, noting the alignment of perspectives between the Kingdom and the sultanate.
The second meeting, he said, would build upon the foundations set during the inaugural meeting on Nov. 13, 2023, in Oman, and he praised the progress made on 55 initiatives launched during the first session, commending the council’s committees for their follow-up and implementation efforts.
Al-Busaidi highlighted the importance of Saudi-Omani collaboration not only for mutual benefit but also for contributing to regional stability and prosperity in the face of global challenges.
Congratulating Saudi Arabia on being awarded the right to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup, he also remarked that this milestone was an indication of the Kingdom’s ambitious leadership and its growing prominence on the global stage.
Following the meeting, a memorandum of understanding was signed between Saudi Arabia’s Prince Saud Al-Faisal Institute for Diplomatic Studies and Oman’s Diplomatic Academy.
The agreement focused on advancing cooperation in diplomatic studies and training, with Saudi Ambassador Saud Al-Sati signing the MoU on behalf of Saudi Arabia, and Sheikh Khalifa bin Ali bin Issa Al-Harthi representing Oman.
RIYADH: Franco-Lebanese artist Zeina Abi Rached presented her celebrated novel, “Le Piano Oriental,” as part of Riyadh Music Week.
The event on Dec. 9, held in collaboration with the French Embassy in Saudi Arabia and the Alliance Française de Riyad, saw the Fenaa Alawwal Center vibrate to the rhythm of notes and words.
The artist captivated the audience by weaving a link between past and present. Inspired by the legacy of her great-grandfather, the inventor of the oriental piano, she shared an emotionally rich story, combining narration, illustration and melodies performed by composer and pianist Stephan Tsapis.
Abi Rached told Arab News: “For ‘Oriental Piano,’ the main character is my great-grandfather Abdallah, who became Abdallah Camandja, but whose name was Abdallah Chahine. I didn’t know him, but I’ve heard a lot about him. Throughout my childhood, I was told: ‘This is Camandja’s piano’ so there was something of a myth surrounding (it). The mention of his name and his piano was surrounded by an aura of mystery.”
Tsapis created the album “Mataroa” as a showcase for the spoken word, in particular, the voice of his own father recounting the forced exile of Greeks due to civil war. With “Le Tsapis Volant,” the aim was to blend the distinctive sound of the oriental piano with female voices of diverse origins.
Abi Rached told Arab News: “I always read comics as a child. I remember there were comic books in my family’s library, and they were very common.”
“I felt a very strong urge to write and draw in the early 2000s, when I was 19 or 20, at the time of the reconstruction of Beirut, the city as I had known it up to then, i.e. a city at war, which was in the process of altering and changing. I felt the need to keep a record of this change. That’s how writing and drawing came into my life,” she added.
“In general, the characters in my comic strips are family members or friends. I gathered stories from all of them, from neighbors, family ... from all the people around me at the time.”
During the evening, Abi Rached not only honored the memory of her grandfather, but also reminded everyone of the importance of art as a means of expression and connection, uniting generations through the magic of stories and melodies.
She said: “Art, and especially comics, has served me well, for example, when talking about difficult things, such as the memory of war. It’s a way of synthesizing everything. The message can be very powerful and can be without words, and a picture can sometimes express it much better than a long speech. That’s how you provoke a sensation, an emotion. And it’s probably thanks to this that we can better understand and appropriate certain notions that are not obvious.”
Abi Rached immersed the audience in a magical atmosphere, where black and white images evoked her childhood in Lebanon. Every word, every illustration opened a window on a vibrant past, where memories mingled with the dreams of a country in search of rebirth.
The duality between black and white and the bright colors of the country was palpable, illustrating a poignant contrast between the beauty of memories and the reality of a country under reconstruction. In leaving Lebanon, Abi Rached not only left behind a place, but also a part of her identity.
Her story resonated with those who have had to move away from their native land, but also with the hope of a better future. Through her talent, she shone a light on forgotten stories, paying tribute to a Lebanon that lives on in the hearts of its natives.
RIYADH: The Diriyah Center for Arts of the Future is presenting a month-long series of events aimed at exploring how technology is reshaping the art world.
These activities are part of the center’s ongoing exhibition, “Art Should Be Artificial: Horizons of AI in Visual Arts,” which examines the role of artificial intelligence and robotics in contemporary artistic practices, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The program includes workshops, talks, and hands-on sessions designed to engage artists, researchers, and the public in conversations about the intersection of art, science, and technology.
According to SPA, the centerpiece of the December programming is a talk titled “Building Robots” on Dec. 20. It will be led by Louis-Philippe Demers, a renowned artist specializing in AI and robotics.
Demers will discuss his innovative approach to performance art, focusing on how machines and humans interact creatively. His work often challenges the boundaries between art and technology, offering new perspectives on the future of creative expression.
Another major event will take place on Dec. 21, when Saudi artist Lulwah Al-Homoud presents a symposium titled “Interactive Geometric Formations.” Al-Homoud will explore her use of Islamic art, mathematics, and digital technology as core elements of her creative practice. Her work reflects how traditional artistic disciplines can be enhanced by modern tools, bridging the gap between heritage and innovation.
Demers will also lead a two-day workshop over Dec. 20-21, where participants will learn to create movable robotic avatars. This hands-on session is designed to give artists and enthusiasts a deeper understanding of how robotics can be incorporated into creative projects, offering practical insights into an emerging field of art.
Earlier in the month, the center hosted workshops from Dec. 5-7 under the theme “Visual Programming.” Led by Nasser Al-Shammari, these sessions introduced participants to digital media and real-time graphic processing.
On Dec. 6, art historian Leonardo Dellanocce delivered a talk titled “Inside the Mirror,” examining how virtual worlds, such as the metaverse, shape human perceptions and artistic representation.
Established by the Museums Commission, the Diriyah Center for Arts of the Future is dedicated to new media and digital arts. The center supports innovation in the arts by fostering collaboration between artists, scientists, and technologists. Its mission is to position Saudi Arabia as a global hub for creative and technological innovation while elevating the region’s emerging talent.
