ARAR: The festival of “Eidkom Shamali” (Your Eid is Northern), organized by the General Authority for Entertainment (GEA) on the occasion of Eid Al-Fitr, was launched in the Raffaa neighborhood of Arar city, under the directive of Prince Faisal bin Khalid bin Sultan, governor of the Northern Borders region.
The five-day festival aims to entertain the whole family and includes many fun events, mainly entertainment, heritage and cultural activities, in addition to musical, arts and photography sections.
Prince Faisal praised the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 under the leadership of the crown prince, and especially the entertainment activities for the promotion of quality of life for citizens and residents.
He praised the programs and events organized by the GEA and the support provided to the region for the Eid Al-Fitr activities.
Prince Faisal called for developing and diversifying celebrations in all governorates to meet the needs of residents and visitors.
Saudi Arabia’s Northern Borders region launches ‘Eidkom Shamali’ festival
Saudi Arabia’s Northern Borders region launches ‘Eidkom Shamali’ festival
Saudi Arabia launches initiative to reroute Gulf cargo to Red Sea ports
- The initiative comes as shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has been severely disrupted by the widening conflict in the region
- Since the US and Israel struck Iran last month, Tehran has moved to restrict passage through the waterway
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has launched an initiative to redirect shipping from ports in the Arabian Gulf to its Red Sea ports amid the ongoing US-Israel-Iran war.
Transport Minister Saleh Al-Jasser, who also chairs the Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani), launched the Logistics Corridors Initiative alongside Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority Governor Suhail Abanmi, Mawani President Suliman Al-Mazroua, and other officials, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The initiative will establish dedicated operational corridors to receive containers and cargo redirected from ports in the Kingdom's Eastern Region and other Gulf Cooperation Council states to Jeddah Islamic Port and other Red Sea coast ports.
Al-Jasser said the Kingdom was committed to ensuring supply-chain stability and the smooth flow of goods through global trade routes. Jeddah Islamic Port and other west coast ports, he added, were already playing a key role in accommodating shipments redirected from the east, while also linking Gulf cargo to regional and international markets.
The initiative comes as shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has been severely disrupted by the widening conflict in the region. Iran has long threatened to close the strait — the world's most critical oil and gas chokepoint, through which roughly a fifth of global oil supplies pass — in the event of a war.
Since the US and Israel struck Iran last month, Tehran has moved to restrict passage through the waterway, sending freight rates soaring and forcing shipping companies to seek alternative routes.
Saudi Arabia's Red Sea ports offer a viable bypass, connecting Gulf cargo to global markets without passing through the strait.
