RIYADH: Fireworks and a grand laser show lit up the sky with the words “Riyadh the World’s Choice” on Tuesday evening. Flags in hand, citizens, residents and visitors gathered in the capital to celebrate the Kingdom’s win of the Expo 2030 bid.
Leading up to the celebration, crowds assembled in Ghadir District’s Olaya Street, directly across from the King Fahad Financial District, waiting in anticipation to hear the announcement of the Expo 2030 host.
The announcement of Riyadh hosting the Expo 2030 came on Tuesday evening following a majority of 119 out of 165 votes from member states of the Paris-based Bureau International des Expositions in Paris.
Riyadh competed against South Korea and Italy to hold the prestigious event.
Guests attending the celebratory event included the Ambassador of France to the Kingdom Ludovic Pouille.
“It’s a day of joy, it’s a day of pride, France was one of the first countries to support Riyadh’s bid for Expo 2030,” he said.
“I feel part of the family tonight so I’m really happy, I wish all the best to Riyadh.
“I am sure Riyadh will welcome the world in the best conditions in 2030 as you are already doing now, and long live the French-Saudi cooperation.”
Attendees who witnessed the celebrations near KFAD included artists and guests of the Noor Riyadh Light Art Festival.
Sandra Hegedus, president of Sam Art Projects, was in the capital for Noor Riyadh and attended the Riyadh Expo celebrations.
Hegedus said that Riyadh winning the bid to host Expo 2030 was “the best thing that could happen.
“It’s a country with a very young population, it puts a goal in front of the population; 2030 everyone is going to work together, it’s so optimistic,” she said.
Hegedus said that the drone and firework show was spectacular.
“The drone show — I have never seen anything like this — amazing, amazing,” she told Arab News.
Many Saudis took to the streets of Riyadh to celebrate.
Among them was Riyadh resident and Saudi citizen Abdullah Mansour Al-Otaibi who attended the celebrations with his family and friends.
“Honestly, the feelings that overwhelm me with Saudi Arabia winning the bid to host the Expo reflect the emotions of any Saudi who takes pride in his homeland and the achievement made by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman,” Al-Otaibi told Arab News.
Surrounded by a crowd of Saudis celebrating near King Fahd Financial District, Al-Otaibi felt overjoyed to welcome the world to Riyadh in 2030.
“We truly take pride in this accomplishment. I am really happy. The organized event was amazing,” he said.
The consensus from locals and visitors alike was a sense of pride and joy in welcoming the world to experience the culture and hospitality that the Kingdom has to offer leading up to and during 2030.
Riyadh gathers to celebrate World Expo 2030 win
https://arab.news/b4k6j
Riyadh gathers to celebrate World Expo 2030 win
- Riyadh competed against South Korea and Italy to hold the prestigious event
- Guests attending the celebratory event included the Ambassador of France to the Kingdom Ludovic Pouille
Group of women retrace sacred Hijrah route to Madinah
- Kingdom’s supportive environment for women made the 500 km journey on foot possible, says Soul Al-Hijrah founder
JEDDAH: Embarking on a spiritual journey, a group of women retraced the sacred steps of the Prophet Muhammad from Makkah to Madinah.
The 22 women — adventurists, managers, doctors, nurses, teachers, mothers ranging in age from their 30s to their 50s — are believed to be the first known women-only group to have performed the journey closest to the exact original route.
The women walked on foot, nearly 500 km from Makkah to Madinah, to experience what the Prophet Muhammad and his companions might have gone through more than 1400 years ago.
“Yes, it is the first ever women-only Hijrah walk and they all came from all over the world to walk together on an unforgettable journey. They completed a week-long journey, experiencing the route’s historical and spiritual significance,” Salma Abdulrahman, the director of Soul Al-Hijrah, told Arab News.
The 22 participants from around the world visited key locations along the route in an immersive experience of the historical and spiritual significance of the Hijrah.
Abdulrahman was among the first to embark on the path.
“I found my soul on this path, and felt as if I were born a new. This journey revived my heart and changed the course of my life. It was (also) the beginning of my tourism company Soul Al-Hijrah.”
She accompanied the participants from the beginning of the trip and said: “It was an honor to serve them and the guests of our beloved Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, ensuring their comfort throughout the journey.
“It is an honor I cherish deeply, and my joy in it and in them is indescribable.”
She said that they have undertaken more than 20 journeys on the Hijrah route to date, all of which were carried out for groups from various countries around the world, reflecting the growing global interest in this type of spiritual and historical tourism.
“It must be said that this type of initiative would not have been possible without the supportive environment provided by the beloved Kingdom for Saudi women. It has granted them complete confidence to be at the forefront of the tourism sector,” Abdulrahman added.
Dr. Dina Altayeb, a periodontist and implantologist, and one of the members of the women-only Hijrah walk, described the journey as the most intense and profound of the walks or adventures she had completed.
“I wish more people could have this opportunity because it offers countless benefits for the soul, body and mind,” she added.
Altayeb, who is the first Saudi woman to qualify and compete in the Ironman World Championship, told Arab News that this is a totally different experience. “For me it was not as difficult as my usual adventures but spiritually was a great experience because it was an indescribable emotional experience … (and) it was also a learning experience.”
She was overjoyed to enter Madinah. “We walked through mountains, valleys and deserts just as the Prophet did. It was a great feeling when we reached Madinah after eight days.”
Ghadeer Sultan, a human resources manager, joined the group with no prior planning. “To be honest, I did not plan to join the Prophet’s migration journey; it was just a coincidence, an invitation that came my way, and a little curiosity to have the experience,” she said.
“When we entered the shaded garden in Madinah, I felt as if peace and light had penetrated the depths of my soul. I sensed the joy of the Ansar upon the arrival of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and my heart felt all those historic moments. I was experiencing the true great values that the city of the Prophet embodies: values of love and tolerance.”
Upon reaching Madinah after the challenging journey which started on Dec. 22 and ended on Dec. 29, the participants were warmly welcomed with roses and prayers.
Their first stop in Madinah was the Quba Mosque, where the Prophet stayed during his migration.
As the first mosque in Islamic history and partially built by the Prophet himself, it holds profound spiritual significance.
