RIYADH: Visitors to the 10-day Saudi Feast Food Festival have been getting a taste for authentic and diverse flavors from around the Kingdom.
Organized by the Culinary Arts Commission and being staged at King Saud University in Riyadh, the event celebrates the country’s culinary heritage.
Open from 4 p.m. to 12 a.m. until Dec. 2, the festival features 13 zones including culinary art heritage, theater, the Gourmand Awards, Greece, business, and a children’s interactive farm.
The Greek zone highlights the country’s traditional dishes and food culture, while the culinary arts heritage area has been divided into five sections representing different regions of Saudi Arabia and showcasing their history, identity, and food through exhibitions, live cooking shows, artisanal displays, and cultural performances.
The tasting experience begins with the Tabuk region where popular dishes often use ingredients unique to its topography.
Some of the Saudi chefs taking part in the event are rising culinary stars. Habiba Abdullah’s popular Tabuk-inspired offerings are free of hydrogenated oils and Maggi cubes, a lifestyle choice she made after her son was diagnosed with diabetes.
She said: “I have been using olive oil in my cooking, and I made a promise to myself to try and alter the lifestyle of other families to avoid diabetes and other illnesses resulting from unhealthy lifestyle choices.”
Abdullah has worked as an assistant chef at the Ritz-Carlton and is a certified international trainer and consultant in cooking. She teaches Saudi culinary students at Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University.
Asir, another featured region, is famous for its honey and coffee. Chef Noura Al-Asiri, from Asir, has been offering visitors the chance to sample arekah, a traditional regional dish made from dough which is grilled on a sheet pan before being plated for ghee and honey to be poured in the middle, and then decorated with dates.
Meanwhile, the smell of fried kingfish topped with regional spices has been drawing festivalgoers to the Eastern Province zone.
Argentine chef Chakall said: “I traveled to over 130 countries, and Saudi Arabia became one of my favorites; the diverse food from its regions, and the people are honest, friendly, and kind.
“I tasted food from different regions in Saudi Arabia, and I was blown away with what I saw, I had no idea what the food and the people were like before coming here.”
Chakall’s TV show in China and Germany is watched by millions of people, and he runs five restaurants in Portugal. And at the Saudi festival, he took part in a Gourmand Award zone discussion about his culinary journey.
The award is an international competition for food culture content, honoring the best cookbooks. In Riyadh, the zone offers local food enthusiasts an opportunity to meet leading industry figures.
Saudi cuisine showcased at food festival
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Saudi cuisine showcased at food festival
- Open from 4 p.m. to 12 a.m. until Dec. 2, the festival features 13 zones
- The Greek zone highlights the country’s traditional dishes and food culture
40 scouts finish the Wood Badge advanced course
- The course also included how to plan and execute outdoor trips
RIYADH: Forty scouts from various sectors of the Saudi Arabian Boy Scout Association completed the Wood Badge advanced course, with an average of 27 hours of training in theoretical and practical aspects.
The course, organized by Masar Development Association in Al-Ahsa, included working on the role, responsibilities, duties and needs of the scout unit leader and methods and means for training boys, as well as leadership concepts, patterns and theories.
It also covered public relations, scouting and boys’ development, problem-solving methods, youth participation in decision-making, planning methods, tools and techniques, the concept, styles and theories of scouting, protection from harm, and resource development.
The course also included how to plan and execute outdoor trips, including methods for navigation, setting up tents, secret signs, codes, map drawing, estimations, outdoor cooking, organized hiking, and report writing.
Umm Al-Qura University clinches top award
- The recognition aligns with the university’s Strategic Plan 2027 objectives
- The project aims to revolutionize education for faculty, students and administrative staff
MAKKAH: Umm Al-Qura University won the Best Educational Experience prize at the 2025 Saudi Customer Experience Awards.
Presented through a collaboration between the CX Forum, the Saudi CX Association and Awards International, the award recognizes the university’s excellence in enhancing the student experience and fostering an exceptional learning environment that adheres to global quality benchmarks.
The recognition aligns with the university’s Strategic Plan 2027 objectives, particularly in advancing teaching and learning initiatives. Central to the success is the Comprehensive Experience Project inaugurated by Prince Saud bin Mishaal bin Abdulaziz, deputy governor of Makkah Region. The project aims to revolutionize education for faculty, students and administrative staff.
The Saudi Customer Experience Awards stand as a premier platform for recognizing excellence in customer-centric innovations across the Kingdom’s various sectors.
Saudi jets fly solo at Bahrain airshow
- Two Typhoon jets performed solo aerial maneuvers
- An F-15SA aircraft in 24th Saudi National Day colors delivered a ground display
MANAMA: Aerial displays by the Royal Saudi Air Force and the Saudi Falcons Aerobatic Team thrilled audiences on Friday at the Bahrain International Airshow.
Two Typhoon jets performed solo aerial maneuvers, while an F-15SA aircraft in 24th Saudi National Day colors delivered a ground display.
The airshow at the Sakhir Air Base highlights the latest military technologies and the capabilities of the participating forces, while promoting cooperation between the Royal Saudi Air Force and the Royal Bahraini Air Force.
More than 125 types of aircraft were featured in the two-day show, which ended on Friday. Audiences were able to see the latest innovations and technologies in the aviation sector.
French, Saudi officials meet in Paris to advance AlUla development initiative
- Focus of discussions was on assessing state of Franco-Saudi partnership and defining future direction for AlUla’s development
PARIS: French and Saudi officials gathered in Paris on Friday at the French foreign ministry for discussions about advancing the AlUla development initiative.
The AlUla Committee, a joint initiative established under an intergovernmental agreement signed in April 2018, is the coordinating body for a range of ambitious projects being carried out by the Kingdom and France.
The projects focus on cultural preservation, tourism enhancement, economic growth, and environmental sustainability in Saudi Arabia’s AlUla region. The committee’s mandate includes overseeing the implementation and monitoring of the comprehensive 2018 accord, aimed at fostering broad-based progress in the area.
The French delegation at the meeting included senior figures from the ministries of European affairs and foreign relations, economy, and culture.
On the Saudi side, high-ranking officials from the culture, foreign, and investment ministries participated, along with representatives such as the president of the French Agency for AlUla Development (AFALULA) and the chairperson of the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU).
French ministers Jean-Noel Barrot and Rachida Dati met with Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan, Saudi Arabia’s culture minister, Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Khaled Al-Faleh, investment minister.
Jean-Yves Le Drian, executive president of AFALULA, and Abeer Al-Akel, acting CEO of the RCU, also took part in the meeting.
The focus of the discussions was on assessing the state of the Franco-Saudi partnership and defining the future direction for AlUla’s development.
Participants reviewed collaborative projects that draw on French expertise, particularly in archaeological research — highlighted by the involvement of 120 French archaeologists and researchers in the region. Other focal points included cultural initiatives such as the Villa Hegra project, as well as advances in hospitality, transport and infrastructure.
Additionally, the meeting addressed the French Heritage Endowment Fund, which was established as part of the 2018 agreement, and reinforced its continued commitment to supporting heritage conservation and cultural initiatives tied to AlUla’s unique historical significance.
Pediatric neurology conference to draw top health experts to Riyadh
- Saudi Pediatric Neurology Society conference and workshops will be held from Nov. 20-23
RIYADH: The 9th Saudi Pediatric Neurology Society conference and workshops will be held from Nov. 20-23 at the Crowne Plaza RDC in Riyadh.
The SPNS, established in 2012, is an official non-profit scientific association under the auspices of the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties.
This year’s conference promises insights into various topics, including neonatal neurology, spinal muscular atrophy, neuro inflammatory disorders, neuromuscular diseases, brain and spinal injuries and infections, epilepsy, brain and spinal tumors, cerebrovascular disease, autism, movement disorders, and metabolic and genetic disorders.
Top healthcare officials, dignitaries, industry leaders, analysts and other experts will participate.
Fahad Al-Bashiri, president of SPNS and a professor and consultant pediatric neurologist at the College of Medicine, King Saud University, will share pivotal insights on the opening day of the event with two presentations addressing some of the most pressing challenges in the field.
The first presentation will cover findings from a recent clinical trial examining the role of vitamin D in managing epilepsy. This research explores how vitamin D supplementation may influence seizure frequency and severity, potentially offering a new approach to epilepsy care.
The second presentation will focus on the newly developed Gulf Cooperation Council guidelines for managing Neurofibromatosis Type 1. This talk will discuss the standardized approach proposed for the region, aiming to optimize patient care and outcomes for individuals with NF1.
Dr. Ahmad Alanazi, chairman of the conference and an assistant professor, pediatric neurologist and epileptologist at the College of Medicine, KSU, said: “I am honoured to lead a forum where leading experts will address the latest challenges and breakthroughs in pediatric neurology.
“This year’s conference will spotlight transformative advancements, including the role of artificial intelligence and machine learning in diagnosing and managing epilepsy and neurorehabilitation, signaling a new era in precision care.”
He added: “The SPNS conference remains a premier platform for advancing pediatric neurology, fostering collaboration, and setting new standards of care for young patients in the Kingdom and beyond.”
