Saudi yoga body promotes ancient practice in Eastern Province

The event showcases the ability of women to be an integral part of creating awareness and teaching the benefits of yoga. (Supplied)
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Updated 23 October 2022
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Saudi yoga body promotes ancient practice in Eastern Province

  • Exercise critical for community health, says organizer
  • More companies urged to become involved

JEDDAH: Half Moon Beach in Alkhobar will this week be the tranquil environment for a long-awaited mass yoga gathering that aims to highlight the individual and community benefits of this ancient practice.

The sessions on Friday will be part of the “Goodness Event” organized by a local health club, Salt Gym, in cooperation with the Saudi Yoga Committee, and a local business.

The classes are open to people of all ages. There will be a morning session from 7 a.m. until 11 a.m., and one in the evening from 3 p.m. until 8 p.m.

Nouf Al-Marwaai, president of the Saudi Yoga Committee, said she was happy to have helped organize the event because it promotes community cohesion, and assists in bringing the private sector on board with wellness activities.

“We thank Najah Al-Hassan for organizing this event, and we urge everyone, from lovers, practitioners and professionals of yoga, to participate in such distinguished events.

“In the Saudi Yoga Committee, we hope to see many of these activities held by the private sector in the near future,” she said.

She said her organization remains committed to supporting these events, which would assist in achieving the government’s goals of developing a healthy society.

It is hoped the event would encourage more people to take up the practice as part of a wellness lifestyle to build a “generation of yoga lovers,” said Al-Marwaai.

Meanwhile, Al-Hassan, general manager of Influence of Success Co., said this was the first event of its kind launched by the private sector, which helps to achieve the goals of Vision 2030, particular with regard to the health of girls and women.

Al-Hassan said the event showcases the ability of women to be an integral part of creating awareness and teaching the benefits of yoga. She hoped that this would motivate other companies to become more involved in such wellness activities.


Rare sighting of critically endangered leatherback turtle in Red Sea

Updated 05 February 2026
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Rare sighting of critically endangered leatherback turtle in Red Sea

  • Turtles travel thousands of kilometers to Red Sea
  • Nesting 6,500km away in India’s Andaman Islands

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s National Center for Wildlife has documented a rare sighting of a leatherback sea turtle in the Red Sea, marking a significant biological record for one of the planet’s most critically endangered marine species.

The sighting occurred approximately 30 km off the coast of Al-Qunfudhah within the Blue Holes Protected Area, a newly established marine reserve, according to a recent report from the Saudi Press Agency.

The NCW said the presence of a leatherback in these waters was an exceptional event.

Recognized as the largest turtle species on Earth, the leatherback can weigh up to 900 kilograms. It has a unique leathery, black carapace — distinguished by five longitudinal ridges rather than a hard bony shell — and able to dive to depths exceeding 1,000 meters.

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Noting the species’ migratory nature, the center explained that leatherbacks travel thousands of kilometers foraging for jellyfish. The specimen likely navigated through the Bab Al-Mandeb Strait in search of food.

This is considered a remarkable journey, the NCW said, noting that the nearest known populations reside in the Indian Ocean, spanning waters from South Africa to Sri Lanka (roughly 7,000 to 8,000 km away).

The closest known nesting grounds are located in India’s Andaman Islands, approximately 6,500 kilometers away. No nesting activity has been recorded in the Red Sea.

According to the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the leatherback is Critically Endangered in the Indian Ocean.

While data for the Red Sea and Arabian Gulf is scarce, recent isolated sightings include a juvenile recorded in Jordan in December 2025 and another off Djibouti in 2019.

The NCW emphasized that these rare appearances highlight the ecological importance of the Kingdom's marine conservation efforts in the Red Sea.

The center pointed to the Farasan Islands Marine Protected Area, along with the new Blue Holes and Ras Hatiba reserves, as critical sanctuaries that could support the expansion in range of such endangered species.