Hakaya Misk supports Saudi Arabia’s young creative talents

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Hakaya Misk provides a unique experience, allowing visitors to explore one of the most vital post-production arts in the region. (Photos/Social media)
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Hakaya Misk provides a unique experience, allowing visitors to explore one of the most vital post-production arts in the region. (Photos/Social media)
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Hakaya Misk provides a unique experience, allowing visitors to explore one of the most vital post-production arts in the region. (Photos/Social media)
Updated 12 November 2019
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Hakaya Misk supports Saudi Arabia’s young creative talents

  • The Hakaya Misk platform has featured many sessions in the past days, with creative young people such as director Mansour Al-Badran talking about the film industry

RIYADH: The Initiatives Center at the Mohammed bin Salman Charitable Foundation (Misk), represented by the Hakaya Misk initiative, has announced its support for the young talents and creative minds of the Kingdom.
The center urges people with inspiring ad ideas to submit them so they can receive support and direction. The events of Hakaya Misk initiative will end on Monday after having provided more than 350 workshops.
The center’s announcement about supporting inspiring ideas in ads came during a dialogue session on the Hakaya Misk platform.
The session, “TV Ads … Values and Ambition,” discussed the ad industry at the local and international level, within the framework of preserving and respecting values, and the appropriateness of ad content with the traditions and values of the society where they are broadcast.
Mohammed Al-Hamad, one of the pioneers who established the ad market in Saudi Arabia, talked about the art of producing TV ads and their phases, from coming up with the idea to production and direction.
Al-Hamad said ad ideas should be creative and at the same time “respectful of the values of our Islamic society.”
“There are some genius ideas worldwide but they contravene our culture and customs, and therefore cannot be applied here,” he said.
Hakaya Misk was launched on Tuesday within the Riyadh Season events. It includes several sections that cover preparations for pre-production, production, post-production, young producers, the Hakaya market, platforms, Hakaya media, food trucks, discussion sessions and movie shows.
More than 70 workshops were held on Saturday, along with dialogue sessions and other segments, during which visitors listened to the story of the Great Gatsby, which was made into the popular movie.
In the Arab segment, Dr. Eid Al-Yehya talked about his experience in Retracing Arab Footsteps, the “Ala Khota Al-Arab” documentary show, while Peter Kober talked about Manga animation experiences.
Saudi director Amer Al-Hamood spoke about the direction process, from script to the screen. The events on Saturday concluded with a dialogue session presented by Bruce Logan in which he talked about the advertising journey of cinema movies.

FASTFACTS

• The center urges people with inspiring ad ideas to submit them so they can receive support and direction.

• Hakaya Misk includes several sections that cover preparations for pre-production, production, post-production, young producers, the Hakaya market, platforms, Hakaya media, food trucks, discussion sessions and movie shows.

• The events of Hakaya Misk initiative will end on Monday after having provided more than 350 workshops.

Hakaya Misk provides a unique experience, allowing visitors to explore one of the most vital post-production arts in the region, VFX Visual Effects, through a workshop presented by Dukkan Media. Lecturer Abdul-Hadi Abdul-Fattah talked about VFX techniques in cinema and ads and revealed some of its secrets.
The Hakaya Misk platform has featured many sessions in the past days, with creative young people such as director Mansour Al-Badran talking about the film industry.
Al-Badran described his experience in directing the movie Samel with the help of ambitious young Saudis.
Several workshops were also held, offering fans of photography the opportunity to interact with professional photographers and international experts.

Film program
Speaking about his experience at the Al Arabiya Channel through the “Retracing Arab Footsteps” program, Dr. Eid Al-Yahya said: “The ‘Retracing Arab Foosteps’ program faced a lot of difficulties and challenges such as living and working in the desert for three months.”
He said the program was considered the first to document the Mouallaqat historically. “Fieldwork is a religious duty in order to watch the effects of the previous nations.”
He confirmed that the first human and geographical field research was for Ibn Khaldoun 700 years ago. He said that this work was neglected, however: “After 400 years, the West rose due to resorting to Ibn Khaldoun’s theory, caring for geography and its relationship with humans and their belonging to a place, which was a reason in civilization, industrial development and inventions.”
Sharing his views about the Godfather movie, Mohammed Hazazi from “Nady Ketaby” said the film created the wrong stereotype for many, as it gave the impression that all Italians were in the mafia.
Through “Steps,” the director Lamia Al-Showaier, who works as a cinematic content observer at the General Commission for Audiovisual Media (GCAM), said: “The most important factor of filmmaking is the presence of a special crew, and a beautiful scenario and story that reaches the audience.”

In a dialogue session called “The movie: from production to cinema screens,” she spoke about the most important areas that are lacking in the filmmaking market in the Kingdom.
She noted that many focus on areas such as directing and production whereas the market lacks people specialized in lighting, sound engineering and sound effects.
As for the artistic creative areas in filmmaking that have not been focused on, she reiterated the importance of content writing and developing talents through specialized institutes. She said that the Kingdom contains many inspiring stories for writing content.


Prince Faisal bin Farhan speaks with Swiss foreign minister

Updated 02 May 2024
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Prince Faisal bin Farhan speaks with Swiss foreign minister

  • two ministers discussed developments of common interest and efforts made by both countries in those areas

RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan spoke on the phone with his Swiss counterpart Ignazio Cassis on Thursday.

During the call, the two ministers discussed developments of common interest and efforts made by both countries in those areas, Saudi Press Agency reported.

Cassis was in the Kingdom last month to attend the Special Meeting of the World Economic Forum held in Riyadh on April 28 and 29, during which he met with Prince Faisal.

Prince Faisal and Cassis also met earlier in the year in February during UN meetings in Geneva.


Saudi FM discusses preparations for Expo 2030 with BIE chief

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan receives the Secretary-General of the BIE Dimitri Kerkentzes in Riyadh.
Updated 02 May 2024
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Saudi FM discusses preparations for Expo 2030 with BIE chief

  • During the meeting, the two officials discussed the Kingdom’s preparations to host Expo 2030 in Riyadh
  • “We underlined the importance of careful planning to deliver a transformational World Expo in 2030,” Kerkentzes said

RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan received the Secretary-General of the Bureau International des Expositions Dimitri Kerkentzes in Riyadh on Thursday.

During the meeting, the two officials discussed the Kingdom’s preparations to host Expo 2030 in Riyadh and coordination to ensure that the exhibition would be “exceptional,” Saudi Press Agency reported.

Writing on social media platform X, Kerkentzes said: “We underlined the importance of careful planning to deliver a transformational World Expo in 2030.”

The BIE chief met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Wednesday.

World Expo 2030 will be hosted in Riyadh after the Kingdom defeated challenges from South Korea and Italy to host the prestigious event in November 2023.


Female students take top prizes at university’s Engineering Hackathon

Updated 02 May 2024
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Female students take top prizes at university’s Engineering Hackathon

  • 88 teams from the Eastern Province took part in the event at Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal University
  • Team Al-Farahidi took first place with its Aram project, which aims to help prevent sleepwalking

RIYADH: Teams of female students took the top three prizes at Engineering Hackathon 24, which concluded on Wednesday at Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal University in Dammam.

A total of 88 teams of male and female students from the Eastern Province took part in the event, which began on April 27, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Murad Al-Thubaiti, dean of the university’s College of Engineering, welcomed the high level of participation by students from universities across the province, and said 16 teams were chosen as finalists to present their projects, which covered a variety of specializations.

Team Al-Farahidi took first place with its Aram project, which aims to help prevent sleepwalking. The members were Nada Al-Dosari, Sarah Al-Nami, Manal Al-Tamimi and Nihal Al-Suhaibani.

Second spot went to Al-Khawarizmi, a team comprising Fatima Shuwaiheen, Fatima Al-Baik, Hawraa Al-Suwaiket, Walaa Al-Sulays and Amani Al-Saeedi, who designed a device that helps isolate cardiac signals from background noise.

Team Al-Battani was awarded third place for its system to help surgeons deal with stress. Its members were Hawraa Al-Wael, Dahhouk Al-Sabaa and Zainab Bou Moza.

Al-Thubaiti said activities such as the hackathon are an essential element for the development of students’ personalities and helping them prepare for the future.


Illegal workers in Riyadh region arrested after changing expiry dates on food products

Illegal workers at a farm in the Riyadh region were arrested after they were caught changing the expiry dates on products.
Updated 02 May 2024
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Illegal workers in Riyadh region arrested after changing expiry dates on food products

  • Seized products included 248,000 chicken stock cubes weighing 8 grams, 4,600 potato chip products, 2,900 soy sauces, and 1,500 pasta sauces
  • A laser device used to print new production dates was also seized

RIYADH: Illegal workers at a farm in Riyadh region’s Huraymila governorate were arrested after they were caught by the Saudi Ministry of Commerce changing the expiry dates on products, Saudi Press Agency reported on Thursday.

A 3.00 a.m. raid was carried out in cooperation with Riyadh region police and Huraymila governorate police after expired products that were seized in the possession of expatriates a few hours earlier were traced back to the farm.

Seized products included 248,000 chicken stock cubes weighing 8 grams, 4,600 potato chip products, 2,900 soy sauces, and 1,500 pasta sauces. The products were later destroyed. A laser device used to print new production dates was also seized.

The workers were referred to the competent authorities so that deterrent measures could be taken against them in accordance with the provisions of the anti-commercial fraud law.

The ministry said that violators of the anti-commercial fraud law could be imprisoned for up to three years, fined up to SR 1 million ($266,623), or receive both punishments. They could also be deported, the ministry added.


Saudi Arabia calls for unified Arab efforts to confront environmental challenges

Updated 02 May 2024
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Saudi Arabia calls for unified Arab efforts to confront environmental challenges

  • Minister Abdulrahman Al-Fadli spoke of biodiversity and the Arab region’s natural resources
  • Al-Fadli said that the region was capable of utilizing technology and innovation

RIYADH: Saudi Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Abdulrahman Al-Fadli has stressed the importance of regional action to combat environmental challenges facing the Middle East and North Africa region and the world, the Saudi Press Agency has reported.

Speaking during the 38th meeting of the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development in Riyadh, the minister spoke of biodiversity, the area’s natural resources and the range of agricultural environments, while stressing the challenges facing the region. He called for a united effort to reduce the impact on the region’s peoples.

Al-Fadli said that the Arab region was capable of utilizing technology and innovation, as well as seizing opportunities to invest in agriculture and improve practices to become more productive, efficient and sustainable in the use of water and natural resources.

He said enhancing trade, regional and international cooperation, and the benefits of international organizations were sources of optimism.

The minister said that the Arab region could take advantage of opportunities in technology, innovation and investment in agriculture by improving practices to make the utilization of water and natural resources more productive, efficient and sustainable.

Ibrahim Al Dukhairi, the director general of the organization, pledged his support for sustainability and agricultural development in the region, along with the development of the Arab landscape and food security.

He pointed out the significance of strategies to launch the necessary initiatives and partnerships to achieve the region’s goals.