Coffee shop owners and investors have expressed widespread resentment since the implementation of the shisha ban was put into effect and which has since limited café owners to serving tea, refreshments and snacks.
The Ministry of Interior issued the ban following a royal decree that had previously been ordered on this front.
The Mayoralty of Jeddah has since taken on the task of ensuring that shops inside the city comply with the ban and that shisha only be smoked outside city parameters in non-residential areas.
Owners of restaurants and cafes have complained that the decision was sudden and that it came without warning in the space of a week where they should have been given a grace period of three to six months.
Arab News visited some cafes in the city to get a better idea of the repercussions faced by businessmen. Reporters found visitors being served shisha and openly smoking cigarettes inside the building. Newsmen approached waiters to ask why the ban had not yet been implemented but they refused to speak or give the name of the shop owner, in addition to refusing permission to take photos of the café.
Reporters asked once again about their continuing to serve shisha and they answered that they have not been formally informed of the ban and as such have no reason to deprive local customers of their usual orders.
Reporters then asked if they fear being caught and fined for not complying with the ban, the owner affirmed that he would stop allowing any form of smoke-related products only when they receive official notification that they are no longer allowed to serve it. He added that they expect to incur losses of up to half a million Saudi riyals.
Hussam Jamal, a Lebanese investor in a chain of restaurants in Jeddah, said that the recent decision is in itself and of itself a sound one but echoed other café owners in saying that a five- to six-month grace period should have been allowed.
“As foreigners, we put in everything we have into these businesses to get an adequate return on investment.”
He added that the decision does not clarify whether or not smoking cigarettes is included. “We had customers smoking cigarettes a few days back both inside and outside the café. It turns out there was a hidden inspector taking note of the violation who then issued a SR 600 fine.”
Khaled Al-Madini, owner of a café north of Jeddah, said the decision was the right one “because it aims to preserve public health.” He only calls for a grace period to pay off his loan.
Lawyer Ahmad Alkhaled Al-Sudairi said the Mayor’s Office should either reverse its decision or compensate the losing shop owners and payoff their loans.
He previously told the Arab News that said Mayor’s Office cannot legally close shops that started their business before the ban. Serving shisha at these shops is important for owners to cover their investment, not to mention paying off the loans many of them have taken from banks to help them establish their businesses, Al-Sudairi said.
“If the reason behind the decision is to combat pollution, the smoke emitted from one diesel vehicle is equivalent to that of a thousand shishas. Smoking shisha is a custom we’ve had for years and banning it is annoying to people who have no cinemas, no theaters and no parks to go to,” Al-Sudairi said.
One shop owner has said that 90 percent of his visitors came from Riyadh since they are banned from smoking shisha in the capital.
Jeddah Mayoralty spokesman Abdulaziz Al-Naharihas reaffirmed that this decision, coming from the Ministry of Interior, shall be implemented on 232 coffee shops across the city and that rigorous investigation shall be carried out to ensure sustained implementation of the law.
Restaurants and cafes could face an 80 percent drop in their revenue. These cafes would make a daily revenue of SR 7,000 to SR 10,000 from shisha.
The ban has only recently been enforced, with Riyadh and other cities having implemented this years ago. Shisha lovers now have to drive to cafes outside the city to smoke as the decision also applies to residential areas.
Al-Nahari said this is an application of the ministry of interior’s decision to protect public health and that such measures have been applied internationally.
Arwa Al-Ama, assistant mayor for ladies section affairs, announced recently that women inspectors will canvas family sections and beauty shops for violatorsl
“There are 17 inspectors in eight teams doing field visits on daily basis to monitor the violating shops,” Al-Ama said.
The inspecting team spotted number of violations since the start of the ban, said Al-Ama. She added that the violators were fined according to the law.
Each team is consisting of two inspectors. Each team is covering specific area in Jeddah. They inspect shops under the mayoralty’s supervision.
Shop owners deeply affected by shisha ban
Shop owners deeply affected by shisha ban
Saudi Arabia welcomes US-brokered peace agreement between Rwanda and DR Congo
- Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Kingdom hopes accord would meet “the hopes and aspirations of two peoples for development and prosperity”
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has welcomed the signing of a peace agreement between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in a deal facilitated by the United States with support from Qatar, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Kingdom hoped the accord would meet “the hopes and aspirations of the two peoples for development and prosperity,” and contribute to “regional and international security and peace.”
The ministry also praised “the diplomatic efforts and constructive role played by the United States of America and the State of Qatar in this regard.”
The agreement, finalized on Friday, aims to de-escalate long-running tensions between Rwanda and the DRC, which have intensified in recent years over accusations of mutual support for armed rebel groups operating along their shared border.
The most prominent of these is the M23 militia, which Kinshasa has accused Rwanda of backing — a charge Kigali denies.
Efforts to mediate between the two neighbours have gained urgency amid a worsening humanitarian crisis in eastern DRC, where conflict has displaced more than seven million people.
The US and Qatar have played key roles in recent months in bringing the two sides to the table for talks, culminating in the formal agreement to ease hostilities and commit to renewed dialogue.
Jeddah exhibition gives internet cafes an artistic reboot
- Local artists revive communal, quirky, deeply human qualities of early web era
JEDDAH: Internet cafes in Jeddah were once popular spots with pay-by-the-hour internet access; they have now provided the inspiration for the city’s latest exhibition.
In a collaboration between Kham Space and Estiraha, 17 artists and collectives have had their work on display at “Internet Cafe,” an eight-day exhibition which explored the concept of connection and intimacy in the digital age.
Abeer Sultan, who curated the exhibition alongside Mbarak Madhi and Fai Ahmed, spoke to Arab News about the early process in contemplating the theme.
The idea for the exhibition, which concluded on Friday, stemmed from an exasperation over incessant scrolling, and the deluge of information that has usurped our daily lives.
HIGHLIGHTS
• The idea for the Jeddah exhibition stemmed from an exasperation over incessant scrolling, and the deluge of information that has usurped our daily lives.
• Some of the works were meant to act as ‘hyperlinks’ to connect ideas, as well as creating a communal space and mimicking the social space of a cafe.
She said: “We wanted to do something that is about us now, and maybe the future as well; not only going back to things for nostalgia or the good old days, as they say.
“Maybe it has something that we can use today, especially now that there’s a movement of people trying to slow down, using dumbified devices throughout the internet.”
Instead of creating a literal internet cafe, the curators focused more on the nuances a cybercafe used to have.
Their approach to the space was categorized into three themes: “Disconnected Understanding, Linked Source,” “In the Shadow of a Doubt, Light My Screen,” and “Whirling Algorithms of a Distant Dream.”
Artist Zahiyah Alraddadi, who usually paints works focusing on the significance of the mundane, took oil to canvas to paint “Closed Eyes Under a Sunny Sky I” and “Familiar Features.”
Her work feels meditative and was intended to slow visitors down as they walked through the space — much like the feel of a buffering screen page.
Some of the works were meant to act as “hyperlinks” to connect ideas, as well as creating a communal space and mimicking the social space of a cafe.
Anhar Salem’s work “After Now” was a curtain imprinted with thumbnails of YouTube videos. The artist conducted a survey asking people between the ages of 18 and 40 to share their YouTube video recommendations, making up a curtain of information overload.
Next to that, Tara O‛Conal’s video installation was a film sequence — but the catch is, nothing really happened. The film continued to load, glitch, and reload, perhaps suggesting commentary on our constant yearning for contact.
“Compared to Anhar’s work, (Tara’s) feels like a pawn, in a way, to look at,” Sultan said.
Some works were inspired by computer graphics. Asaad Badawi paid tribute to early programmer culture via telephone-book-inspired art, and his father, who is a programmer.
Studio bin Hattan, which is led by artist Elham Dawsari, displayed “Cultural Override,” derived from her father’s archives from the 1980s. Madhawi Al-Gwaiz paints in a style that echoes digital graphics from the early 2000s.
Others took a more distanced approach. ThirdSpace’s “Untitled Table” was a physical object, but the research behind it was about keyboards that then shifted to Hijazi architecture, drawing on the iconography and architectural languages across the history of the region.
Hayfa Al-Gwaiz’s “Long Distance” was a painted form of facetime video calls. The work explored digital intimacy by showcasing not the callers’ faces, but the ceilings above them — a scene that’s familiar to anyone who has taken up a long-winded video call with a loved one and set down the phone to cater to life’s more immediate demands.
While the exhibition tackled the digital boom personified through cybercafes, it notably avoided artificial intelligence.
Sultan explained: “It is the idea of being fast and efficient, which is what we are resisting with AI … It’s dominating the internet in a weird way, and we wanted a space where people customized things manually, going back to montadayat (domains) where people had to do things by themselves. There’s no template.”
The last piece was by Ahaad Alamoudi, and “Land of Dreams” took a humorous approach to directing audiences to their dreams. As you walked toward the work, in an outdoor area outside the confines of the exhibition space, visitors were met with foam boards of the iconic Emirati singer Ahlam.
Sultan said: “The work accentuates the fact that the dream land is a subjective experience or idea, and everyone would have their own imagination of what that is, whether it's Ahlam or something else.”
The “Internet Cafe” was a love letter to a new digital age — one that is sustainable, communal, and deliberately slow.
“This is our way of keeping in touch with other people. An exhibition space is also a space where people meet, even if it’s for a moment, to have these conversations together, which is really important,” Sultan said.
Rooted in earth: Rafha’s mud structures tell a story of sustainability
- The buildings were constructed using indigenous methods and natural materials including mud, stone, wood, and palm fronds
RIYADH: In the heart of northern Saudi Arabia, the mud buildings of Rafha stand as “a vibrant narrative of traditional architecture, reflecting authenticity, creativity, and cultural identity,” the Saudi Press Agency said in an article on Saturday.
These structures tell the story of an ancient past, “embodying traditional architectural ingenuity that connects people to the land.”
Located along one of the Kingdom’s most significant tourist routes, the buildings “integrate cultural heritage with the natural environment,” the SPA wrote, and “serve as living records of generational memory, preserved through architectural details.”
This makes them an appealing destination for anyone interested in history, heritage, and traditional craftsmanship.
FASTFACTS
• The buildings in Rafha were constructed using indigenous methods and natural materials including mud, stone, wood, and palm fronds.
• Local authorities are making efforts to restore and maintain these mud structures, preserving their historical and cultural value.
The buildings were constructed using indigenous methods and natural materials including mud, stone, wood, and palm fronds. Their design responds to the local environment, maintaining balanced indoor temperatures during scorching summers and cooler winters. Most feature an inner courtyard, surrounded by rooms arranged in a circular layout, reflecting a strong sense of community.
These mud buildings illustrate “a deep harmony between humans and their environment,” the SPA wrote, adding that they also “reflect sustainable building principles that long predate modern green architecture.”
Local authorities are making efforts to restore and maintain these mud structures, preserving their historical and cultural value while promoting them as distinct parts of the Saudi tourism landscape.
Malaysia grants Saudi Hajj minister Al-Rabiah 'Hijra Personality of the Year' award
- Tawfiq Al-Rabiah Al-Rabiah was presented with his award by Malaysian King Sultan Ibrahim
KUALA LUMPUR: Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Hajj and Umrah Tawfiq Al-Rabiah received the International Tokoh Ma’al Hijrah 2025 award in Malaysia on Friday, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Malaysia grants the award — the name of which translates to Person of the Year for Hijrah — annually to an influential Muslim personality to recognize their contributions to Islamic causes.
Al-Rabiah won the award for his efforts in developing systems designed to make Hajj and Umrah run safely and smoothly for pilgrims.
Al-Rabiah was presented with his award by Malaysian King Sultan Ibrahim. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Minister of Religious Affairs Mohammed Naeem bin Mukhtar were present at the ceremony.
The event was held in Kuala Lumpur on the occasion of Hijri New Year.
Muslim World League condemns Israeli attacks on civilians in Gaza, West Bank
- Organization describes actions as part of wider pattern of settler aggression
RIYADH: The Muslim World League on Saturday strongly condemned recent Israeli attacks on civilian shelters and ongoing violence against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The MWL has described the actions as part of a wider pattern of settler aggression carried out with impunity under the protection of the Israeli occupation forces, the SPA added.
The MWL’s Secretary-General Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa, who also chairs the Organization of Muslim Scholars, denounced in a statement issued by the MWL’s General Secretariat what he called “heinous crimes” committed against unarmed civilians, including recent attacks by settlers on the village of Kafr Malik, east of Ramallah.
He added that the “brutal assaults” were a “blatant violation of all human values as well as international laws and norms.”
He urged the international community to uphold its legal and moral responsibilities and take decisive action against what he described as the occupation government’s ongoing disregard for the rights and dignity of the Palestinian people.
Al-Issa also called for the immediate activation of international mechanisms to halt the violence and ensure accountability for those responsible for what he termed “horrific massacres.”
His comments came after Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Friday condemning the violence, denouncing “the continued violence perpetrated by Israeli settlers, under the protection of the occupation forces, against Palestinian civilians, including the attacks in the village of Kafr Malik.”
