Female participants at a symposium entitled “Women, Commercial Inheritance and Family Rule” have called for “an independent body of a judicial nature” to protect their inheritance.
This body should distribute inheritance money amongst heirs according to Islamic law and should protect women against social pressure to give up their rights. They called for a distinction between “traditions, customs and wrongful social practice and judicial rulings.”
One of the participants emphasized “the protection of women’s rights by educating men and women about the importance of conducting a speedy inheritance inventory and not delaying the matter for years and decades.”
Aisha Al-Mana, a participant, said: “Denying women their inheritance is one of the main reasons behind family feuds.”
She categorized inheritance as one of the most sensitive issues in society because it is often confused with tribal tradition, adding that differentiating between heirs is a dangerous phenomenon because it overlooks women’s rights as stated in the Qur’an.
She said that many women are persuaded by their brothers to give up their rights as heirs. “Women from merchant or rich families are rarely given their full rights,” she added.
She called on scholars, intellectuals, lawyers and religious leaders to rectify this injustice. The courts are filled with thousands of cases related to inheritance disputes. She said that while this issue concerns society at large, it is an infringement on women’s rights in particular.
Al-Mana said it was unlawful to ask women to give up their right to inheritance, especially when it is done for traditional and tribal reasons.
President of Businesswomen Forum Princess Mashael bint Faisal bin Turki, praised the role of the forum.
“The forum focused on female participation in the national economy and placed special emphasis on its importance and the necessity to forge strategic women’s alliances. This is in addition to forging economic alliances and entities that can compete and succeed in the market place,” she said.
Princess Mashael said these ambitions are embodied in the establishment of the first female investment company, the Eastern Forum for Development. This company has 24 female shareholders who are members of the Businesswomen Forum. This company helps women build a financial and economic base and has an impressive presence in the region and the Kingdom.
The forum aims to concentrate on female issues that have a negative effect on women’s social and economic status and obstructs their participation in economic development of the Kingdom.
The forum aims to overcome regionalism and unify women’s efforts in the whole of Saudi Arabia through various seminars and initiatives in Riyadh and Jeddah.
The symposium includes a number of lectures. Abdul Aziz Al-Qasim gave a lecture entitled, “Commercial Inheritance in the Kingdom: Suggested Solutions.”
Hanan Al-Qahtani gave a lecture about “Women’s Actual Rights in Inheritance: Real Practices and Results.”
Dr. Ahlam Al-Awadi gave a lecture about “Distinction and Injustice in Inheritance.”
Dr. Amal Quray spoke of “Differences in Applying Shariah in Arab Countries in Relation to Family Rules.”
Call for setting up judicial body to protect female inheritance
Call for setting up judicial body to protect female inheritance
Meet Rima Al-Harbi, the first Saudi female to win at the AlUla Camel Cup
ALULA: “Our dream, as athletes, is to be able to represent our country; and for me to live my dream for my country — in my country — is the ultimate triumph,” Rima Al-Harbi told Arab News after making history this week as the first Saudi woman to win at the AlUla Camel Cup.
At last year’s inaugural competition, Al-Harbi was the only woman to compete in a field full of male riders. This year, the event included a women’s category. Al-Harbi returned. And this time she won.
“Most of the women I competed against this year have way more experience than me; it was truly a difficult race, in general,” Al-Harbi said. “But somehow, thanks to Allah, I didn’t feel like anyone challenged me. From the moment we started to when we reached the finish line, I was in first place.”
The 22-year-old, who was raised in nearby Madinah, where she still resides, grew up around camels. Both her father and grandfather competed in camel racing and she has a fierce love for the animal and for the sport. She credits her grandfather for encouraging her to learn how to ride when she was just seven years old. Now, she trains with her camel, Auf, for about two hours every day. She is continuing the family tradition and breaking records along the way.
Al-Harbi said that three of her sisters also ride camels, but “as a hobby.” She is the only one of her siblings to compete professionally.
Al-Harbi has opened a small training club for local women who want to try their hand at camel racing. Her aim is to strengthen the community and to find fellow Saudi women to join her journey.
“Since I have a deep love for the sport and have the opportunity and capability, why wouldn’t I want to help other women also get into the sport? These women want to try it as a hobby and we all have to start somewhere. I don’t take any funds for this; it is done out of pure passion. It is just about introducing the sport to women who are interested. I offer them guidance and advice, and we walk through the sport,” she said.
The four-day AlUla Camel Cup ends on Saturday. Al-Harbi did return the day after her victory to soak up the atmosphere and cheer on other riders, but don’t count on her being back for the final day.
“I will stay home to rest,” she told us with a laugh.
Endangered red-necked ostrich chicks born in royal reserve
- Birds are part of resettlement program launched in 2021
- Sand gazelle, Arabian oryx among species being protected
RIYADH: The Imam Turki bin Abdullah Royal Nature Reserve Development Authority has announced the birth of three endangered red-necked ostrich chicks.
The birds have been considered extinct in the northern region of the Kingdom for a century and have now returned thanks to the efforts of the ITBA, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Friday.
The ITBA had initiated an ostrich-resettlement program in late 2021, aiming to establish a suitable natural habitat for a pair of the birds. This initiative bore fruit as the ostriches successfully adapted to the reserve’s environment, producing 12 eggs in the spring of 2024.
The ITBA has aimed to reintroduce rare species into their natural environments, as part of a broader commitment to wildlife development, biodiversity conservation, and environmental restoration.
Among the numerous rare creatures benefiting from these efforts are the sand gazelle and Arabian oryx.
The ITBA has 138 species in its care including Arabian wolf, various types of foxes, felines, hares, the Asian bustard among other birds, and reptiles.
The reserve covers an area of 91,000 sq. km in the northeastern part of the Kingdom. It is a popular destination for those interested in eco-tourism, bird watching and hiking.
The reserve also offers cultural experiences, allowing visitors to interact with the local Bedouin communities, learn about their traditional way of life, and enjoy authentic cuisine.
In February, the ITBA signed a memorandum of understanding with the King Abdulaziz Foundation for Research and Archives to document the heritage of the reserve.
The pact will ensure collaboration to conduct archaeological surveys and excavations, inventory inscriptions, document intangible heritage and social history, and identify grazing locations.
Saudi, UAE and Qatar secure wins on second day of AlUla Camel Cup
- Minister of Interior’s entry takes first race in the Hagayeg category
ALULA: Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar provided the big winners on Day 2 of the second annual AlUla Camel Cup.
Held in unseasonably hot conditions, Thursday’s competition consisted of two 5 km categories, the Hagayeg and the Lagaya, with two races run in each.
Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Interior Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif won the first Hagayeg race, much to the delight of spectators.
The Prince’s camel, aptly named AlUla, won in a time of 5 minutes 59.3 seconds. In the second Hagayeg race of the day, Shart, owned by Emirati Mohammed Al-Kutbi, took first place in a time of 5:57.8.
The day’s total prize pool of $6.83 million was split equally between the two categories.
Winners in each of the races received $870,000, second-place finishers earned $266,666, and those in third place received $133,333. The balance of the prize pool was distributed among the other finishers.
The event was organized by the Royal Commission for AlUla as part of the AlUla Moments calendar, in partnership with the Saudi Camel Racing Federation.
The 2024 AlUla Camel Cup offers spectators and participants a new and more expansive experience after the inaugural edition in March last year.
This year, designated Year of the Camel by the UN and the Ministry of Culture, the event pays homage to the desert animal that is so integral to the Kingdom’s heritage.
“The AlUla Camel Cup attracts the best riders and the best camels throughout not just the region, but the world,” said Mahmoud AlBalawi, executive director of the SCRF. “Qualification for the AlUla Camel Cup is deliberately challenging, with 11 camel races taking place under the federation’s jurisdiction throughout the season to qualify for this illustrious competition.”
AlBalawi said that the Saudi Camel Racing Federation’s programs “target all corners of Saudi Arabia in a bid to continue to grow and improve the cherished sport of camel racing. There are more than 50 camel racing tracks across the country, including the elite AlUla venue where the AlUla Camel Cup takes place.”
RCU’s chief sports officer, Ziad Al-Suhaibani, praised the participants and said: “The AlUla Camel Cup reflects the importance of camel racing as a symbol of the Kingdom’s heritage and culture.”
While the heritage sport dates from the seventh century, the event this year includes a more contemporary setup that caters to all the family. There are opportunities to take camel selfies, sample camel smoothies or listen to live folk music by local performers.
The final races take place on Saturday.
US Embassy marks 248th Independence Day with shared US-Saudi vision for space exploration
- Ambassador Michael Ratney welcomes hundreds of Saudi guests to space-themed Riyadh reception
RIYADH: The US Embassy in Riyadh celebrated the 248th anniversary of Independence Day on Thursday with a reception hosted by US Ambassador Michael Ratney.
The ambassador welcomed guest of honor Prince Faisal bin Abdulaziz bin Ayyaf, Riyadh Region mayor, along with Saudi officials, and hundreds of Saudi guests, as well as visitors from Washington, including members of the US Congress.
The space-themed Independence Day reception served as a symbolic celebration of the future of the US-Saudi cooperation in space, highlighting the profound benefits and possibilities of space exploration, research, and commercial development.
Ratney said the theme reflects the “shared ambition of the United States and Saudi Arabia to embrace opportunities in space, positioning both countries as pioneers in this frontier of innovation.”
The event evoked nostalgia for past achievements, such as the 1969 moon landing, while emphasizing ongoing advancements in space sciences, particularly commercial space exploration.
Ratney highlighted Saudi pioneers in space travel, such as Prince Sultan bin Salman, and astronauts Rayyanah Barnawi and Ali Al-Qarni.
An art installation, “Museum of the Moon,” by artist Luke Jerram, featured NASA’s high-definition imagery of the lunar surface.
According to the US Embassy’s statement, the collaboration between the US and Saudi Arabia continues to advance shared interests in diplomacy, commerce, culture, and more.
The US remains dedicated to enhancing shared US-Saudi shared interests in security and in fostering prosperity in the region, while also exploring new avenues for partnerships in areas such as the arts, education, entertainment, and tourism, it said.
Both countries are poised to explore further cooperation, including potential joint ventures in space, reflecting a vision for an even stronger US-Saudi relationship in the future, the statement added.
Saudi, Cypriot foreign ministers discuss relations
Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prince Faisal bin Farhan received his Cypriot counterpart, Dr. Konstantinos Kompos, at the ministry’s headquarters in Riyadh on Thursday.
During the meeting, the ministers reviewed the advanced bilateral relations between the Kingdom and the Republic of Cyprus, and ways to promote them in a variety of fields.
They also discussed ways to increase bilateral coordination on issues of common interest and reviewed international developments.
