Saudi culinary artists to cook up a storm at Najran festival
Chefs to create popular dishes with local ingredients
Coffee expert to produce brew loved in region
Updated 27 October 2022
Tareq Al-Thaqafi
MAKKAH: Several Saudi culinary artists are set to participate in the first-ever Najran Cooking Festival from Nov. 1 to 5, which will showcase a number of local dishes.
The Najran Society for History and Archeology has organized the event, which will also feature a Saudi coffee expert.
The Culinary Arts Commission, overseen by the Saudi Ministry of Culture, will organize two live cooking workshops with Saudi chefs, allowing participants to experience the creation of popular dishes using local ingredients.
The festival will feature several attractions for visitors including areas to cook dishes, see various utensils, and view local arts and crafts. There will also be a play area for children.
The head of the Najran Society for History and Archeology, Muhammad Al-Hatila, said the festival aims to document the rich food culture in the region.
Among the local ingredients that will be showcased is Al-Samraa wheat, which was documented by the Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity.
The Saudi coffee expert who will attend the festival, Nasser Al-Suqour, said he will prepare brews the way Najranis love it.
He said he will introduce various types of leather used to preserve coffee in the past.
The commission’s aim is to promote Najran’s rich history, and to highlight Saudi Arabia’s “Year of Saudi Coffee 2022” initiative.
Jeddah students get closer look at electric motorsport
A PIF-linked initiative highlights technical and engineering careers behind electric racing events
Updated 24 January 2026
SALEH FAREED
JEDDAH: Students from local and international schools in Jeddah were introduced to STEM-related career pathways in electric motorsport this week, as part of an education program linked to the UIM E1 World Championship held on the Red Sea.
The sessions formed part of Driving Force Presented by the Public Investment Fund, an initiative run by Formula E and its electric racing series partners, to familiarize students aged eight to 18 with science, technology, engineering and mathematics through electric racing and sustainability-focused industries.
The sessions for students formed part of Driving Force Presented by the Public Investment Fund, an initiative run by Formula E and its electric racing series partners. (Supplied)
The programme took place alongside the 2026 E1 Jeddah GP and included workshops, school visits and trackside access designed to show how engineering, data, broadcast technology and event operations function within professional motorsport.
According to organisers, the initiative reached more than 60,000 students globally in 2025, with further expansion planned this year.
HIGHLIGHTS
• The program took place alongside the 2026 E1 Jeddah GP and included workshops, school visits and trackside access.
• Students learned about E1 races and their technical and environmental dimensions and discussed the engineering and marine aspects of electric boats.
• According to organisers, the initiative reached more than 60,000 students globally in 2025, with further expansion planned this year.
John Williams, managing director at E1, told Arab News: “The PIF is absolutely vital to everything we do here at the E1. They were crucial initial investment partner since the start of the championship and they continue to support us in a number of ways and more specifically around the Driving Force program.”
The sessions for students formed part of Driving Force Presented by the Public Investment Fund, an initiative run by Formula E and its electric racing series partners. (Supplied)
Elaborating more on the program, he said: “What we are doing is presenting and showing these students the available careers of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, as well as careers in sports, not only pilots but also engineers and mechanics.”
Williams added that the main key to the program was bringing a new generation to the mechanism of sport.
“We are introducing to these exciting new technologies around the race but it could be our technology on the boat or our broadcast products, as well as how to manage the event its self. There are a range of opportunities to show it to the children in addition to enjoying the excitement of the race and meeting the pilots.”
The program’s Jeddah activities began at King Abdulaziz University’s faculty of maritime studies, where students took part in a hands-on workshop focused on STEM careers in the motorsport and sustainability areas conducted by technology experts and famous water pilots such as Dani Clos, Emma Kimilainen and Patricia Pita.
Students learned about E1 races and their technical and environmental dimensions and discussed the engineering and marine aspects of electric boats.
They also enjoyed exclusive behind-the-scenes access at the E1 Jeddah GP, pilot meet-and-greets, and front-row seats to watch the RaceBird boats in action.
