Ramadan volunteering initiatives encourage participation of community

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The initiative enables volunteers to contribute to community service during the holy month. (SPA)
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The initiative enables volunteers to contribute to community service during the holy month. (SPA)
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The initiative enables volunteers to contribute to community service during the holy month. (SPA)
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The initiative enables volunteers to contribute to community service during the holy month. (SPA)
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The initiative enables volunteers to contribute to community service during the holy month. (SPA)
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Updated 10 February 2026
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Ramadan volunteering initiatives encourage participation of community

  • Opportunities include assisting pilgrims by guiding visitors; organizational support such as site management, crowd control, and event assistance
  • Ministry of Islamic Affairs’ branch in Makkah has provided several volunteering opportunities to prepare the city’s mosques for Ramadan

MAKKAH: The General Directorate of Education in the Makkah region is providing more than 200 volunteering opportunities across 13 fields to promote volunteerism during Ramadan, support pilgrim services, and foster values of giving and social responsibility.

The initiative enables volunteers to contribute to community service during the holy month, highlighting education’s role in promoting national and humanitarian values, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday.

Opportunities include assisting pilgrims by guiding visitors; organizational support such as site management, crowd control, and event assistance; social initiatives through humanitarian projects and community service; and general volunteering work supporting various programs.

Other roles involve translation services for visitors; assisting people with disabilities; cultural programs; technical support and digital documentation; and environmental initiatives promoting sustainability.

Volunteers can also participate in training for capacity building, take on security and safety roles, and engage in health-related activities to raise preventive awareness.

Additionally, volunteers may support government agencies, strengthening field operations and coordination in serving pilgrims and the wider community.

The initiative reflects the commitment of Makkah’s education sector to promoting volunteerism and mobilizing community resources, in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.

The Presidency of Religious Affairs at the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque has launched several Ramadan volunteering opportunities in Madinah to enhance community participation, develop volunteer work, and promote its culture in society.

Opportunities include assisting with religious guidance; organizing worshippers’ rows; monitoring screens and electronic devices; and providing translation and field awareness services for visitors to the Prophet’s Mosque.

Interested participants can register through the National Volunteer Portal by selecting the “religious” field and searching for the Presidency of Religious Affairs of the Prophet’s Mosque to view available opportunities, the SPA added.

Umm Al-Qura University in Makkah has also announced 21 volunteering opportunities during Ramadan to promote volunteerism, empower community participation, and support services for pilgrims and visitors to the Grand Mosque.

Opportunities are in various fields, including simultaneous interpretation, first aid, meal distribution for fasting observers, medical services, guidance and counseling, and welcoming pilgrims.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Islamic Affairs’ branch in Makkah has provided several volunteering opportunities to prepare the city’s mosques for Ramadan.

The ministry has reported some 60 openings, engaging 405 male and female volunteers. Activities include organizational and service tasks to ready mosques for worshippers during the holy month.

These efforts reflect the ministry’s commitment to promoting volunteerism and fostering community participation in serving mosques, ensuring a suitable environment for worship and performing rituals with ease and tranquility.


Saudi Film Festival to return in April with focus on Korean cinema

Since its launch in 2008, the Saudi Film Festival has played a central role in nurturing local and Gulf cinema. (Supplied)
Updated 15 February 2026
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Saudi Film Festival to return in April with focus on Korean cinema

  • Ahmed Al-Mulla, founder and director of the Saudi Film Festival, said in a statement: “We’re excited to welcome filmmakers to our annual gathering. Our doors are open to all creators, and filmmakers remain at the heart of everything we do

DHAHRAN: The Saudi Film Festival, organized by the Cinema Association in partnership with the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture and supported by the Saudi Film Commission, has announced that it will launch at Ithra in Dhahran between April 23-29.

This year’s festival explores the theme of “Cinema of the Journey,” presenting a selection of Arab and international films, both short and feature-length, that center on journeys and movement as essential storytelling elements. 

Since its launch in 2008, the Saudi Film Festival has played a central role in nurturing local and Gulf cinema. (Supplied)

The program includes road movies, travel narratives and films where physical or emotional journeys drive the narrative.

The theme encourages Saudi filmmakers to explore this subject through their own perspectives. It positions cinema itself as an act of continuous transition, where identity, place, and time converge to shape the human experience.

FASTFACTS

• This year’s Saudi Film Festival will explore the theme of ‘Cinema of the Journey,’ presenting a selection of Arab and international films that center on journeys and movement as essential storytelling elements.

• The program includes road movies, travel narratives and films where physical or emotional journeys drive the narrative.

Following last year’s focus on Japanese cinema, the festival will present a special “Spotlight on Korean Cinema” this year.

Ahmed Al-Mulla, founder and director of the Saudi Film Festival, said in a statement: “We’re excited to welcome filmmakers to our annual gathering. Our doors are open to all creators, and filmmakers remain at the heart of everything we do. This year’s festival creates an atmosphere filled with inspiration, idea exchange, and shared learning. It’s a celebration of cinematic creativity for everyone.”

Tariq Al-Khawaji, deputy director of the festival, added: “At Ithra, we’re proud of our longstanding partnership with the Cinema Association. It has enabled the festival’s growth and thematic diversity year after year, which we see clearly in how we empower filmmakers and create opportunities to engage with global cinema. 

“The festival continues to grow across all areas, from preparations and participation to industry expectations locally and regionally. That makes attention to every detail essential.”

Since its launch in 2008, the Saudi Film Festival has played a central role in nurturing local and Gulf cinema. After intermittent early editions, it has now established itself as an annual platform for narrative and documentary competitions, industry programs and project markets.

By bringing together emerging and established filmmakers in Dhahran each year, the festival strengthens Saudi Arabia’s growing presence on the global film stage.