JEDDAH: A Saudi filmmaker has produced a short movie highlighting the recent attacks by Daesh members on five mosques in the Kingdom, which resulted in the injury and death of several people.
The four-minute production, entitled “Raana Alaa Goloubhem” or “Their Stained Hearts,” was directed by Rakan Al-Harbi with a modest budget of only $1,100, according to a report in a local publication on Monday.
Al-Harbi’s story begins in a museum set up specifically to display the bodies of the suicide bombers. When a visitor arrives, the museum’s supervisor takes him on a tour, describing what carnage each person had wrought.
The visitor travels back in time to the scene of one attack, where he speaks with a bomber, who initially appears confident about his decision, hesitant as he is about to detonate his explosives, and then remorseful after he carries out the bombing.
Al-Harbi said he used this method to convey to viewers the horrific nature of the attacks, and for viewers to empathize with the victims. “The film was compressed into four minutes because I wanted to deliver an intense message. We could have extended it to 20 minutes, but you really only need 3 to 7 minutes. The rest is fluff,” he said.
He said there have been many dramas about the Daesh terrorist group produced in the Gulf region, but his movie was different because of the way the message was delivered. The film is based on a story written by Majid Al-Salem. It has been entered along with 70 other productions into a contest organized by the Saudi Arabian Society for Culture and Arts in Dammam.
Saudi short film carries an anti-terror message
Saudi short film carries an anti-terror message
Jeddah students get closer look at electric motorsport
- A PIF-linked initiative highlights technical and engineering careers behind electric racing events
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 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.”
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.
