JEDDAH: Just like many Saudi children who grew up in the 90s, Arabic dubbed Japanese animations influenced Mohammad Makki as a child and paved the way for his filmmaking career.
Makki, 28, is a Saudi filmmaker with Indonesian roots. He got into the Comic Con world when he was around the age of 6, as he used to read manga comics such as “Dragon Ball Z” in Indonesian, in addition to watching Arabic dubbed Japanese anime cartoons “Plawers Sanshiro,” “Future Boy Conan” and “Romeo’s Blue Skies.”
Makki is filming his new comic show named “Mas7our” or “Bewitched.” He is also the director and producer of the YouTube show “Takki,” a Saudi TV drama centered on the lives of six characters living in Jeddah, and is currently working on the third and final season.
The concept of “Mas7our” was inspired the well-known X-Men character.
“The idea came when I was chilling with my friends and we talked about why there is no Saudi superhero,” Makki said. “We want to create a story that has a universal theme with a local Saudi touch.”
The idea of “Mas7our” was born and will soon come to light with the help of his friends Bador Al-Hethell, Jotaro, and Adham Adel, Makki said in an exclusive interview with Arab News.
Makki does not want capes made of shimagh (headwear for men) nor sirwal and fanelah (traditional underwear for men) as a costume. “We want Mas7our to be a simple concept with compelling and rich characters with superpowers.”
The story will set in modern day Jeddah, where the events will take place between the young Saudis and the clergies or religious police.
The story will show how these two groups of people work together on solving the mystery of a sudden wave of superpowers.
“Of course, like any other drama it needs obstacles and conflict between them, but nothing to an extent that would cause controversies or divides in the real life,” Makki said.
Every group will be presented decently, as no group will be presented in a demeaning way. Makki revealed that the show will have dark moments, but, like any other drama, it all will be resolved.
“It’s a choice between normal life and extraordinary life,” Makki added.
“It’s a choice between being extremely talented and not. It’s a choice between following your deep beliefs and others. Between what you want to do and what you should do. Between what you personally want and what the world needs.”
Makki has never participated in any comic con event before, but he attended Dubai’s Middle East Film & Comic Con Festival (MEFCC) in 2015.
Makki was thrilled to receive the invitation to speak at Saudi Comic Con, which kicks off Thursday. “It is overwhelming,” he said. “It makes me proud and happy. (I) hope it happens every year, as it gives the boys and girls (the opportunity) to create and show their work.”
Makki said that he is not very much involved in the local comic community, but he knows Mohammad Tamimi from Madinah who writes and distributes a Shonen Jump Comic journal (manga anthology) published in Saudi Arabia, where there are three small manga stories in one book and collaborating with other manga creators, according to Makki who is fascinated by his work.
As for the international celebrity guests who will be joining the first Saudi Comic Con event, Makki expressed his excitement about meeting the three announced celebrities: Mads Mikkelsen, Julian Glover and Giancarlo Esposito. “I’m honored to see them. We watch these guys on TV all our lives and [now] we get to see them in real life. It’s too good to be true. Hopefully, in the near future, they’d even film productions here in Saudi.”
Every Saudi child has grown up watching Japanese animations dubbed in Arabic, and Makki is expecting a good number of people to show up for the three-day event.
One of Makki’s biggest supporters is his wife who is also a filmmaker studying at Effat University. He sees a potential talent in his wife. “She’s becoming excellent in her skills every day. [She is] very passionate, always trying new things,” he said proudly about his life partner who also shares the same passion.
“She will be someone really great in the Saudi film industry one day.”
Makki advised comic amateurs who aspire to get their works out there to keep creating and posting their works on Instagram. Making money, in the beginning, may be not an option, but they should never neglect their creation. “Have a job somewhere else, keep creating on the side and share it with the world. Work hard on it that one day it becomes your full-time job,” he said.
Saudi Arabia's first Comic Con to highlight local talent Thursday
Saudi Arabia's first Comic Con to highlight local talent Thursday
Saudi project clears 2,010 Houthi mines in Yemen
- A total of 442,077 mines have been cleared since the start of the initiative in 2018
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Project Masam cleared 2,010 mines in Yemen — which had been planted by the Houthi militia — between May 11 to 17, according to a recent report.
Overseen by the Kingdom’s aid agency KSrelief, the project’s specialist teams destroyed 1,980 pieces of unexploded ordnance, 19 anti-tank mines and 11 anti-personnel mines.
The explosives, which were planted indiscriminately by the Houthis across Yemen, posed a threat to civilians, including children, women and the elderly.
Project Masam is one of several initiatives undertaken by Saudi Arabia at the request of King Salman, which has cleared routes for humanitarian aid to reach the country’s citizens.
The demining operations took place in Marib, Aden, Jouf, Shabwa, Taiz, Hodeidah, Lahij, Sanaa, Al-Bayda, Al-Dhale and Saada.
A total of 442,077 mines have been cleared since the start of the initiative in 2018, according to Ousama Al-Gosaibi, the project’s managing director.
The initiative trains local demining engineers and provides them with modern equipment. It also offers support to Yemenis injured by the devices.
About 5 million people have been forced to flee their homes since the beginning of the conflict in Yemen, many of them displaced by the presence of land mines, according to the Project Masam website.
Masam teams are tasked with clearing villages, roads and schools to facilitate the safe movement of civilians and the delivery of humanitarian aid.
Alkhobar’s farmers’ market ends on a sweet note
ALKHOBAR: Alkhobar seafront bustled with activity as the farmers’ market, organized by the Culinary Arts Commission in cooperation with the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, and the Eastern Province Municipality, came to town.
The three-day evening market, which ended on Saturday, showcased the seasonal bounties of the Eastern Province with homegrown goodies for sale, and quickly attracted more footfall despite the humidity and sweltering heat.
The market featured 15 booths from 10 farmers who were mostly from neighboring areas, along with a few from other parts of the Kingdom.
The Culinary Arts Commission set-up a bookstand in which Saudi-centric, food-related books were on sale in both English and Arabic, as well as games, hoodies and socks.
The family-friendly event was a stone’s-throw from the waves of the corniche, where seating options were ample and offered the perfect spot to relax and snack.
Ghada Abdullah Al-Garyafi, a beekeeper from Qatif for the past four years, told Arab News about participating at the event. “As a Saudi beekeeper, I produce many types of honey in addition to derivative products. I make organic syrup, which is in very high demand, as well as organic honey vinegar.”
Additionally, she offers other items such as honey spoons — sealed spoons filled with honey that can be unwrapped and used to stir tea, or consumed directly.
She also used the event as a way to test out new recipes. “We introduced a new honey drink, with bits of passionfruit and other produce mixed in. I wanted to see the opinion of customers and the visitors to the festival, and they liked it very much.”
Speaking about taking up beekeeping, she explained that what started out as a fear became her whole life. “I used to be afraid of bees! I challenged myself during (COVID-19) period when my husband brought maybe four or five hives within a farm he rented. I would go with him and make a big fuss about being scared,” she said, laughing. “Little by little, he told me to get closer and that they wouldn’t sting me if I wore the protective gear. He showed me how to inspect the hives.
“Eventually, I overcame my fear, thank God, and became a honey producer. I worked during the mangroves season, which was my first experience. All of our production comes from the Eastern region, specifically from Qatif, Saihat, Safwa and Ras Tanura,” she said.
Other entrepreneurs at the market included the organic company, Planet of Plants at Jenan Al-Nakheel Farm, as well as many other local and regional goods.
Children could have their faces painted or their names written in Arabic calligraphy during the event. A live oud player serenaded the crowd.
The farmers’ market is just one of the stops in the commission’s seasonal tour, which will continue in the coming weeks.
Saudi envoy to Dhaka praises Makkah Route efficiency
- Makkah Route Initiative streamlines the performance of Hajj for Bangladeshi pilgrims
RIYADH: Saudi Ambassador to Bangladesh Issa bin Youssef Al-Duhailan lauded the Makkah Route Initiative as a unique program that streamlines the performance of Hajj for Bangladeshi pilgrims, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday.
Al-Duhailan highlighted the initiative’s role in the Pilgrim Experience Program, a Saudi Vision 2030 program focused on enhancing services for Hajj performers, and emphasized how the initiative has significantly improved the Kingdom’s organization and planning for pilgrims visiting the holy city of Makkah.
“The initiative showcases excellence in management, organization, and efforts to facilitate the journey of pilgrims to the holy lands,” Al-Duhailan said.
The initiative’s features, he added, include the issuance of electronic Hajj visas and luggage coding at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka, which enables Bangladeshi pilgrims to be processed upon arrival in Saudi Arabia as domestic travelers and expedites their transportation to their places of residence in Makkah and Madinah.
“Pilgrims are welcomed with hospitality, security, and safety throughout their journey, creating a rich and unforgettable spiritual experience,” Al-Duhailan said, expressing his gratitude to the Saudi leadership for its vision and to all those involved in the Makkah Route Initiative for their dedication to serving Hajj pilgrims.
KSrelief provides prosthetic services in Yemen
- Yemen is among the top beneficiaries of KSrelief assistance
RIYADH: A Saudi-backed prosthetics center in Yemen has provided help to hundreds of people in the war-torn country, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday.
The project, supported by the Kingdom’s aid agency KSrelief, offers physical therapy and other services to assist those who have lost limbs to reintegrate into society.
The rehabilitation center in the governorate of Taiz provided 821 services to 329 beneficiaries in one month, including the manufacturing, fitting, delivery, and maintenance of prosthetic limbs.
Other treatments include physical therapy and consultation sessions, SPA stated.
Yemen is among the top beneficiaries of KSrelief assistance. The center has implemented 862 projects in Yemen worth over $4.3 billion.
KSrelief’s programs cover food security, health, sanitation, shelter, nutrition, education, telecommunications and logistics.
Since its inception in 2015, KSrelief has implemented 2,673 projects worth more than $6.5 billion in 99 countries, in cooperation with 175 local, regional, and international partners.
Meanwhile, KSrelief distributed 720 shelter bags to displaced families and those in need in the locality of Kosti in the White Nile State of Sudan, benefiting 4,140 individuals.
The center also distributed 769 food baskets in Kassala State, benefiting 3,762 individuals.
Saudi Royal Court: King Salman to undergo medical examinations
JEDDAH: The Saudi Royal Court said on Sunday that King Salman would undergo medical examinations at the Royal Clinics at Al-Salam Palace in Jeddah.
The medical team decided to conduct tests on King Salman – who suffers from a high temperature and joint pain – to diagnose his health condition, the Royal Court said in a statement.
