A world of wonder in store during Riyadh Season 2024

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Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority (GEA), announced the details of the fifth Riyadh Season in a press conference held in Riyadh. (AN Photo: Huda Bashatah)
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Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority (GEA), announced the details of the fifth Riyadh Season in a press conference held in Riyadh. (AN Photo: Huda Bashatah)
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Updated 29 August 2024
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A world of wonder in store during Riyadh Season 2024

  • Full program of events unveiled, including major international sporting events, exhibitions, theatrical performances and live music

RIYADH: Riyadh Season 2024, which begins on Oct. 12, will feature 14 entertainment zones, 11 world championships and 10 exhibitions and festivals.   

Full details of the attractions and events during the fifth season were revealed on Wednesday at the St. Regis in VIA Riyadh by Turki Alalshikh, chairperson of the General Entertainment Authority.   

He said they will take place within an area of over 7.2 million square meters, and that “4,200 contracts have been signed with 2,100 local companies that account for 95 percent of all businesses participating in the season.”   

Kingdom Arena  

Building on the growth in size and scale of previous seasons, Alalshikh said the Kingdom Arena zone has been expanded by more than 40 percent this year, boosting its capacity to over 27,000 spectators.   

It will host four world championships, including the Oct. 12, season-opening IV Crown Showdown, a boxing card that includes the light heavyweight world title showdown between Russian boxers Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol. 

Boxing fans can also look forward to a rematch between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk at the arena on Dec. 21, and the venue will also host the 2024 African Super Cup final on Sep. 27 between Egyptian sides Al-Ahly and Zamalek.   

The Venue  

 ‏The Venue, a new area added to Riyadh Season this year, will host seven events including the Six King Slam, a tennis event in October featuring some of the world’s top players.  

Organized by Riyadh Season and MBC Group, The Venue will also host the fifth Joy Awards, Saudi Arabia’s largest event recognizing and honoring the Arab world’s leading artists and their achievements.   

Set to take place in The Venue, the WWE Crown Jewel will be held on Nov. 2, and the Raw show on Nov. 3.   

Dedicated to honoring marketing effectiveness in the Kingdom, the MENA Effie Awards ceremony will be held on Nov. 21 at The Venue.   

Renowned fashion designer Elie Saab will launch his Fall 2025 collection inspired by Riyadh Season.  

And for the first time, the Kingdom will welcome a Power Slap event, a competition in which contestants take turns slapping one another.   

Boulevard World   

This season, Boulevard World will have five additional zones devoted to Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, Iran, Africa and the French ski resort Courchevel, for a total of 19 zones. It will have 300 restaurants and cafes, and more than 1,400 shops.  

Boulevard City 

Boulevard City will have a busy schedule during Riyadh Season, with 25 restaurants and cafes, 12 plays, and 12 concerts.   

Alalshikh said the city will also host a stand-up comedy evening featuring the star of the “Bad Boys” movie series, Martin Lawrence.   

Manga and anime fans can look forward to a “Detective Conan” experience, while younger viewers will enjoy the event “Land of Dreams,” based on the “Bluey” cartoon series.   

For gamers, there will be events focusing on PUBG Mobile and Five Nights at Freddy’s 2.   

Aficionados of film scores can watch renowned German composer Hans Zimmer perform some of his most memorable movie themes live on stage.   

Visitors will also get the chance to travel back in time to an era when dinosaurs roamed the Earth by visiting “Olulu,” a huge dinosaur exhibition featuring a model standing at over 20 meters tall.   

Premier Padel P1   

After a successful debut in February and March, Premier Padel P1, a high-level padel tournament, will return to Riyadh Season.   

Along with the second World Snooker Masters event of the year, the opening of a snooker academy backed by superstar British player Ronnie O’Sullivan is also planned.   

Padel Rush, a zone dedicated to playing padel in Boulevard City will host the “Cristiano Ronaldo Padel Experience” in partnership with the global superstar.  

 Boulevard Runway   

This new venue, created in partnership with Saudia, features three Boeing 777 airplanes that have been transformed into retail spaces, restaurants, interactive experiences and games for adults and children.   

Wonder Garden   

The Wonder Garden has been enhanced to accommodate more visitors. This year, it will offer over 60 theatrical and roaming shows, 65 games and experiences, and more than 40 restaurants.   

Al-Murabba   

A Christian Dior Exhibition and Museum will open in the historic Al-Murabba district during Riyadh Season, along with a Dior Cafe and a gift shop featuring 500 dresses, vintage and new. It follows similar exhibitions in New York and Paris.   

The Groves   

The Groves area will feature new cafes and restaurants, a theater overlooking a lake, and outdoor lounges. During Riyadh Season, The Groves will host live music, theatrical performances and art installations.   

Dunes of Arabia   

The Dunes of Arabia is designed to cater to desert enthusiasts by offering immersive experiences and activities such as sandboarding, desert buggy rides, dune treks, archery and camel riding.   

Dog Festival   

Riyadh Season will host its first Dog Festival. Over 350 dogs and their owners from around the world will compete in five championships set to take place at Boulevard Hall from Nov. 1 to Dec. 30.   

Free areas   

For a third consecutive year, Riyadh Zoo will be one of three areas to offer free entry.   

The second free area, Swaidi Park, which has been organized this year in association with the Ministry of Media, will for 45 days showcase the cultures of nine countries — Yemen, Sudan, Jordan, Egypt, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia and the Philippines — and the Levant region.   

Meanwhile, Souq Al-Awwalin will offer an extensive shopping experience featuring traditional markets, handicrafts and clothing designed to appeal to visitors from both within and outside the Kingdom, as well as cultural performances. As part of Riyadh Season’s social responsibility initiatives, special event days for orphans will take place at Boulevard World and the Wonder Garden.


Saudi defense minister meets Swedish counterpart

Updated 22 November 2024
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Saudi defense minister meets Swedish counterpart

  • Discussions focused on bolstering cooperation between Saudi Arabia and Sweden

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s minister of defense, Prince Khalid bin Salman, met Johan Stuart, minister of state at the Swedish Prime Minister’s office, in Riyadh on Thursday.

They discussed ways in which relations and cooperation between their countries might be enhanced, along with other issues of mutual interest, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Other Saudi officials present during the discussions included Lt. Gen. Fayyad Al-Ruwaili, chief of the general staff of the Kingdom’s armed forces, and Hisham bin Abdulaziz bin Saif, director general of the defense minister’s office.

The Swedish minister was accompanied by a delegation that included Bjorn Kalvakov, charge d’affaires of the Swedish Embassy in Riyadh, and Sophie Becker, deputy head of the Middle East and North Africa department at Sweden’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.


Italian food festival highlights nation’s rich taste and culinary flavors

Updated 22 November 2024
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Italian food festival highlights nation’s rich taste and culinary flavors

JEDDAH: The Italian Consulate General in Jeddah hosted on Wednesday night a unique event celebrating the richness and uniqueness of Italian products and flavors on the occasion of the ninth edition of the Week of Italian Cuisine in the World. 

The event is being celebrated all over the globe from Nov. 16-22 by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Italian Ministry of Agriculture as part of their drive to promote the beauty and quality of Italian gastronomy.

Leonardo Costa, the Italian consul general in Jeddah, said: “We are glad to hold this Italian food street festival in the framework of the 9th Week of Italian Cuisine in the World celebrating Italian food culture. The theme for this year’s events is ‘Mediterranean Diet: Traditional Cuisine and Healthy Food,’ which is not a list of healthy food but a lifestyle.”

He added: “All the communities of the Mediterranean Sea share the same idea of hospitality and friendship. All concepts that fully applied to the great generosity and hospitality to the Saudi people and their way of conceiving food.”

Held at Al-Basateen Compound, the Italian Consulate General in Jeddah set up an elaborate street food scene around the pool area, ranging from big local Italian brands from shops, supermarkets, restaurants, cafes, and hotels in Jeddah with the attendance of guests drawn from the diplomatic corps, journalists, Italian expatriates, Saudi guests, the business community, and other selected food enthusiasts.

The festival contained multiple food stalls displayed by the sponsors and participants such as Danub, Lallo restaurant, Assila hotel, Margherita KSA, Montana water by Sharbatly, Ferrero, Loacker, and other brands, where everyone showcased different distinctive Italian delicacies.

Music was also played for the guests by DJ Ahmed Can.

Saudi businessman Mohammed Al-Zahrani — who became fascinated by Italian coffee during his visits to Catanzaro, the capital of the Calabria region in Italy, is the founder of Dell’Oro Store. He told Arab News how he turned his passion into a business.

“I am glad to be part of the ninth Week of Italian Cuisine in the World for the first time, and I am here to promote our coffee,” he added.


Spanish aerobatic pilot Castor Fantoba puts on a spectacular air display in Riyadh

Updated 21 November 2024
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Spanish aerobatic pilot Castor Fantoba puts on a spectacular air display in Riyadh

  • World-class pilot soars high at Sand & Fun event

RIYADH: A Spanish world-class powered aerobatic pilot on Tuesday put on a thrilling aerobatic display filled with loops, rolls, spins, dives and climbs at the Sand & Fun event at Al-Thumamah airport, Riyadh. 

Organized by the Saudi General Aviation, the event runs from Nov. 19-23. 

Castor Fantoba’s performance was one of 10 SkyVentures at Sand & Fun’s series of airshows.

In a sitdown interview with Arab News, Fantoba described how his passion for aviation began and what it takes to become a world-class aerobatic pilot. 

As a child, Fantoba lived in the Spanish region of Navarra, where he watched small planes flying in the sky.

“Every child is looking into the blue ... Near my village there was an older field and eventually there were small planes doing tours and I was always stuck to the glass of the car, looking into the window trying to see if there was something around. I think it was that simple thing that marked my life.”

After secondary school, Fantoba developed a deeper admiration for aviation, which led to him pursuing a career as an engineer. 

Fantoba graduated as an aeronautical engineer and gained his extensive flying experience in areas such as aerial advertising, skywriting, crop-dusting and water-bombing.

He then decided to take a different route and become a pilot, after working for several years in aircraft maintenance. 

Today, Fantoba is an airline captain qualified to fly Boeing 737, 757 and 767s, powered aerobatics in the world-renowned Sukhoi Su-26M and is also a certified flight instructor for ultralight motorized gliders, private pilot licence training, and powered aerobatics.

To prepare for his airshows, Fantoba has a precise regimen of physical training and technical training coached by retired pilot and former member of the Soviet and Russian national aerobatic team, Nikolai Nikituk, who is widely recognized as one of the best pilots in the history of aerobatics. 

“He (Nikituk) is the one who is pushing us and modeling us to arrive at that point in which we will compete and try to win.”

During airshows, pilots take turns performing and on some days the wind could work against them. In moments like those, endurance is key, a practice taught by Nikituk.

“If you control your stress, you get focused and you don’t get nervous and lose energy.” 

Aerobatic pilots draw geometrical figures in the sky using a unique composition of sequences. When performing advanced aerial maneuvers, pilots can experience a range of gravitational forces.

Aerobatic pilots are trained to handle these forces by tensing their muscles to maintain blood flow to the brain and avoid blacking out.

Fantoba said dealing with negative Gz force, when pushing a plane over into a dive, took him 10 years of practice to perfect it. 

“After 10 years of training, (previously) I was not able to get the good rotation or transition, but this year I got it so this for me is the most satisfying.”

To avoid problems in equilibrium, prevent dizziness and fade-out, Fantoba said a lot mental focus, physical conditioning, and training are required. 

“You need to do exactly what you are told to do in a sequence. A sequence is composed of about 14 figures that are very complex with rotations in all directions.” 

Fantoba spoke of an experience when he blacked out during a positive Gz flight. “I remember I was beginning a training camp and I was really relaxed during the beginning of the season ... I was not pushing my body … I remember I was going up and then a voice was calling me ‘Castor, do you hear me?’ (on the radio) and I saw all blue and suddenly realized I was flying.”

Pilots begin with 10 points and lose 1 point per 5 degrees of deviation, so precision is vital to a successful airshow. Pilots usually score an average five points, but Fantoba’s attention to detail allowed him to score 8.3 points in the previous World Championship. 

Fantoba encourages individuals to try flying. “With normal health, you can fly ... you have fantastic aircraft here in Saudi Arabia … call them (organizations) and ask them ‘how can I become a pilot?’ It’s easy and you will discover an absolute new world.”

“Aerobatics and generally all air sports, it does not matter if you are a man or woman, it’s based on skill … in aerobatics we do not have separation.”

Fantoba has numerous achievements to his credit. 

He was a runner-up in the 2022 World Team Championship, runner-up in freestyle at the 2019 World Championship; three bronze medals at the 2017 World Cup; double bronze medal in the 2015 World Cup, bronze medal in Classic and Freestyle in the 2016 European Championship, Absolute European Champion 2014, and nine times Absolute Spanish Champion.

He has been officially recognized as a high level athlete by the Higher Sports Council since 2005. He has bagged more than 50 medals in his sporting career, six medals in a single top-category competition (European Aerobatic Championships 2014). He has won 30 FAI (world governing body for air sports) medals, including six golds.


Man arrested for transporting nine border security violators in Jazan

Updated 21 November 2024
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Man arrested for transporting nine border security violators in Jazan

JAZAN: Authorities in Jazan arrested a citizen for transporting nine border security violators of Yemeni and Ethiopian nationalities. Legal procedures were carried out, and the violators were handed over to the authorities before being transferred to the Public Prosecution.

Authorities have warned that anyone who facilitates the entry of border security violators into the Kingdom, transports them, provides them with shelter, or offers any form of assistance or service, will face severe penalties. These include imprisonment of up to 15 years, fines of up to SR1 million ($266,318), confiscation of any vehicles or properties used in the offense, and public defamation.

Meanwhile, while enforcing environmental regulations in the King Abdulaziz Royal Reserve, field patrols of the Special Forces for Environmental Security arrested a man for illegal hunting in a prohibited area. He was found with an air rifle and three trapped wild animals. Legal measures were taken, and he was referred to the authorities for further action.


Ehsan charity empowers non-profit organizations

Updated 21 November 2024
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Ehsan charity empowers non-profit organizations

RIYADH: Workshops arranged by Ehsan, the national platform for charitable work, are helping empower non-profit organizations.

The initiative will ensure leaders keep pace with the governance of charitable work, with sessions aimed at developing methods to plan and implement projects.

The events are part of Ehsan’s efforts to increase the knowledge and develop the work of its non-governmental partner organizations. They align with its vision of maximizing the impact of projects, developing technical solutions, strengthening partnerships and empowering the non-profit sector.

The first workshops were launched in the Hail, Al-Jouf, Central and Asir regions, and Jeddah Governorate. More than 500 non-governmental organizations took part.