RIYADH: Saudi Arabia will allow entertainment activities to resume for those who are vaccinated against the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the General Entertainment Authority (GEA) said on Thursday.
The announcement came as the Kingdom begins relaxing restrictions imposed to check the spread of the disease, in accordance with procedures approved by the Public Health Authority (Weqaya).
The procedures also include requirements for event organizers and visitors to apply precautionary measures when holding entertainment events.
The measures include four main axes: environment, prevention and social distancing; reporting and monitoring; awareness; and implementation.
Entertainment venues will be allowed to open at 40 percent capacity in open spaces, it said, as they had previously been halted due to the spread of the pandemic.
GEA said those who have been immunized will be allowed access to entertainment activities according to the Tawakkalna app.
The authority said precautionary measures, such as social distancing, wearing masks and providing sterilizers in the various event sites must be implemented to the fullest.
The authority added that tickets for all events will be sold online and would be limited, adding that precise entry hours must be set for visitors.
Checkpoints must be set up at all the main entrances for reporting and monitoring purposes, including measuring temperatures and inquiring about respiratory symptoms, and visitors and customers who have high temperatures or respiratory symptoms are prohibited from entry.
GEA also urged organizers to report any cases among employees at events who have a high temperature and prevent them from working at events.
Awareness of everyone involved in events is also important, the authority said, including the need to educate workers, visitors and those in charge of recreational places about the symptoms of the disease and its spread, in addition to making them aware of the need to disclose when any symptoms appear. It also called for providing educational materials and publishing informative signs of the precautionary measures and procedures.
GEA urged the organizers of entertainment events to conduct mandatory COVID-19 health and safety training for all employees, to train officials at the examination points on the use of the temperature measuring devices, and to appoint supervisors responsible for applying the requirements and trained security guards to prevent crowding and apply physical distancing.
GEA called on all involved in events, including organizers and all visitors, to adhere to procedures issued by the Public Health Authority. It said it was ready to provide support in reviewing plans and procedures for each event to ensure the safety of attendees and organizers.
Saudi Arabia to relax restrictions on entertainment activities for those with COVID-19 vaccines
https://arab.news/nbmvz
Saudi Arabia to relax restrictions on entertainment activities for those with COVID-19 vaccines
- Entertainment venues will be allowed to open at 40 percent capacity
- The Kingdom begins relaxing restrictions imposed to check the spread of the disease
‘Cake not hate’ campaign becomes ‘Dates not hate’ in Madinah
- Dan said he was very impressed by Saudi hospitality and that his family was warmly welcomed
- He said being in Madinah exposed him to the true diversity of Islam
LONDON: A British autistic and non-verbal boy who has been visiting UK mosques and distributing cakes to promote solidarity amid an increase in far-right support in the country has taken his message of love to Madinah.
Joshua Harris, or “The Joshie-Man” as the 12-year-old is known to his social media fans, has handed out hundreds of his baked goods to worshipers at mosques in major British cities over the last few months.
The “Cake not hate” campaign came about after an Islamophobic attack on a mosque in his home city of Peterborough in October 2025.
Harris and his father visited Masjid Darassalaam, the mosque that was targeted, with cakes that the boy had baked and distributed them to the congregation soon after the attack. Since then, Harris has visited dozens of mosques in the UK.
On a recent trip to the Middle East, he and his father visited Madinah. In a local twist that pays tribute to the holy city’s famous date varieties including ajwa and ambar, Harris handed out dates to people in the courtyard of the Prophet’s Mosque. The “Cake not hate” campaign became “Dates not hate” for Saudi Arabia.
“He was greeted really, really warmly. There were some really touching moments where people were kissing his hands and his head. It was really lovely,” his father, Dan Harris, said.
Dan, the founder of global charity Neurodiversity in Business, said being in Madinah exposed him to the true diversity of Islam.
“We met people from all around the world. It was amazing. It’s like the United Nations there, you get people from different countries and it just goes to show you that the Muslim community, or the Ummah more generally, is not a homogeneous group,” he said.
“We saw people from Tajikistan and Uzbekistan and it was really interesting for us.”
Dan said his visit to Madinah, considered the second holiest city in Islam after Makkah for Muslims, was “profound and life-changing.”
He added: “I would say it’s my favourite city in the world due to the peace and tranquillity I felt there.”
Dan added that he was very impressed by Saudi hospitality: “Everywhere we went, people were taking down my number and insisting that we come for dinner, insisting they pick us up from the location. They were extremely attentive to Joshie as well, making sure his needs were met. We felt a great sense of welcome, something Saudi Arabia is known for.”
