Saudi Arabia Record – Arabian Records (1st post : Eid Al Fitr – 01st Shawwal 1439 (AH) / 15th June 2018 ) / (BETA testing – Research

ARABIC POEMS, Pre-Islamic Era: Poetry in the Spotlight as ‘Khawalid’ Platform Records 1,000 Historic Poems

The King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language has launched the “Khawalid” initiative, an audio platform that aims to record 1,000 selected poems from the pre-Islamic era, in line with the Ministry of Culture’s Year of Arabic Poetry.

Abdullah Al-Washmi, secretary-general of KSGAFAL, told Arab News that the initiative, which translates to “living forever,” aimed at enriching Arabic content in various media.

He said: “Strengthening the role of the Arabic language is part of the set of goals from which the King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language‎ stems.”

One of its goals is to highlight the scientific, cultural and civilizational status of the Arabic language. It aims to create a platform that helps preserve Arabic content in the field of poetry.

Al-Washmi added that it will also make poetry, especially Arabic poems from the pre-Islamic era, more accessible to the public.

He said: “It highlights the value of the Arabic language, which expresses the linguistic depth in Saudi Arabia, to bring it closer to the public and endear them to it, to deepen its status, and to raise awareness of it as an integral part of the identity of the Arab person.”

The initiative will focus on the era that began approximately 150 to 200 years before Islam, and the KSGAFAL will direct work over all stages.

Its task will involve verifying work and its attribution to its author, along with determining the meaning and integrity of the content.

The selection will be limited to poems that are no less than 10 verses, taking into account the diversity of the poets and the selected works.

Al-Washmi said: “‎Poetry in the pre-Islamic era constitutes an important literary material that can be invested in building linguistic knowledge, enriching the artistic and aesthetic experience, and contributing to linking the contemporary generation with its authentic literary heritage.

“‎This initiative confirms the KSGAFAL’s interest in the culture and arts of the Arabic language, in addition to its great care in planning, teaching and computerizing it, striving in all of this to achieve its goals, which are a target of the Human Capacity Development Program, one of the Saudi Vision 2030 initiatives.”

source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)

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ARABIC POEMS / SAUDI ARABIA

SAUDI ARABIA: South Korea President joins Aramco CEO for $7bn Petrochemical Plant’s groundbreaking ceremony in Ulsa, South Korea, March 2023

Building work on Saudi Aramco’s new $7 billion Shaheen petrochemical project in Ulsa, South Korea has officially begun after a groundbreaking ceremony involving the energy giant’s CEO.

Amin Nasser attended the inauguration event alongside South Korea’s president Yoon Suk Yeol and senior officials from both countries.

The Shaheen project, announced in November 2022, is being built by South Korean refiner S-OIL Corp., of which Aramco owns a more than 63 percent stake.

“We are deeply honored by the presence of His Excellency President Yoon at this historic groundbreaking ceremony,” said Nasser – also the Aramco President.

“Shaheen is among Aramco’s biggest international downstream investments, representing a significant and sizeable step forward in our liquids-to-chemicals expansion and another major milestone in further strengthening our presence in Korea,” he continued.

Shaheen is Saudi Aramco’s largest investment in South Korea and is expected to be among the biggest integrated steam crackers – a petrochemical process – in the world.

It is also the first large-scale commercial use of Aramco’s thermal crude-to-chemicals technology, which was developed in partnership with Lummus Technology, a leading licensor of proprietary petrochemicals.

The construction of the new plant will be completed by 2026 and will have a production capacity of up to 3.2 million tons per year, in addition to a facility for producing high-value polymers.

Aramco has established a solid relationship with South Korea, and has recently agreed to a $6 billion framework deal with the country’s export-import bank.

According to the deal, Eximbank can lend Saudi Aramco up to $6 billion, which can be used to fund South Korean enterprises involved in projects with the global energy firm, whereas the bank indicated that $1 billion is set aside for hydrogen and renewable energy projects.

Moreover, Aramco also inked a memorandum of understanding with South Korea’s Hoban Group last month to collaborate in building and manufacturing.

source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)

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South Korea’s President Yoon (centre) with Aramco president Amin Nasser (Supplied)

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SAUDI ARABIA Elected to Chair Executive Council of UN’s World Tourism Organization for 2023 at 11th session of UNWTO, Marrakesh 22-25 November 2022

Saudi Arabia was first vice-chair of the executive council for 2022.

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Tourism has announced the election of the Kingdom as chair of the executive council of the United Nations World Tourism Organization for 2023.

The announcement was made at the 117th session of the organisation’s executive council being held in Marrakesh, making the Kingdom the first Gulf country to hold the post.

“The Kingdom is honored to be elected as chair of the World Tourism Organization’s executive council and we believe in the importance of the organization’s pioneering role. We look forward to cooperating with all countries to support and develop the global tourism sector,” the Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khateeb said.

He added that the Kingdom has been an active member of the organization by launching initiatives, supporting new ideas, and opening the organization’s first regional office in Saudi Arabia to promote its agenda and work in the Middle East and beyond.

“At the heart of the UNWTO is a desire to promote tourism as a catalyst of economic development, which Saudi Arabia wholeheartedly supports. We have committed $800 billion of government investment into the Saudi tourism industry by 2030.

“Our imperative is that the development we seek, both as a nation and globally, is sustainable, inclusive and resilient. That’s how we will address the fast-changing needs of businesses, communities and the planet,” Al-Khateeb said.

As chair, Saudi Arabia will set the agenda for all meetings, ensuring that it captures the most pressing issues and concerns for the tourism industry. It will facilitate and moderate meetings effectively, chair dialogue and encourage actionable outcomes.

source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)

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Saudi Arabia Walk Away with 19 Medals at West Asian Table Tennis Championships in Jordan

Players scoop 6 gold, 4 silver and 9 bronze.

In a remarkable feat, Saudi Arabia’s national team claimed a total of 19 medals at the recently concluded West Asian Table Tennis Championships in Jordan.

The wins were spread across the Saudi men’s and women’s teams and came in several different age categories.

The final tally was six gold, four silver and nine bronze.

Saudi Olympian Ali Khadrawi partnered Abdelaziz Bushulaibi to gold in the men’s doubles and there was also a first ever gold in the girl’s doubles under-11 category for Nihal Al-Qahtani and Fatima Al-Awami.

Three Saudi players — Khadrawi, Bushulaibi and Azzam Alem — qualified for the 2023 World Table Tennis Championships, to be held in South Africa, due to their performances in Jordan.

source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)

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Saudi’s Ali Khadrawi (left) and Abdelaziz Bushulaibi top the podium in Jordan. (@sttf_ksa)

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Saudi Arabia Unveils Guinness World Record-Breaking Riyadh Season Postage Stamp

Saudi Arabia has officially unveiled a special Riyadh Season stamp that set a new Guinness World Record.

Measuring an incredible 64 square feet 7 square inches, it broke the record for the biggest special stamp in the world on Feb. 14. The public finally got a glimpse of it when Saudi Post displayed it at Boulevard Riyadh City, one of the special Riyadh Season zones.

“By revealing this stamp, the world’s largest special stamp, we broke Walt Disney’s record, set in 2019,” Bandar Al-Toaimi, Saudi Post’s general manager of corporate communications, told Arab News.

“We are so delighted it has been achieved by Saudi capabilities; from concept to design and implementation, it was all done by Saudi talents devoted to Riyadh season.”

The special stamp celebrates Riyadh Season, which was introduced in 2019 and has become one of the biggest events in the Saudi entertainment calendar. The design includes a winter wonderland scene, the Riyadh Season logo, a hot air balloon, a fountain, a racing car and fireworks.

source/content: arabnews.com

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8 Facts you need to know about Saudi Arabia’s Founding Day – February 22nd

The history of the blessed Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the journey of its establishment was full of ambition. All the Kingdom’s founding leaders had great visions of a united state full of peace and stability.

This dream kept expanding bigger and bigger throughout their years to cover the whole of Arabian Peninsula and finally was achieved after centuries of fragmentation, dissension and instability.

On Thursday, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman issued a Royal Order to commemorate February 22 every year as Saudi Arabia’s Founding Day.

Here are 8 facts you need to know about the Founding Day:

1. Not the same as the Saudi National Day

The official National Day is still on September 23, and it signifies the unification day of all Saudi Arabia’s regions under King Abdulaziz.

While the nation’s Founding Day is a new event to commemorate the deep historical roots of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. September 23 is commemorated as the unification day of the third Saudi state.

2. A new political date for Saudi Arabia to celebrate

The objective of the announcement of the Founding Day is to put a precise political date to the founding of the state, namely the first Saudi State by Imam Muhammad bin Saud.

3. The second official Saudi holiday

The Founding Day, February 22, was decreed to be an official national holiday every year according to the Royal Order issued by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman.

4. The First Saudi State: 1157-1233H (1744-1818)

In 1139H (1727), Imam Muhammad bin Saud Al-Muqrin (Ibn Saud) founded the first Saudi state in Diriyah as its capital and made it the most stable regions after years of hard work.

5. Diriyah was divided before Ibn Saud united it

Diriyah was unsettled at the time due to many conflicts between neighboring tribes of Najd. After being assigned to govern Diriyah, Ibn Saud succeeded in bringing peace and safety, and in maintaining protection on the routes of trade and Hajj.

6. The Second Saudi State, known as the “Emirate of Najd”: 1240-1309H (1824-1891)

It was founded by Imam Turki bin Abdullah bin Muhammad bin Saud and located in Najd, the regions of Riyadh and Ha’il. His rule began when he liberated the entirety of Najd from the armies of Mohammad Ali Pasha.

7. Riyadh was not always the capital city

The township of Diriyah was the capital for the first Saudi state under Ibn Saud. However, the title of the Capital was transferred to Riyadh by Imam Turki when he established the second Saudi state.

8. The Third Saudi State, known as the “Kingdom of Saudi Arabia”: 1319H (1902)

In 1891, Muhammad Al Rashid took Riyadh which was governed at the time by King Abdulaziz’s father, Emir Abdulrahman bin Faisal Al Saud. Both former Emir and his 10-year-old son moved to Bahrain.

In 1902, Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al Saud, only 21 years old at the time, journeyed back to his ancestral home and succeeded in recapturing control of Riyadh against all odds.

During the following years, young King Abdulaziz set out to unite the rest of the surrounding regions into one state through a series of conquests. The year 1351H (1932) signifies the unification of all these regions under the Third Saudi State named the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

source/content: saudigazette.com.sa

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Saudi Rally World Champ, Yazeed Al-Rajhi Honored at FIA World Cup Prize Ceremony in France : December 2021

Yazeed Al-Rajhi (aka) Yazeed Mohamed Al-Rajhi. Rally Driver. Saudi Businessman.

Saudi rally champion Yazeed Al-Rajhi has been honored for winning the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Bajas title for the first time in his career.

The 40-year-old racer received his award during a prize-giving ceremony at the Carrousel du Louvre, in Paris, after becoming the first driver from the Kingdom to achieve the title in the highest rallying class, along with co-driver Michael Orr of Ireland.

The ceremony in France was attended by 800 driving champions, rising stars, and guests from around the world who saw Jean Todt, ex-president of the International Automobile Federation, hand Al-Rajhi the trophy.

Having claimed the title with Toyota Hilux, Al-Rajhi also thanked official sponsor Abdul Latif Jameel Motors for its unlimited support throughout the season.

His achievement was not only a personal one but also a landmark for Saudi motorsport, as he became the first driver from the country to be honored at the level by the FIA.

source/content: arabnews.com

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Yazeed Al-Rajhi is the winner of the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Bajas title for the first time. (Frédéric Le Floch/DPPI) / arabnews.com

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Saudi Arabia sets World Record for ‘Biggest SAXAUL TREE Botanical Garden’ : December 2021

‘Al-Ghadha Park in Unaizah (Makkah), which covers an area of more than 172 million square meters, has earned a Guinness World Record for the largest saxaul tree botanical garden.

“The saxaul trees give the area a unique beauty and magic that draws hikers from the Qassim region and beyond.”

Saleh Al-Waneen, a spokesperson for the Saxaul Association, told Arab News how the trees evolved to withstand the harsh desert climate.

“The tree grows and reproduces without any human intervention, and can go without water for many months,” he said. “In fact, this type of tree flowers, grows and thrives in the hottest temperatures in the summer without any irrigation or rain. It loves the heat and direct sun. Temperatures sometimes reach 58 C.

source/content : arabnews.com

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The people of Unaizah, a governorate in Al-Qassim Province, have cared for the indigenous trees for more than five decades, and there are strict laws against cutting them down. (Supplied) / arabnews.com

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Saudia’s Dr. Mohammed Al-Issa, MWL Chief Receives ‘Bridge Builder Award’ in Oslo, Norway : November 2021

Dr. Mohammed Bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa

Dr. Mohammed Bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa, Secretary General of the Muslim World League (MWL) and Chairman of the Muslim Scholars Association, has received the Norwegian Bridge Builder Award at a ceremony in Oslo.

He was one of three recipients of the award in 2021, which is given to people who have helped to build bridges between individuals, nations and societies.

The other two were Rev. Prof. Dr. Ioan Sauca, acting general secretary of the World Council of Churches, and Michael Melchior, Chief Rabbi and leader of the Religious Peace Initiative in Israel.

source/content: arabnews.com

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Dr. Mohammed Bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa, Secretary General of the Muslim World League (MWL) and Chairman of the Muslim Scholars Association, has received the Norwegian Bridge Builder Award. (Supplied) / pix: arabnews.com

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Tarek Hamdi Wins 1st Medal For Saudi Arabia, Tokyo 2020 Olympics : August 07th, 2021

Tarek Hamdi .Karate. Athlete.

Tarek Hamdi wins a silver medal in the Men’s karate competition at Tokyo Olympics.

Hamdi had endured a heartbreaking end to the final of the Men’s Karate Kumite +75kg when a penalty for dangerous play denied him a gold when he was leading 4-1 against Sajag Ganzjadeh of Iran, who departed the mat at Nippon Budokan arena on a stretcher. The match was awarded as a default 4-0 win for the Iranian.

This is Saudi Arabia’s second silver in its history after runner Hadi Sawan picked up silver in the 400m hurdles at the Sydney 2000 Games.

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