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Ƶ’s Beit Hail festival attracts over 68,000 visitors

Festival highlights include a Hijazi village exhibit, alongside live demonstrations of traditional crafts. (SPA)
Festival highlights include a Hijazi village exhibit, alongside live demonstrations of traditional crafts. (SPA)
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Updated 20 July 2024

Ƶ’s Beit Hail festival attracts over 68,000 visitors

Festival highlights include a Hijazi village exhibit, alongside live demonstrations of traditional crafts. (SPA)
  • The festival includes folk art performances from the Hail and Yanbu regions, a “Made in Hail” pavilion, and an array of traditional foods prepared using heritage methods

RIYADH: The third Beit Hail heritage festival, themed “Your Home Away From Home,” has attracted more than 68,000 visitors since its opening at Aja Park earlier this month, Saudi Press Agency reported.

The 30-day event has drawn visitors of all ages from the region and beyond, offering a showcase of local culture and traditions.




Festival highlights include a Hijazi village exhibit, alongside live demonstrations of traditional crafts. (SPA)

Festival highlights include a Hijazi village exhibit featuring Yanbu’s heritage, alongside live demonstrations of traditional crafts.

Visitors can also observe artisans creating prayer beads, practicing Sadu weaving, crafting leather water bottles, and demonstrating embroidery techniques.

HIGHLIGHT

The 30-day event has drawn visitors of all ages from the region and beyond, offering a showcase of local culture and traditions.

Other showcased skills include hand-woven carpet production, crochet, and the crafting of traditional wooden doors with intricate plaster engravings typical of old Hail residences.




Festival highlights include a Hijazi village exhibit, alongside live demonstrations of traditional crafts. (SPA)

The festival also includes folk art performances from the Hail and Yanbu regions, a “Made in Hail” pavilion, and an array of traditional foods prepared using heritage methods.

Nayef Al-Salhoub, head of the organizing committee, told SPA: “Our goal is to connect younger generations with Ƶ’s rich cultural legacy.”

The event runs daily from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m., featuring a diverse program of folk activities.

Visitors to the festival value the opportunity to explore Ƶ’s ancestral traditions with their children, learning about historical lifestyles and the ingenious use of natural materials in daily life, SPA added.


Saudi FM receives Iranian counterpart in Makkah

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan receives his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi in Makkah on Tuesday. (@KSAMOFA)
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan receives his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi in Makkah on Tuesday. (@KSAMOFA)
Updated 11 sec ago

Saudi FM receives Iranian counterpart in Makkah

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan receives his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi in Makkah on Tuesday. (@KSAMOFA)
  • During the meeting, Saudi-Iranian relations were discussed, as well as the latest developments in the region and efforts to achieve security

RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan received his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi in Makkah on Tuesday, the Kingdom’s Foreign Ministry reported.

During the meeting, Saudi-Iranian relations were discussed, as well as the latest developments in the region and efforts to achieve security and stability there.

Earlier, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson had said Araghchi would visit Ƶ on his way back from Brazil to discuss the peace and security of the region.


Golden-backed weaver builds its nest in the mountains of Asir

Golden-backed weaver builds its nest in the mountains of Asir
Updated 08 July 2025

Golden-backed weaver builds its nest in the mountains of Asir

Golden-backed weaver builds its nest in the mountains of Asir
  • Male bird structures the nest by manipulating threads of grass through its claws and beak, resulting in precise geometric shapes
  • Opening to the nest is narrow and faces downward to protect the young chicks from predators and other birds or animals

RIYADH: Golden-backed weavers, known for their remarkable nest-building skills, are thriving in the majestic mountains of Asir, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The small yellow bird gets its name from the elaborate nests its constructs using its strong beaks and claws.

Golden-backed weavers (Ploceus jacksoni) first select an area where they want to build a nest, typically choosing the small branches of a tree. They start with a ring of woven straw or grass and then complete the structure by intersecting threads at a specific angle.

The nest usually hangs from the branch to offer safe shelter for the bird’s offspring. The opening to the nest is narrow and faces downward to protect the young chicks from predators and other birds or animals.

Golden-backed weavers are known for their weaving ability, and are one of the most highly skilled species in the wild, according to SPA.

Additionally, the male bird structures the nest by manipulating threads of grass through its claws and beak, resulting in precise geometric shapes.

The bird has unique colors, with either a black or a brown head, and yellow feathers covering its entire body.

Golden-backed weavers, along with many other bird species, thrive in the southern Asir region due to its moderate temperatures, varied plant environment, and biodiversity.

The region has an area of 81,000 sq. km, and borders Yemen in the southeast and the Jazan region in the southwest.

Almost 500 species of birds have been recorded in Ƶ, along with a variety of wildlife and 2,400 flowering plants, according to estimates.


Saudi team joins training on rainwater harvesting in China

Saudi team joins training on rainwater harvesting in China
Updated 08 July 2025

Saudi team joins training on rainwater harvesting in China

Saudi team joins training on rainwater harvesting in China
  • Team includes 12 specialists from the ministry’s water agency, the Saudi Irrigation Organization, and the NCVC
  • Course, being held in Lanzhou, China, from July 3-22, focuses on rainwater harvesting technologies and their applications

RIYADH: A Saudi team from the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture is taking part in a training program organized by the Gansu Academy of Agricultural Sciences in cooperation with the Chinese Ministry of Commerce.

The team includes 12 specialists from the ministry’s water agency, the Saudi Irrigation Organization, and the National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday.

The course, being held in Lanzhou, China, from July 3-22, focuses on rainwater harvesting technologies and their applications. It is attended by representatives from China’s Ministry of Water Resources, along with several water experts and specialists.

The ministry said its participation aligns with efforts to implement international agreements and memoranda of understanding with partner countries. The course provides a unique platform for exchanging expertise in water-related fields, particularly rainwater harvesting, it added.

The course also covers the design of harvesting systems in rural and urban areas, improvement of collected water quality management and advanced purification technologies, the SPA added.

Supplementary irrigation techniques, economic evaluation of harvesting projects, concepts of sponge cities, water reuse, and the role of harvesting technologies in combating desertification and promoting sustainability are also explored.

The ministry said that the training features scientific lectures, practical workshops and field visits to innovative projects in several Chinese provinces.

The visits showcase systems for securing drinking water from rain, irrigated agriculture projects, sponge city initiatives, and integrated environmental models linking water technologies with urban and rural sustainability.

The ministry highlighted the importance of strengthening international cooperation and building national capacity in water management, according to the SPA.

This reflects its integrated approach to developing technical competencies, exchanging expertise with leading countries, advancing the water system and promoting sustainable, innovative solutions to water challenges in line with Vision 2030 goals.


Saudi students compete in global chemistry contest

Saudi students compete in global chemistry contest
Updated 08 July 2025

Saudi students compete in global chemistry contest

Saudi students compete in global chemistry contest
  • The event is being held in Dubai until July 14, with more than 300 students from around the world competing for awards

RIYADH: Saudi students are taking part in the 57th International Chemistry Olympiad, the world’s largest high school chemistry competition.

The event is being held in Dubai until July 14, with more than 300 students from around the world competing for awards.

The scientific team has completed the review and translation of the practical exam for the Saudi students, who are preparing to take their first test, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday.

This year, the Kingdom is represented by four students who have undergone thousands of hours of intensive training under the supervision of the King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity, in partnership with the Ministry of Education.

The students are Rand Al-Hassan Awadhah (Riyadh), Haider Yasser Al-Dubaissi (Eastern Province), Ammar Mohammed Al-Turkistani (Jeddah) and Ali Ahmed Baouzir (Riyadh).

Ƶ has earned 45 awards in past International Chemistry Olympiads, held annually since 1968 in different countries. These include 15 silver medals, 28 bronze medals and two certificates of appreciation.

The olympiad promotes international collaboration in chemistry and encourages young talent to solve complex scientific problems through innovative thinking.

It also serves as a platform for cultural exchange and academic excellence, and supports the development of future leaders in science and technology.


Ƶ reaffirms support for Afghanistan’s security, stability

Ƶ reaffirms support for Afghanistan’s security, stability
Updated 08 July 2025

Ƶ reaffirms support for Afghanistan’s security, stability

Ƶ reaffirms support for Afghanistan’s security, stability
  • Envoy highlights Saudi humanitarian aid, calls for global cooperation at UN session in New York

RIYADH: Ƶ’s permanent representative to the UN, Ambassador Abdulaziz Al-Wasil, has reaffirmed the Kingdom’s support for Afghanistan’s security and stability, emphasizing the importance of respect for its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Speaking during a UN General Assembly session in New York on the situation in Afghanistan, Al-Wasil expressed the Kingdom’s concern over the humanitarian and economic challenges facing the Afghan people.

He called for intensified international efforts to provide urgent relief and essential support to ease their suffering, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday.

The envoy highlighted the Kingdom’s humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people through its aid agency, KSrelief. He underscored the importance of empowering Afghan women by promoting their rights in education, employment, and public life. 

Al-Wasil also emphasized the critical need to prevent Afghan territory from being used as a base for terrorist activities or drug trafficking, warning of the threats these pose to regional and global security.

He reaffirmed Ƶ’s commitment to continuing its support for political, humanitarian, and development initiatives aimed at stabilizing Afghanistan. 

So far, KSrelief has implemented 57 projects worth almost $54 million in Afghanistan, according to the agency’s website. 

The projects cover food security, health, education, water and sanitation, as well as humanitarian emergency relief coordination.