Seven wonders of Arab world to be named in bid to improve global recognition
Seven Arabian Wonders of the World project aims to recognize the accomplishments of Arab civilizations past and present
Updated 46 min 56 sec ago
Harold von Kursk
RIYADH: Seven ancient and modern wonders of the Arab world are expected to get a surge in global recognition as a major campaign prepares to get underway.
Organized by the foundation that led the campaign to name the Colosseum, Taj Mahal, Petra and others as the new seven wonders of the world in 2007, the Seven Arabian Wonders of the World project aims to recognize the accomplishments of Arab civilizations past and present.
The Zurich-based New7Wonders Foundation has now invited Arab states to bid for the exclusive rights to host the campaign, which is expected to take place by the summer of 2025.
Some of the architectural and engineering marvels poised to qualify include the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the World Trade Centre in Bahrain, Riyadh’s futuristic King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center designed by Zaha Hadid, and I.M. Pei’s Museum of Islamic Art in Qatar.
New7Wonders founder Bernard Weber believes these “modern monuments” deserve to be honored alongside equally remarkable achievements of ancient Arab civilizations: AlUla (Saudi Arabia), the Old City of Sanaa (Yemen), the Samarra Tower (Iraq), and reaching as far as the Alhambra Palace (Spain).
“The Arab world is in the midst of a remarkable renaissance that has witnessed the construction of a series of extraordinary landmarks. These kinds of modern world wonders are the product of an evolving Arab civilization that is confidently projecting itself to the world in a bold and dynamic way,” he told Arab News.
Weber is confident that this latest chapter of his “wonders” movement will generate a significant wave of international enthusiasm and recognition.
“Our 7 Wonders of the Arabian World campaign will draw attention to not only the pathbreaking architectural and engineering wonders of a modern Arab world, but will also connect them symbolically to those of an ancient Arab civilization that should stand proudly alongside that of the Greeks and Romans,” Weber told Arab News.
“Arabian culture and its impact on humanity has not been properly recognized and celebrated in comparison with Greek, Roman, Chinese and other great cultures of the past.”
According to Weber, the event has the potential of generating more than $1 billion in tourism, branding and ancillary revenue to the host nation.
Weber’s original campaign to choose seven new world wonders
The Arab Wonders campaign is expected to build on the success of Weber’s landmark 2007 N7W competition that invited the public to choose from 400 historic structures from all over the world that led to more than 100 million ballots being cast between 2005 and 2007.
The final tally resulted in the proclamation of a new set of seven world wonders: Chichen Itza, The Great Wall of China, Machu Picchu, Petra, the Roman Colosseum, the Statue of Christ Redeemer, and the Taj Mahal.
The campaign fulfilled Weber’s dream of a democratic, worldwide vote that served as a long overdue revival of Herodotus’ ancient Greek concept of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World — declared in the fifth century B.C. — of which only the Pyramids of Giza are still standing.
Apart from reviving the ancient Greek “world wonders” classification, Weber also had the underlying goal of driving renewed efforts to preserve and protect those leading examples of human civilization.
His faith was rewarded in the wake of the original 2007 world wonders declaration, after which many countries responded by undertaking badly-needed restoration work on their national treasures while promoting popular awareness and pride in their nations’ collective heritage.
China and the other countries where the new seven wonders are situated have all experienced a huge boost in tourism since joining New7Wonders movement. A case study by Pearson UK estimated that the net worldwide economic effect of New7Wonders exceeds $5 billion owing to the “Wonder Effect” on tourism as well as on national marketing and brand value generation.
The follow-up 2011 campaign enjoyed a similar level of spectacular success — with 600 million online votes cast. This is why Weber believes that the Seven Arab Wonders vote could well exceed the billion mark.
Today, the enormous impact of global social media interactive platforms such as TikTok and Instagram as well as YouTube will further energize the voting and campaigning for the Seven Arab Wonders “in a way that Herodotus could never have imagined,” Weber said.
An official declaration ceremony was held in 2007 in front of 60,000 spectators at the Benfica Stadium of Light in Lisbon, Portugal on July 7, 2007, or “7/7/7” day, a date chosen by Weber for its numerical affinity to the New7Wonders concept.
The star-studded event was headlined by Portuguese football legend Cristiano Ronaldo and Apollo astronaut Neil Armstrong, and featured performances by pop star Jennifer Lopez and operatic tenor Jose Carreras.
The ceremony was simulcast on TV networks on all continents and streamed online (a pioneering moment in broadcasting) to a global audience of more than one billion spectators.
‘Wonder Markers’ first unveiled at Expo 2020 Dubai
In 2022, the New7Wonders Foundation demonstrated its commitment to the Arab region when it took part in the Expo 2020 Dubai as an official participant. This historic event served as an ideal moment for Weber and his long-time N7W director Jean-Paul de la Fuente to unveil a series of symbolic “Wonder Markers” that were prepared specifically for the Expo.
The first of these almost three-meter signposts was installed and unveiled by De la Fuente in 2023 at the Huangyaguan Great Wall in China, featuring six panels pointing out the precise distance and geographical direction of the other world wonders.
“China was the first nation to install our permanent Wonder Marker. This served as unique recognition of the New7Wonders as a global brand promoting their most precious icon, the Great Wall, that would now be connected to six other ‘wonders’ across our planet,” De la Fuente explained.
Weber — an abiding passion for art and architecture
While living in Montreal, Canada in the late 1990s, Weber began formulating the elements of his New7Wonders project. He originally became fascinated by architecture while growing up in Switzerland where he was raised by his single mother Heidi, an ambitious entrepreneur.
She became famous in the late fifties for persuading the legendary Swiss architect Le Corbusier to allow her to revive, reconfigure and relaunch the series of four modernist furniture designs — including the fabled chaise longue — that he first conceived in 1927.
On the day of this interview, the 61-year-old Weber — a champion freestyle skier as a teenager who later scaled the Matterhorn — was relaxing on one of the original Le Corbusier chaise longues that rolled off his mother’s assembly line in the late fifties.
Weber has long cultivated a passion for art, aviation and film.
After serving as Donald Sutherland’s double in Federico Fellini’s “Casanova,” (“I was the only one who Fellini could find that was as tall as Sutherland,” Weber recalled) he decided to get behind the camera, making his directorial debut with the award-winning feature film “Hotel Locarno” in 1978.
Saudi English authors hope to appeal to an international audience
Local writers aim for a wider readership
Updated 29 September 2024
Marco Ferrari
RIYADH: Saudi English-language authors are taking advantage of new publishing opportunities and aiming to spreading cultural awareness to an audience of international readers.
The Riyadh International Book Fair, which has long been a focal point for literary activity in the Kingdom’s capital, is supporting emerging authors who cater to English readers at home and abroad.
Fatemah Abdullah Al-Qahtani is a professor of creative practices at Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University.
Fatemah Al-Qahtani signs a copy of her book ‘Creativity and Conservatism’ during the Riyadh International Book Fair 2024. (Supplied)
In the past she faced rejections from regional publishers, who advised her to write in Arabic instead, before British publisher Austin Macauley this year decided to publish her book, “Creativity and Conservatism.”
Speaking to Arab News at the book fair, she described how her writing is aimed both at foreign audiences and the younger generation of Saudis who read English fluently.
“It’s an international language, especially with this new generation of teenagers now in Saudi Arabia.”
“Creativity and Conservatism” is described as an investigation into the formation of Saudi female artistic identity.
The book links the rich history of religion to the emerging artistic scene in the Kingdom.
“I talk about this from a pro-faith perspective,” she said. “I don't try to underestimate all of these schools of art. No, actually, the Saudi woman is smart enough to use it, to express it in her art practice.”
Al-Qahtani’s work argues that art from the Najd region — home of the Hanbali school of Islam — is influenced by the concepts of halal (permissible) and haram (forbidden).
In the Eastern Province, Al-Qahtani links the prevalence of surrealist art emerging from the region with its high percentage of Shia Muslims.
Western cities such as Makkah and Madinah are the centers of religion in the Kingdom, and they have historically been the most multicultural areas in the Kingdom.
For Al-Qahtani, this can be seen in the quality of artwork produced in the west, notably the trailblazing Safeya Binzagr who passed away earlier this month.
The author argues that the Shafi’i school of Islam in the south of the Arabian Peninsula influenced the art of the region, with its geometrical shapes and bright colors often seen adorning doors on local homes.
Religious history laid the foundations for a collective understanding of art, according to Al-Qahtani.
“Even though I believe in the principle of individualism, especially in art, you need to be completely free: Art for art. However, it’s hard to avoid all of this. It’s rooted deeply in our mind, in the subconscious,” she said.
Halah Alshathri works full time as a vice president of admin and financial services at Jazira Group in Riyadh.
She draws on her experiences in the corporate world and in her spare time writes motivational material, providing advice to readers on how to master their chosen field.
Her new book — “Values of Mastery” — was a bestseller at the fair and was sold out soon after a public signing.
“I was eager to publish in the English language,” she said, “because we have a good chance and a good opportunity to introduce how our society is coming out and supporting women in the working field.”
Focused on reaching the widest possible audience, Alshathri wants the world to know about the successes of Saudi women in business today.
Asked why she thought her book was so popular, Alshathri said that the growing competitiveness in the Gulf job marketplace was leading people to search for new ways to find an edge.
“The working environment has been very competitive … especially now in Saudi Arabia and in the GCC, for men and women.
“Everyone wants to do well, do better, and make a better social life and a working life and maybe also financial life.”
With a little adjustment, she believes anyone can optimize their life, make the most of their talents, and seize opportunities to better themselves.
“If you have the right values, with the right skills, you will get the opportunities right in front of you. You will work smarter and not harder.”
“You will not just be a working machine,” she added. “Actually, you use your mind, your soul and your heart in there, because you think of yourself, you think of others.”
Leen Al-Tamimi is a children’s author who wants her allegorical work to tell a universal message, not linked to any specific culture.
Leen Al-Tamimi signs a copy of her book ‘The Farmer With a Heart of Gold’ during the Riyadh International Book Fair 2024. (Supplied)
The best way to do that, for her, is to write in English, and to base her stories in far-off lands.
“The Farmer with a Heart of Gold” is a tale that teaches children the importance of behaving well, even in difficult circumstances.
“These are all universal values, not related to a certain culture or religion,” she explained. “This is why it was important for me for the story to be in English, and for the story to be for children, to kind of share those universal values that we all have as humans, not because we’re Saudi or we’re English or because we’re American or whatever we are.”
Al-Tamimi first wrote the story 10 years ago, when she was 16. At the time, she could not find an avenue for publication.
“Back then, things were a bit different. They weren’t as easy and they weren't as clear how to move forward with publishing a book,” she said.
“The support that we see today from publishing houses is amazing, honestly, compared to what existed back then.
“The book fair was a huge bonus for me for finding the best publishing house for the story,” she said.
As well as transcending cultural barriers, Al-Tamimi, like Al-Qahtani is interested in spreading her moral message to the next generation of Saudis.
“I always believe that children are the key to making the changes that we’re looking for in society,” she said.
“If you want to make a change, if you want to spread something positive, I always believe that you start with the children, and you create a better generation moving forward.”
Ancient Kingdoms Festival returns to AlUla with heritage-led program
Presented by AlUla Moments, the festival returns with a jam-packed program of daytime discoveries, adventure-filled exploration and theatrical after dark journeys
Updated 29 September 2024
Arab News
RIYADH: AlUla, the historic heart of the Incense Road, has announced visitors can now book tickets for a collection of extraordinary experiences set in heritage sites for this year’s Ancient Kingdoms Festival, launching on Nov. 7.
Presented by AlUla Moments, the festival returns with a jam-packed program of daytime discoveries, adventure-filled exploration and theatrical after dark journeys inspired by the stories of AlUla’s ancient past, and delivered by some of the world’s best immersive experience creators, an official statement said.
Participating heritage sites include the Nabataean city of Hegra, Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site; Wadi Al-Naam, a spectacular valley of iconic rock art; and the mudbrick maze of AlUla’s Old Town, recognized as one of the world’s best tourism villages.
Events include the “Incense Road Experience” in AlUla’s Old Town, an immersive adventure that invites visitors to traverse a historic maze of atmospheric mudbrick buildings as live performances and technology meet interactive storytelling and explorations of archaeological treasures.
Those in search of intrigue can look forward to “Masterpieces of the National Archaeological Museum of Naples,” a showcase exhibition taking place at Maraya, the world’s largest mirrored building.
Presented for the very first time in Saudi Arabia, visitors will encounter exceptional art history from Pompeii and Herculaneum alongside iconic works depicting enduring icons like Alexander the Great, Roman Emperor Trajan, and Marcus Aurelius.
The fan-favourite “Hegra After Dark” is another back by popular demand — offering a flavour of the ancient world even bigger and bolder than before. Praised by travelers and media alike, this world-leading immersive nighttime summit returns to Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage site with a magical “theater of life” expedition through the spectacular landscape and Nabataean era.
Also starring in the Ancient Kingdoms Festival schedule is the “Stories from the Sky” Hegra drone show, a jaw-dropping audio-visual production illuminating ancient monuments; and “Hegra Candlelit Classics,” back with a trio of immersive one-of-a-kind musical experiences.
The full offer for this year’s Ancient Kingdoms Festival also includes epic parades, treasure hunts in historic hunting grounds, yoga in the UNESCO Memory of the World site Jabal Ikmah, sky tours across Nabataean tombs and hands-on activities for families.
Drones cut carbon emissions by 66% at Saudi reserve
There has been a substantial increase in vegetation cover
Updated 29 September 2024
Arab News
RIYADH: The use of drones has resulted in a 66 percent decrease in carbon emissions at the Imam Turki bin Abdullah Royal Nature Reserve, its development authority said on Sunday.
According to the authority, there has been a substantial increase in vegetation cover, which grew to 8.5 percent from 1.4 percent in 2018.
Spanning 91,500 sq. km, the park is the second-largest royal reserve, home to 138 wildlife species and 179 plant species. It is known for its rich ecology, stunning landscapes and heritage sites.
The reserve pioneered a groundbreaking environmental protection and monitoring project by using 40 drones to bolster surveillance of illegal activities such as logging and overgrazing.
This has notably improved the operational effectiveness of environmental security and protection teams while also contributing to training environmental observers and rangers.
According to the authority, advanced technologies are used to decrease carbon emissions and support the objectives of the Saudi Green Initiative by phasing out fossil fuel-powered four-wheel-drive vehicles and replacing them with drones.
This helps improve environmental protection and access to rugged terrain while facilitating the distribution of seeds across vast areas.
The ministry said the airlines did not comply with disease vector control measures after having failed to spray their aircraft with insecticides to specified standards
Updated 29 September 2024
Arab News
RIYADH: The Ministry of Health has fined three airlines for violating health surveillance regulations on arriving at Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madinah, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday.
The penalties, which have been issued in accordance with the general provisions of the executive regulations of the health surveillance law at entry points, stem from the ministry’s responsibility to address health risks and ensure public safety.
The ministry said the airlines did not comply with disease vector control measures after having failed to spray their aircraft with insecticides to specified standards.
This represented a breach of health procedures outlined in the executive regulations of the health surveillance law at entry points, the ministry added.
Disciplinary action has been taken against the companies to ensure that such breaches, which may endanger public health, are not repeated, the SPA reported.
The measures are part of the ministry’s ongoing supervisory efforts to boost health surveillance at airports and border crossings and safeguard public health by strictly enforcing regulations to ensure the health and safety of citizens, residents and visitors to the Kingdom.
