JEDDAH: Jeddah has transformed its iconic waterfront with festivities and activities to accommodate the many visitors attending Jeddah Season, which launched for the first time this year on June 8.
The city’s 41-day Sea and Culture festival features international shows and plays being presented for the first time in the Kingdom, along with street parades, art exhibits, 3-D art displays and water activities.
Families can take a stroll by the waterfront, set up picnics and enjoy the view. Or they can head to one of the many stations equipped with bus stops (free of charge) to check out the various activities and festivities in each area.
Events stay open past midnight due to the summer heat. Visitors flock to the waterfront around sundown to enjoy the beautiful sunset and wait for the music, street parades and performances.
Kids and parents swing and laugh with the musicians and street performers, some of them in colorful costumes on stilts passing over children’s heads accompanied by drum beats.
Nearby, the XJED festival boasts a variety of entertainment, retail kiosks, a theater, an arcade area, a small zoo, a maze, virtual reality games and more.
Local and international music bands play on stages, while a spectacular fire and fountain water show has visitors entranced by the choreography.
Visitors can take in the XJED festival in a mini London double decker bus.
The waterfront is lit with street decorations, while passers-by can enjoy pop-up restaurants such as Signor Sassi, Scalini, Nobu, Q Lounge, and Lounge by Aurum.
Jeddah Season aims to highlight the city as a top tourist destination, and to encourage partnerships with local businesses.
Organizers hope to generate up to 20,000 job and volunteering opportunities for young Saudis.
Jeddah Season is a key part of the city’s tourism strategy, which includes supporting local entrepreneurs and owners of small and medium enterprises interested in investing in tourism partnership opportunities in retail, restaurants, services and other related sectors.
Jeddah Season summer festival transforms city’s waterfront
Jeddah Season summer festival transforms city’s waterfront
- Jeddah Season aims to highlight the city as a top tourist destination, and to encourage partnerships with local businesses
- Organizers hope to generate up to 20,000 job and volunteering opportunities for young Saudis
Inaugural Umrah and Ziyarah Forum focuses on innovative ways to enhance pilgrim experience
- The 3-day event, which concluded on Wednesday, included 6 discussion sessions and 24 workshops led by 29 experts
JEDDAH: The inaugural Umrah and Ziyarah Forum concluded on Wednesday at the King Salman International Convention Center in Madinah. During the three-day event, participants discussed ways to foster collaborations, enhance the pilgrimage experience and improve the services provided for pilgrims.
The agenda for the forum, organized by the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah in partnership with the Pilgrim Experience Program, included six discussion sessions and 24 workshops led by 29 experts and specialists.
The topics they covered included services for pilgrims and other visitors, advancements in air travel services for pilgrims, financial systems in the Umrah and ziyarah sectors, and development opportunities in housing and hospitality services.
Other discussions focused on services at ports, the automation of operations, ways to improve the efficiency of workers, and the important role of services provided for visitors at holy sites and throughout their journeys in Makkah and Madinah.
One of the key topics was air travel services, with discussions about the growth in flight numbers and the need to provide a comprehensive range of services throughout pilgrims’ journeys beyond those purely focusing on their rituals. For example, participants highlighted plans for the expansion of Madinah Airport to better accommodate the increasing numbers of pilgrims and other visitors arriving there.
Another discussion examined financial services in the Umrah and ziyarah sector, and explored the options for international money transfers, ways to develop financial procedures, and innovative digital solutions for processing transactions.
Other topics included development opportunities in housing and hospitality services, during which speakers emphasized the importance of transparency and the need for full compliance by service providers with the terms of their contracts.
The final day of the event featured two panel discussions, one about the role of technology in finding solutions to the challenges in guest services, and the other on ways to carefully develop historical sites to enrich the historical and spiritual experiences for visitors to Makkah and Madinah.
Experts discuss Saudi Arabia’s latest anti-trafficking measure
- Symposium raised awareness of common patterns and recent developments in human trafficking, along with effective means of protection and prevention
- Human trafficking encompasses sex trafficking, forced labor and domestic servitude, often involving women and children
RIYADH: Experts discussed Saudi Arabia’s latest efforts to combat human trafficking at an event in Riyadh on Wednesday.
The symposium, titled “Enhancing Cooperation in Combating Trafficking in Persons,” drew attendees from a variety of fields to review anti-human trafficking policies.
It also raised awareness of common patterns and recent developments in human trafficking, along with effective means of protection and prevention.
“At the Saudi National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking, we aim to exchange experiences and foster coordination to combat human trafficking, prevent its occurrence, reduce its impact on victims and protect them,” said Hala Al-Tuwaijri, president of the Human Rights Commission.
During a panel discussion titled “Normative and International Framework to Combat Trafficking in Persons,” Al-Tuwaijri warned that crises and conflicts around the world create a fertile environment for traffickers to exploit the vulnerable.
Human trafficking encompasses sex trafficking, forced labor and domestic servitude, often involving women and children.
Al-Tuwaijri said that human trafficking transcends borders. By working together across countries and regions, the international community can protect the vulnerable and uphold human rights, he added.
Per Saudi law, those found guilty of human trafficking in the Kingdom face up to 15 years’ imprisonment, fines of up to SR1 million ($266,000), or both.
Al-Tuwaijri highlighted the importance of bolstering international efforts to combat human trafficking through comprehensive legislation and enhanced case detection.
In 2023, anti-human trafficking organizations in the Kingdom conducted 41 training programs, aiming to raise awareness of vulnerabilities to trafficking within migrant communities. The training covered victim identification, best practices in screening vulnerable populations in detention centers, trauma-informed and victim-centered interviewing and assistance techniques, search procedures, evidence collection and criminal investigative processes during trafficking trials.
Abdullah Abu Thunin, vice minister of human resources and social development, said that significant efforts are being made in the Saudi labor market to combat human trafficking.
The ministry is activating a national plan to combat human trafficking, he added. The strategy is based on four main pillars: Prevention, protection and assistance, prosecution, and national, regional and international cooperation.
Abu Thunin said that the ministry has launched several programs to target human trafficking, including one scheme to improve contractual relationships.
“Through the authenticated contracts program and the wage protection program, more than 7 million contracts were signed by employees, obligating employers to pay workers’ wages,” he added.
The Friendly Settlement for Labor Disputes program also achieved a 77 percent reconciliation rate in labor disputes.
Abu Thunin said that compliance rates have increased in the Kingdom since the programs were launched.
Many government agencies, including the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, the Public Prosecution, the Human Rights Commission and the National Committee to Combat Trafficking, took part in the Riyadh symposium.
Numerous international organizations also attended, including the UN International Children’s Emergency Fund, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime and the UN Resident Coordinator Office.
AI heralds new era for art, music, Riyadh summit told
- Forum explored innovations linked with Web3, a new stage of the internet driven by the cryptocurrency-related technology blockchain
- Web3 is expected to provide greater security, and give users more control over their data, opening new horizons for musicians and artists
RIYADH: Music has always been at the cutting edge when it comes to utilizing technological innovation, Paul Pacifico, CEO of the Saudi Music Commission, told a forum in Riyadh.
Experts discussed the impact of artificial intelligence on the creative industries during the Outer Edge summit held at The Garage in the Saudi capital on Tuesday.
The forum explored innovations linked with Web3, a new stage of the internet driven by the cryptocurrency-related technology blockchain.
Web3 is expected to provide greater security, and give users more control over their data, opening new horizons for musicians and artists, among others.
“Musicians have always experimented with every tool they could get their hands on,” Pacifico said during a panel titled “The Future of Creativity, including Music and Art.”
He cited the invention of the piano as an example, and said that artists would explore any medium or utilize any tool to convey their message.
“AI is everywhere, and is somewhat of a catch-all term for several technologies that converge around machines,” he said.
Pacifico encouraged artists to explore AI, adding that it is already integrated into many areas of their working life.
“We’ve already experienced AI in the creative space through algorithmic playlists on streaming platforms, backend processing, digital music production, and editing with software programs.”
The discussion also explored the intersection of technology and art, with speakers highlighting the potential for immersive experiences that merge the physical and digital worlds.
Saudi artist Khaled Makshoush, who works with digital pixel designs, is optimistic about AI applications in the creative realm, saying that that he sometimes uses the technology as a source of inspiration and a tool to enhance his artistic processes.
He said that some people view AI negatively because it can generate art based on the work of other artists.
“I would generate an image with AI to be inspired by what elements or colors to incorporate into a painting.”
Makshoush said that because he is quite indecisive, “an AI assistant who can advise me based on my previous artworks would be very beneficial.”
Melissa Wiederrecht writes JavaScript code to generate her artwork, and uploads her creations on web3.
The algorithmic and generative artist said that one exciting aspect of Web3 is its potential to showcase artwork in new and innovative ways. Artists can use blockchain technology to create unique digital pieces, secure ownership rights, and sell their work to collectors.
“For example, I’ll have AI pick five random colors; then maybe I’ll say pick a random sample of points, then throw some color around, and choose a style of mine,” she said.
Wiederrecht said that she can write an algorithm that generates infinitely different pieces of art from the same code.
“They all look similar, like they belong to the same collection, but they’re all completely unique,” she added.
Pacifico concluded by saying: “I want to see that bedrock that we’re putting in place enable generations after us to have much greater access to the freedom of expression and circular economy required to enable access for more expression for all.”
Saudi Environment Ministry launches first urban farm inside stores
- Initiative allows customers to obtain fresh food products grown in the Kingdom.
- The ministry aims to launch about 600 to 1,000 farms in the retail system across all markets in the Kingdom over the next five years
Riyadh: The Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture launched an urban vertical farm project for food markets and stores, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The initiative, the first of its kind in the region, allows customers to obtain fresh food products grown in the Kingdom.
The ministry’s undersecretary, Ahmed Al-Eyada, attended the launch of the project, which was implemented by a leading bioagriculture company.
Danube markets in Riyadh is hosting the first vertical farm in the project. Commercial display units in the market contain a variety of plants and agricultural products, such as lettuce, coriander, parsley and broccoli — many of which were previously sourced from abroad.
The ministry aims to launch about 600 to 1,000 farms in the retail system across all markets in the Kingdom over the next five years. These farms are intended to meet 20 to 40 percent of domestic demand for agricultural products and vegetables.
Vertical urban farms in stores aim to preserve natural resources, maintain ecosystem balance and promote sustainable productivity. By shortening supply chains, they also reduce loss and waste, and introduce a new farming model suited to local farmers and businesses in the Kingdom.
The initiative offers multiple benefits for consumers by providing high-quality vegetables and fruits that retain their freshness and nutritional value for up to five times longer than traditional methods, the SPA reported.
Urban farms also promote job localization and greater income potential. Furthermore, they help overcome logistical challenges associated with transporting agricultural products to consumers.
Vertical farming not only conserves agricultural land but also reduces labor and water usage by 80 to 90 percent compared to traditional farming, providing a year-round high-yield agricultural environment.
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman leaves hospital after routine checkup
JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman left King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre in Jeddah on Wednesday evening after undergoing a routine check up, Al-Ekhbariya reported.
The king was admitted to the hospital for routine tests earlier on Wednesday afternoon.
He attended the weekly cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
