Saudi leaders send condolences to Swedish king after deadly school shooting

Saudi Arabia’s King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Thursday sent messages of condolence to Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf following a mass shooting on Tuesday. (SPA)
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Updated 06 February 2025
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Saudi leaders send condolences to Swedish king after deadly school shooting

  • King, crown prince condemn attack, extend sympathy to victims’ families

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Thursday sent messages of condolence to Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf following a mass shooting on Tuesday at an adult education center in the city of Orebro.

In a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency, the king strongly condemned the attack, which resulted in 11 fatalities and several injuries. He extended his sympathy to his counterpart in Sweden, the families of the victims, and the Swedish people, while wishing the injured a swift recovery.

The crown prince also conveyed his condolences in a separate message, echoing the king’s sentiments and condemning the attack as a “criminal act,” SPA added.

Swedish authorities identified the suspected gunman as 35-year-old Rickard Andersson, an unemployed recluse who may have been a student at the school.

Police believe he acted alone in the attack, and police described the aftermath as an “inferno.” Officials said Andersson killed nearly a dozen people before taking his own life in what is now considered Sweden’s deadliest mass shooting.

Investigations into the incident are continuing.


‘Flying Over Saudi’ launches cinematic aerial experience of Saudi landmarks

Updated 26 December 2025
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‘Flying Over Saudi’ launches cinematic aerial experience of Saudi landmarks

RIYADH: The Flying Over Saudi experience was launched on Thursday at Boulevard City as part of Riyadh Season, introducing visitors to the first experience of its kind in the Kingdom. 

The attraction provides a cinematic aerial journey using immersive technologies and multisensory effects that display Saudi Arabia’s most significant natural and urban landscapes from a new perspective, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The experience takes guests on a visual journey over the Kingdom’s diverse terrain, taking in Saudi Arabia’s vast deserts, towering mountains, lush valleys, modern cities, and expansive coastlines, in addition to special views of the Two Holy Mosques in Makkah and Madinah. 

The film is presented in 8K resolution, featuring high-quality footage that captures the Kingdom’s geographic and cultural richness in a matter of minutes.

Each ride lasts about eight minutes, enhanced by sensory effects such as wind, water mist, and natural scent elements, along with innovative seat motion that intensifies the sense of realism and creates an experience close to actual flight. 

The visual and audio technologies work seamlessly together to immerse visitors fully in the scenes presented.

By combining its immersive elements with footage filmed over diverse landscapes, Flying Over Saudi offers Riyadh Season visitors a new perspective of the Kingdom, one that merges advanced technology with local visual identity and highlights one of the widest natural maps extending from north to south and from the coastlines into the heart of the cities.

The launch of this experience exemplifies Riyadh Season’s commitment to delivering high-quality entertainment built on innovation and advanced presentation techniques. It further contributes to introducing visitors, from the Kingdom and abroad, to the beauty and diversity of Saudi Arabia’s destinations, reinforcing the season’s position as a leading platform for world-class immersive experiences.