RIYADH: The head of the main film festival in Saudi Arabia, where cinemas are banned, wants the government to invest in the sector as part of its campaign to encourage entertainment.
Ahmed AlMulla made the comments in an interview with AFP ahead of the fourth Saudi Film Festival, which runs from March 23-28 in the Gulf coastal city of Dhahran.
This year’s festival is the first since the kingdom late last year began a cautious push to introduce entertainment, despite opposition from conservative groups.
Among the events on offer for Saudi spectators have been the New York theatrical group iLuminate, the Comic-Con pop culture festival, and WWE wrestling.
“It’s nice to see all kinds of events here and people coming from outside,” AlMulla said.
But local talent needs to be trained, with support from the government, he said in a telephone interview.
“I think they must” fund it, he said, “because this is investment, the real investment.”
Among directors of the 59 Saudi films to be screened at this year’s festival are some who trained overseas, he said.
Saudi Arabia has created a government agency to support private firms organizing entertainment events, under a wideranging “Vision 2030” plan for economic and social reform.
The plan also calls for development of an arts and media industry, but with public theaters and cinemas banned, the sector is starting from a low base.
“We are waiting for the change, really. We want to create it from inside, not hosting events only,” AlMulla said.
“We have lots of talent working underground and nobody knows about them.”
Despite the annual film festival, Saudi Arabia lacks a film industry although female students can study filmmaking at a women’s university in Jeddah.
Saudi films have also won international recognition.
The romantic comedy “Barakah Meets Barakah” by Mahmoud Sabbagh was screened at last year’s Berlinale, and in 2013 Haifaa Al-Mansour’s “Wadjda” became the first Saudi film listed as a candidate for a foreign-language Oscar.
Saudis are voracious consumers of online videos and rank among the world’s top viewers of YouTube.
Private film screenings are also held in the kingdom, but Saudi Arabia’s highest-ranking cleric warned in January of the “depravity” of cinemas and music concerts.
This is the third consecutive annual film festival after it resumed in 2015 following an absence of seven years.
The event is organized by Dammam’s Society of Culture and Arts, and last year went ahead with permission from the local government.
AlMulla says this year’s festival will be bigger than ever, even though he laughs off a question about how it will be financed.
“We’ll arrange for that,” he says, adding that some sponsors have been found.
The festival moves this year from cramped quarters at the arts society to larger grounds near a new cultural center run by Saudi state oil giant Aramco.
The indoor and outdoor screening areas can hold almost 2,000 people.
Aside from the new venue, this year’s festival will feature a “production market” where filmmakers can meet with local production houses “to make deals,” AlMulla said.
The festival is also increasing its public education effort.
Students will be brought in to watch children’s films, local and international experts will hold panel discussions, and the festival is to issue a book on late Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa.
The number of films and scripts vying for competition has increased but fewer applicants were accepted for screening in an effort to raise quality, AlMulla said.
The festival opens with a drama that resonates as the kingdom’s efforts to expand entertainment face resistance from conservatives.
“Wasati” directed by Ali Alkalthami is based on the true story of extremists trying to disrupt a play at a university theater in Riyadh 10 years ago.
Saudi film fest head says cinema needs state funding
Saudi film fest head says cinema needs state funding
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Saudi authorities issue severe weather warning
- Schools, universities in some regions switch to remote learning after storms, high winds forecast
RIYADH: Saudi authorities warned residents that most parts of the Kingdom will experience severe weather until Friday.
The National Center of Meteorology on Monday forecast moderate-to-heavy rain in the Madinah, Makkah, Jeddah, Baha and Najran regions, accompanied by high winds, hail and thunder.
Saudi Arabia’s General Directorate of Civil Defense also issued severe weather warnings accompanied by safety instructions as the country braces for heavy rainfall in coming days.
The Civil Defense said that most parts of the Kingdom will experience moderate-to-torrential thundershowers, accompanied by strong winds, until Friday.
Regions to be affected include Asir, Baha, Makkah, Madinah, Jazan, Qassim, Jouf, Hail, Tabuk, Northern Borders, Riyadh and the Eastern Province.
The General Directorate of Civil Defense has urged people to take precautions, remain indoors during stormy weather, and adhere to its instructions.
Schools in Jeddah, Makkah and Madinah regions switched to online classes through the Madrasati remote-learning platform on Monday after authorities warned of storms and possible floods this week.
The King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, University of Jeddah, University of Taif, and Umm Al Qura University in Makkah were closed on Monday and postponed scheduled exams until further notice.
Taibah University in Madinah and Saudi Electronic University’s branch in Jeddah also suspended in-person classes on Monday, and switched to remote learning.
Jeddah Municipality implemented a field plan to deal with the weather conditions, and urged residents to show caution and stay away from flooded areas.
Bandar bin Saleh Al-Hadiya, director of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture branch in the Northern Border region, inspected dam safety in Arar ahead of the rainy situation.
Riyadh region was also hit by a heavy sandstorm accompanied by high winds on Sunday night, leaving the city skyline enveloped in dust.
On Monday, the NCM issued a red alert for dust storms in parts of the Riyadh region, including the capital, and Al-Aflaj, Al-Sulail and Wadi Al-Dawasir governorates.
GCC holds Gulf-US Joint Ministerial Meeting to advance regional security
- In Riyadh, Blinken is expected to meet with senior Saudi leaders and hold a wider meeting with counterparts from five Arab states
RIYADH: Secretary Anthony Blinken participated in a joint US-Gulf Cooperation Council ministerial meeting to advance coordination on regional security on Monday in Riyadh.
“There really are two paths forward for the region as a whole. One driven with division with destruction, with violence with permanent insecurity. The other, greater integration, greater security, greater peace,” Secretary Anthony Blinken said.
“ I think the region today shows that many more of us want to pursue that affirmative path, and I’m grateful to our colleagues in the GCC for working in partnership to advance in that direction,” he added.
During his opening remarks, Secretary Blinken expressed that the meeting serves as an opportunity to advance efforts to promote greater stability in this region.
Blinken arrived in Riyadh Monday morning as a part of a 3-day visit from April 29-May 1 to meet with regional partners.
The secretary highlighted that in the upcoming days as he travels to Jordan and Palestine he will meet with humanitarian groups and the Israeli governemnt to discuss the developments in Gaza.
During his remarks Secretary Blinken highlighted the current U.S. interventions such as the increased value of aid delivered to Gaza and the building of the US maritime corridor.
“It is not enough we still need to get more aid in and around Gaza,” he explained.
During his speech, Blinken underlines that the U.S. will continue to work with its GCC partners to “build just and lasting peace.”
“We are focused on addressing the greatest threat to regional stability and regional security, Iran,”
“ This is the first meeting since Iran’s unprecedented attack on Israel, The first direct attack from Iran to Israel with more than 300 projectiles including over 100 holistic missiles," Blinken explained.
Blinken underlined that the attacks from Iran stress the importance of working together in integrated defense.
He highlighted that this will be the discussion topic in the upcoming US-GCC meeting in a few weeks on integrated air, militry defense and maritime security.
The other discussion topic underlined by Blinken was the “ ways to preserve freedom of navigation in the Red Sea,”
“The Houthi attacks not only undermine security but they undermine the lives and livelihoods of people throughout the region including in Yeman, the very people they profess they want to represent, The cost of goods have gone up, and it’s harder to get things into Yemen, to the north we’re people so desperately need it,”
“This needs to stop and we are being resolute in doing everything we can to put a stop to it,” Blinken sid.
During his opening remarks, the GCC Secretary-General Jassim Al-Budaiwi called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and called for an international conference on implementing a two-state solution.
He also underlined the need for effective international measures to end the violence in the West Bank.
He also expressed the importance of ensuring the security of relief corridors for the delivery of humanitarian aid.
Al-Budaiwi emphasized that the continuous escalation between Iran and Israel threatens the security and stability of the region.
The GCC Secretary General also expressed concern over the Houthi attacks on the Red Sea.
Following his visit to the Kingdom, Blinken will be meeting with counterparts in Jordan and Palestine.
As a part of his visit, the secretary will discuss various topics including the ongoing efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza that secures the release of hostages.
Other topics in the meetings will include humanitarian aid to Gaza, limiting the spillover of conflict and ongoing efforts to achieve regional security.
A pathway to an independent Palestinian state with security guarantees for Israel will also be one of the topics of discussion during his visit.
On the sidelines of the meeting, The Saudi Minister of foreign affairs, Prince Faisal bin Farhan met with Secretary Blinken. The two discussed the developments in the Gaza Strip, the importance of a ceasefire, efforts to ensure entry of urgent humanitarian aid, and joint efforts.
Saudi FM discusses two-state solution with French, Turkish counterparts
- The discussions took place on the sidelines of a ministerial consultative meeting to discuss Gaza war
RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan held talks with his French and Turkish counterparts on Monday.
The discussions took place on the sidelines of a ministerial consultative meeting of the six-party Arab Committee to discuss developments in the Gaza war, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Talks with Hakan Fidan of Turkiye and Stephane Sejourne focused on coordinating efforts to advance the two-state solution and acknowledge the Palestinian state, SPA added.
Saudi crown prince receives world officials after WEF special meeting in Riyadh
- Two-day special meeting of the World Economic Forum ended on Monday
RIYADH: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman received officials from around the world in Riyadh after a special meeting of the World Economic forum ended on Monday.
The officials included Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron, the Prime Minister of Malaysia Anwar Ibrahim, and the Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif.
The officials attended the two-day special meeting during which the crown prince called for global collaboration to help build a more resilient and integrated global economy.
Blinken is visiting the Kingdom on his seventh trip to the Middle East since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, which responded with a relentless offensive in Gaza that has drawn global criticism.
Saudi Arabia, UNEP launch World Environment Day campaigns
- Faqeeha noted that on the occasion of World Environment Day, Saudi Arabia will shed light on the urgent need for global investments in conserving nature, restoring lands, and working toward sustainability
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia and the UN Environment Programme have announced campaigns to combat desertification, restore ecosystems, and strengthen drought resilience ahead of World Environment Day celebrations on June 5 in Riyadh.
The announcement was made at the opening of Saudi Arabia’s Environment Week on Sunday, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Saudi Minister of Environment, Water, and Agriculture Abdulrahman Al-Fadhli inaugurated the annual event that aspires to raise awareness of the importance of environmental protection.
During the event, Deputy Minister for Environment Osama Faqeeha emphasized the shared responsibility in addressing land degradation and combating desertification. This responsibility extends to policymakers, the private sector, and civil society organizations globally, who must work together to restore agricultural areas, rehabilitate land, and tackle desertification and drought, he said.
Faqeeha noted that on the occasion of World Environment Day, Saudi Arabia will shed light on the urgent need for global investments in conserving nature, restoring lands, and working toward sustainability.
This year, we are calling on people — from the grassroots to governments — to help tackle the climate and extinction crisis we face by restoring the ground we depend on for survival.
Elizabeth Mrema, Deputy executive director, UNEP
He highlighted the importance of uniting national and international efforts to safeguard and rehabilitate ecosystems across the globe, aiming to fulfill sustainable development objectives.
“Without action, 95 percent of land on Earth could be degraded within the next 30 years, which could spell disaster for humanity and the planet,” said Elizabeth Mrema, deputy executive director of UNEP, launching the global campaign at a Saudi Environment Week event in Riyadh.
“We have seen how previous campaigns have catalyzed climate action across the globe. This year, we are calling on people — from the grassroots to governments — to help tackle the climate and extinction crisis we face by restoring the ground we depend on for survival,” she added.
Countries worldwide have committed to restoring 1 billion hectares of land, aiming to protect 30 percent of land and sea for nature and restoring 30 percent of the planet’s degraded ecosystems.
Supporting the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, World Environment Day 2024 will boost climate action efforts by gathering support for ecosystem restoration.
At the opening event of the Saudi Environment Week, Al-Fadhli emphasized that achieving the goals of environmental protection and conservation of the Kingdom’s natural resources requires active engagement from governmental and private sectors, as well as individuals.
He stressed the significance of adopting eco-friendly behaviors in daily routines and applying these practices across different sectors to reach sustainable development objectives.
“The continuation of this national event annually in the Kingdom reflects our wise leadership’s dedication to environmental protection and commitment to sustainable development, in line with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030,” Al-Fadhli said.
“Moreover, the Kingdom’s dedication to environmental protection is evident at national, regional, and international levels. This is demonstrated by Saudi Arabia’s active participation in numerous environmental agreements and organizations, as well as its … initiatives like the Middle East Green Initiative and other significant global environmental efforts under the G20 umbrella,” he added.
