TAIF: Two Egyptian doctors have died in the past two weeks in Saudi Arabia after they suffered complications arising from contracting COVID-19.
The doctors, in their fifties, were distinguished physicians dedicated to treating their patients during the pandemic, said the Taif Governorate Department of Health Affairs.
Abdul Hadi Al-Rubaie, the official spokesman for Taif Health Affairs, told Arab News that the Health Department “had lost two Egyptian medical doctors who had vowed to confront the pandemic and worked with dedication and sincerity. They were from the start on the front line of the battle against the pandemic.”
Al-Rubaie said that Dr. Mohammed Sobhi had played an important role as an intensive care specialist, while Dr. Ahmed Yahya was a distinguished orthopedic consultant, and that both Egyptian doctors “were a great example of dedication, good manners and renowned reputation among their colleagues.”
He said that, after they contracted the virus, Taif Health Care had provided the two doctors with comprehensive medical care, and that it “pays tribute to the responsibility they bore, and feels appreciation and gratitude for what they did throughout their work in Taif.”
He added that it is painful to bid farewell to these doctors who have been working for years in Taif.
Dr. Rania Chaudhry said that medical doctors and health practitioners in general bear a great responsibility in confronting the pandemic.
Chaudhry said that “the loss of any person working in the health sector because of COVID-19 causes great grief among their colleagues and the entire health sector,” noting that the battle against this “disease causes losses, but this would encourage health workers to be more dedicated to fight the pandemic to ensure everyone’s safety, rather than give in to it.”
She added that the Kingdom has provided all kinds of support, medical equipment, and sanitized health environments, and that the Ministry of Health had taken preventive measures to contain the pandemic and intensified its public education programs so that Saudi citizens were able to take all necessary precautions.
KSA bids farewell to two Egyptian physicians who died of COVID-19
https://arab.news/gdge7
KSA bids farewell to two Egyptian physicians who died of COVID-19
- Doctors and health practitioners in general bear a great responsibility in confronting the pandemic
Rooted in memory: How Rola Daftardar turns Saudi heritage into living art
- Ma Maison by Rola curates, produces home accessories
- Aim to reflect Kingdom as ‘authentic, layered and artistic’
RIYADH: For Rola Daftardar, creativity is not simply about design — it is about memory, emotion and belonging.
Saudi by birth, originally from Madinah and raised in Jeddah, Daftardar carries a layered identity shaped further by her Lebanese mother. That blend of cultures, she says, taught her early on to see beauty in contrast and turn it into strength.
“My identity has always been a mix,” she said during a recent interview. “It taught me how to appreciate detail, emotion and storytelling through objects.”
From childhood, she was drawn to art and pieces with soul — objects that feel lived with rather than merely displayed. She went on to study arts, history and media, developing a philosophy that creativity is not only aesthetic but deeply emotional.
“Design is a way of sharing parts of myself,” she explained. “It’s storytelling through material, color and scent.”
Four years ago, that philosophy became Ma Maison by Rola — a brand that began as a personal creative outlet and gradually grew, season by season, into a carefully curated world of home accessories and tablescaping pieces.
Each year, she approaches her collections as chapters. “Every season has its own breath,” she said. “Every year carries a new intention.”
Her work comes most alive during Ramadan and national occasions, when gatherings take center stage and homes become spaces of shared ritual. Between winter and summer, ideas quietly bloom. But this year’s message feels especially personal.
Daftardar’s latest collection is deeply rooted in Saudi heritage, inspired by cities including Jeddah, Riyadh, AlUla and Taif — places she sees as emotional landscapes as much as geographic ones.
“With Saudi Arabia opening to the world, I felt a responsibility to present my country as I see it — authentic, layered and artistic,” she said.
Candles became the starting point of that story. More than fragrance, they are tributes to memory. Musk reflects the warmth of Jeddah, rose captures the calm elegance of Taif, and oud represents the depth and strength of Riyadh.
Hand-painted details and carefully chosen colors complete the sensory narrative.
The idea for her foldable side tables emerged during a walk along Jeddah’s corniche. Watching families gather spontaneously by the sea reminded her of the informal spaces that connect people — a feeling she also associates with historic Al-Balad.
“I wanted to create something simple and functional that carries that spirit of gathering,” she said.
The concept expanded to Diriyah — old and new — and to AlUla, where history and futurism coexist.
Yet it is tablescaping that remains closest to her heart. “I never choose pieces randomly,” she said. “I imagine the people around the table, the dishes being served, the conversations happening.”
For Daftardar, every bowl, riser and glass element forms part of a complete narrative. Every table tells a story.
Her ultimate aim is clear: to reflect Saudi Arabia as she feels it — warm, generous and deeply rooted. A place where modernity meets origin, and tradition evolves without losing its soul.
That is where Ma Maison by Rola lives — in the space between memory and modernity — and it is a story she is proud to tell.
