Cultural gathering calls for youth engagement to preserve traditions
Cultural gathering calls for youth engagement to preserve traditions/node/2607246/saudi-arabia
Cultural gathering calls for youth engagement to preserve traditions
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The Intangible Heritage Association held a workshop to encourage better preservation of cultural heritage in the digital age. (SPA)
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The Intangible Heritage Association held a workshop to encourage better preservation of cultural heritage in the digital age. (SPA)
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The Intangible Heritage Association held a workshop to encourage better preservation of cultural heritage in the digital age. (SPA)
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The Intangible Heritage Association held a workshop to encourage better preservation of cultural heritage in the digital age. (SPA)
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The Intangible Heritage Association held a workshop to encourage better preservation of cultural heritage in the digital age. (SPA)
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The Intangible Heritage Association held a workshop to encourage better preservation of cultural heritage in the digital age. (SPA)
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The Intangible Heritage Association held a workshop to encourage better preservation of cultural heritage in the digital age. (SPA)
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Updated 17 sec ago
Arab News
Cultural gathering calls for youth engagement to preserve traditions
Event, titled Asir … We Are the Living Heritage, was attended by experts and enthusiasts from the fields of culture and the arts
Attendees discussed various issues, including how to engage young people in cultural issues through social media
Updated 17 sec ago
Arab News
RIYADH: The Intangible Heritage Association held a workshop to encourage better preservation of cultural heritage in the digital age and urged young people to become the nation’s future storytellers.
Held at the Al-Abo Sarrah Palaces, northwest of Abha, the capital of Asir Province, the event, titled “Asir … We Are the Living Heritage,” was attended by experts and enthusiasts from the fields of culture and the arts.
Othman Al-Seeni, the association’s chairman, described the workshop as part of a broader national effort to safeguard intangible heritage across the Kingdom, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
“We are gathering the opinions and ideas of researchers and enthusiasts, whether on customs, traditions, handicrafts or performing arts, and using them in initiatives to document and preserve this heritage as a vital part of Saudi culture,” he said.
The attendees discussed various issues, including how to engage young people in cultural issues through social media. One concern was how misinformation about folk tales, customs and traditional narratives was being spread online.
The workshop’s conclusion was that heritage endures not through documentation alone but through active, daily practice. Young Saudis should be seen as future storytellers, not just passive recipients, they said.
The organizers also warned against fully automated documentation, recommending “cultural verification” protocols when using AI tools. Digital heritage efforts must retain human oversight from experts to ensure their authenticity, they said.
The association has already completed phase one of a comprehensive heritage inventory with the Heritage Commission, cataloging more than 10,000 cultural elements across six regions, and a second phase is planned.
Tourism Oluo Program is a key initiative to attract talented university graduates
Program equips graduates with hands-on training aligned to local and global tourism market
Updated 59 sec ago
Arab News
RIYADH: The Tourism Development Fund has opened applications for its fourth leadership training program, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday.
The Tourism Oluo Program is a key initiative to attract talented university graduates from local and international institutions for careers in the sector, a vital part of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 plan.
Implemented with Spain’s IE University, the program equips graduates with hands-on training aligned to local and global tourism market needs, the SPA added.
Participants will receive practical training at the fund’s Riyadh headquarters and attend specialized courses in the Kingdom and abroad with leading academic and training institutions.
The program provides social insurance, medical coverage, monthly stipends, paid annual leave, and opportunities to contribute to strategic tourism projects.
Targeted fields include finance, accounting, business administration, information technology, and engineering, according to the report.
This initiative supports the National Tourism Strategy’s aims to meet evolving market demands and strengthen the Kingdom’s position as a global destination.
Japan looks to GCC countries for stability in Middle East
FM Takeshi Iwaya meets with GCC’s Dr. Jasem Al-Budaiwi
Global oil industry, instability in Mideast under discussio
Updated 07 July 2025
Arab News Japan
TOKYO: Japan’s Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya met on Monday with the GCC’s Secretary-General Dr. Jasem Al-Budaiwi to discuss the global oil industry and growing instability in the Middle East.
Iwaya said the GCC countries are playing an increasingly important role amid regional and international turmoil, Japan’s Foreign Ministry stated.
Japan wants to deepen political and economic cooperation with the GCC to bring peace and stability to the region, including the conclusion of the Japan-GCC Economic Partnership Agreement negotiations.
Al-Budaiwi said the regional bloc was also hoping for the completion of EPA talks, and further cooperation under the Japan-GCC Action Plan.
Al-Budaiwi added that Tokyo was an important partner and extended an invitation for a meeting of the two parties’ foreign ministers.
The officials spoke candidly about issues in the Middle East, including the Israel and Iran conflict, attacks on the Gaza Strip and situation in Syria.
Iwaya said Japan would continue its diplomatic efforts to ensure the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Iran is implemented and avenues for dialogue are reopened.
Al-Budaiwi echoed this view and said the GCC nations remained committed to dialogue.
The officials shared their concerns about acts that threaten shipping routes, and attacks on oil facilities.
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and British Secretary of State David Lammy. (File/AFP)
Updated 06 July 2025
Arab News
Saudi FM receives phone call from UK foreign secretary
The UK foreign secretary is on a visit to the region and he met with Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa in Damascus on Saturday
On Sunday, Lammy met separately with Kuwait’s prime minister and crown prince during a visit to Kuwait
Updated 06 July 2025
Arab News
RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan received a phone call from the British Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Affairs David Lammy on Sunday.
During the call, they reviewed Saudi-British relations and discussed developments in the region and efforts being made with regard to them, the Saudi foreign ministry said.
The UK foreign secretary is on a visit to the region and he met with Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa in Damascus on Saturday. The meeting marked the restoration of British-Syrian relations after 14 years of tensions during Syria’s conflict and Assad family rule.
On Sunday, Lammy met separately with Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah and Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah .
Kendah Jambi has turned to local folklore and southern for her next novel
Updated 06 July 2025
Ghadi Joudah
RIYADH: When Saudi writer Kendah Jambi released “The Epic of Frost” in 2024, she wrapped up a fantasy trilogy that had been nearly a decade in the making.
Spanning three titles published by Adab Book — “The Voyagers” (2021), “The Historian” (2023), and “The Epic of Frost” (2024) — the trilogy reflects a growing interest in Arabic speculative fiction and highlights her steady rise within the Kingdom’s evolving literary scene.
With the series complete, the 25-year-old has turned the page with a new project: “Khalil,” a standalone novel rooted in Saudi heritage and slated for release this year.
Author Kendah Jambi sees the current moment in as particularly significant for writers, with growing cultural initiatives under Vision 2030. (Supplied/AN photo)
Reflecting on her journey, she told Arab News: “In comparison to when I first started, it has definitely become a lot easier to write and complete a novel in shorter amount of time.”
Her works have resonated with readers across who seek her out at the region’s various book fairs. Jambi said that she is touched by the kindness they express and their connection to her works. “I have young authors flooding my socials daily talking about how my work inspired them to write and stay persistent.”
HIGHLIGHTS
• Kendah Jambi’s ‘The Voyager’ fantasy trilogy gained momentum through its Manga Arabia adaptation.
• The writer’s next project ‘Khalil’ is a stand-alone novel rooted in Saudi heritage and slated for release this year.
• Her works have resonated with readers across who seek her out at the region’s various book fairs.
She added that her goal has always been “to make the world fall in love with the Arabic language.”
Jambi’s trilogy was published in Manga Arabia magazine’s print and digital versions. (AN Photo Basheer Saleh)
Her trilogy also gained momentum through its Manga Arabia adaptation, which Jambi said brought new attention to the original novels.
This, she said, brings the story full circle as “The Voyagers” was written originally to be a manga series and ended up becoming a novel.
Her advice to aspiring writers is grounded in experience: “Always chase what you believe in, no matter how long it takes. It took me seven years to write my first book, and I never regret taking my time,” she said.
Jambi’s trilogy gained momentum through its Manga Arabia adaptation, which Jambi said brought new attention to the original novels. (Supplied/AN photo)
While her earlier work leaned heavily into fantasy, her upcoming novel “Khalil” represents a shift in setting and tone.
“‘Khalil’ takes place in our modern-day across different regions. It reflects our heritage and traditions while being completely inspired by Arabian mythology,” she explained.
One such reimagining involves the folklore figure “Um Al-Saaf wa Al-Leef,” whom she described as “a witch who sits atop palm trees and eats children.”
Jambi participated in numerous book fairs in the MENA region, including the Riyadh International Book Fair. (AN Photo Abdulrahman Shalhoub)
In Jambi’s version, the character is still a deranged witch, but she does not eat children — instead, she has children named Al-Saaf and Al-Leef.
Jambi emphasized the importance of cultural accuracy in portraying southern Saudi characters, noting that her work “stays true to the people … I definitely made sure of that with help from friends native to that region.
“The characters are people whom Saudi readers can relate to as they hold similar values and have a familiar upbringing,” she added.
Explaining the shift from fantasy to a narrative more grounded in reality, Jambi said: “My pen is free and can go wherever it wants.”
She sees the current moment in as particularly significant for writers, with growing cultural initiatives under Vision 2030.
Maram Al-Samman, who read Jambi’s trilogy, told Arab News: “I see in Kendah Jambi a new and promising voice in Arabic fantasy literature … There are some moments that might lack narrative coherence, but her boldness in introducing new ideas and her creation of complex characters distinguish her work.”
Reflecting on her overall impression, Al-Samman added: “Personally, I believe her writing is worth reading, especially for those who enjoy novels that expand the imagination and open the door to deep thought.”
With the trilogy and her upcoming standalone novel sharing the same narrative universe, Jambi has created an expansive literary ecosystem where the fantastical and the familiar coexist.
Prince Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz (R) holds talsk with Dam Bontam in Dammam. (Supplied)
Updated 06 July 2025
Arab News
Eastern region governor receives Thailand’s ambassador to
The officials discussed topics of common interest
Updated 06 July 2025
Arab News
DAMMAM: Prince Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz, governor of the Eastern Region, received Thailand’s ambassador to the Kingdom, Dam Bontam, in Dammam on Sunday.
During the meeting, the officials discussed topics of common interest, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Separately, Saudi Ambassador to the Maldives Yahyah Al-Qahtani presented his credentials to the country’s president, Mohamed Muizzu, at his office.
“Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the historic Saudi-Maldives partnership,” the Saudi Embassy wrote in a post on X on Sunday.