Category: Arts

The Red Sea International Film Festival (RSIFF) has opened the early-bird accreditation for its third edition under the title, “Be part of a scene that pulsates creativity.”

The RSIFF has urged cinema enthusiasts to register for the early-bird accreditation before September 18 at tinyurl.com/3trhvvy9 to see available offers.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Bahrain’s first edition of the almond festival opened today at the site of the farmers’ market at the Budaiya Botanical Garden.

The Ministry of Municipalities and Agriculture launched the maid edition which attracted large numbers of citizens, residents and GCC visitors.

In a statement on this occasion, Undersecretary for Agriculture Affairs and Marine Resources Dr. Khalid Ahmed Hassan unveiled plans to hold the festival yearly, following the successful periodic annual organization of the Bahraini Farmers’ Souq.

The festival will be open for visitors from 04:00 pm until 09:00 pm, featuring a range of events targeting visitors and children as well.

The ministry is holding the event in partnership with the National Initiative for Agricultural Development (NIAD) and the Bahrain Agricultural Cooperative Society.

The two-week festival showcases the products of 15 farmers, 3 projects and productive families, in addition to four restaurants specialized in almond-based dishes.

NIAD Secretary-General Shaikha Maram bint Isa Al Khalifa stressed the importance of holding such festivals which provide an opportunity to exchange expertise and experiences that contribute to boosting productivity, in addition to showcasing locally-produced fruit.

Source: Bahrain News Agency

An Almond Festival will be held in Bahrain for the first time next month, Agriculture and Marine Resources Undersecretary at the Ministry of Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture, Dr. Khalid Ahmed, has announced.

The first edition of the festival will be held at the Bahraini Farmers’ Market site in the Budaiya Botanical Garden on July 8 and July 15.

He indicated that the Ministry plans to hold the Almond Festival every year to attract the citizens, residents and nationals of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, noting that it will feature a line-up of events that would appeal to visitors and highlight the progress the kingdom’s agricultural sector is witnessing.

He added that the Ministry, in cooperation with sponsors, mainly the National Initiative for Agricultural Development (NIAD) and the Bahrain Agricultural Cooperative Society, is keen to ensure the distinction of the new festival, building on the outstanding success of the Bahraini Farmers’ Market.

He indicated that almond varieties will be displayed during the event, and 1,000 almond seedlings will be planted by the ministry on the sidelines of the festival.

The festival will also shed light on the manufacturing industries of almonds, and provide information on almond varieties, methods of cultivation and pests exposed to them. It will also feature almond-related educational activities for children, as the almond tree is part of the local heritage.

The undersecretary asserted that the Almond Festival will provide a platform for Bahraini farmers to market their products, as well as motivate them to increase their almond production, and introduce new varieties.

Source: Bahrain News Agency

The Fashion Commission announced the participation of several designers in the Saudi 100 Brands Program in the Fashion Week that will be held in Paris, end of June, and the Haute Couture Week in early July, where they will be showcasing products of Saudi designers in front of visitors.

On this occasion, the Commission CEO, Burak Cakmak, said: “We are pleased to participate in these two events, which will enable local talents to interact with their international peers, and exchange experiences with them in a way that contributes to developing and refining their talents, as well as meeting with businessmen, global buyers and active investors in the world of fashion”.

He added: “The Saudi 100 Brand Program has proven, since its launch in 2021, that the Kingdom has a wide range of unique brands and distinguished local talents in the fashion world, and the Commission seeks to enable them through international participation to mingle and interact with experts in this field and benefit from them to develop their skills and their trademarks.”

This participation will witness the presence of more than 50 brands in the ready-made clothing exhibition from June 25 to 27, and in the Couture exhibition from July 3 to 5 in Paris, which will be sponsored by the Saudi Coffee Company throughout this period.

This participation also comes as part of the Commission’s efforts to develop this sector and support local talents and reflects the Ministry of Culture’s keenness to promote international cultural exchange as one of the strategic goals that it seeks to achieve under the umbrella of Saudi Vision 2030.

The Fashion Commission launched the Saudi 100 Brand Program in 2021, as one of the strategic initiatives through which the Commission aims to develop and support 100 Saudi fashion brands to develop its local and international markets through training, guidance, and specialized consultations.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

The exhibition of technology, equipment, and software of the Arab States Broadcasting Union (ASBU) kicked off today in the City of Culture in the Tunisian capital, Tunis.

The exhibition is held within the framework of the 23rd edition of the Arab Radio and Television Festival organized by ASBU.

The exhibition was inaugurated by the Tunisian Minister of Cultural Affairs, Hayet Guettat; the President of ASBU and CEO of the Saudi Broadcasting Authority, Mohammed bin Fahd Al-Harthi; and ASBU Director General Abdelrahim Suleiman.

The exhibition included more than 50 pavilions representing ASBU’s member authorities as well as Arab radio and television stations, foreign Arab-language media channels, and content production and distribution companies.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

The activities of the 8th Festival of Embassies – Food & Culture 2023 began in Prague on Saturday with participation of Syria.

The festival is organized by Prague and foreign embassies and consulates accredited in the Czech Republic under the slogan “Culture and food unite peoples”.

It is an event presenting the culture and gastronomy of countries around the world.

The Syrian Embassy stand at the festival presents the cultural on Syria, including the textile and food industries, tourist and heritage places in addition to food dishes and sweets which are well known in Syria.

Embassies of 52 countries, including several Arab countries, took part in the festival.

Source: Syrian Arab News Agency

The Cooperative Republic of Guyana, headed by His Excellency Dr. Mohamed Irfan Ali, President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, who is currently on an official visit to the country, is located on the northern mainland of South America, bordered by Brazil, Venezuela, Suriname and the Atlantic Ocean. It is one of the nine countries that make up the Amazon rainforest, with an area of 214,969 square kilometers.

Being the only English-speaking country in South America, Guyana is culturally part of the Anglophone Caribbean. It also shares maritime borders with Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados, and is a gateway to North America.

The population of Guyana is less than one million, and the population hails from the Americas, Europe, Portugal, Africa, India, and China, and they unite together to create a unique cultural experience, distinguished by different dialects, cuisines, arts, fashion, music, and other forms of expression.

According to a statement from Exxon Mobil, Guyana has large high-quality oil reserves, estimated at 33 billion undiscovered barrels, with the potential to produce 750,000 barrels per day by 2025.

The Co-operative Republic of Guyana is called the “land of Many Waters”; as it includes 276 waterfalls and four major rivers, which makes its hydroelectric power a reliable source of electricity and sunlight throughout the year also creates a stable source of solar energy in addition to the coastal plains in Guyana allow the operation of powerful turbines to become a sustainable source of energy.

Guyana is famous for the production of gold, diamonds, and semi-precious stones, as the mining sector exports these and other materials in high-quality bauxite, copper, iron, nickel, and aluminum.

The area of forests in Guyana is about 18.5 million hectares, and more than 1,000 species of trees have been classified from the Amazon region. Its main exports from these forests include raw timber and refined cotton charcoal, and its skilled artisans also produce a variety of handcrafted furnishings for home and office use.

The Co-operative Republic of Guyana has large numbers of skilled workers who serve in the industry sector, which contributes to lower production costs, as Guyana is famous for packaging agricultural products, the creation of clothing for various brands, the production of a steady supply of medicines, beverages, and industrial materials, and its strategic location allows it to meet the demand for manufactured, packaged products using global distribution channels.

Guyana has more than 400,000 hectares of arable land, fertile soil, and distinctive weather that helps grow crops producing sugar, flour, rice, fresh and frozen fruits, vegetables, as well as animal and marine production.

At the level of the tourism and hospitality sector, the Co-operative Republic of Guyana is a distinguished tourist destination due to its unique cultural heritage, landscapes, and tourist attractions that make it the undiscovered jewel of the Amazon, and Guyana airport has recently been expanded to facilitate the movement of many flights, increase the number of visitors, and owns many high-end hotels. Guyana is keen to have vocational training in the hospitality and tourism industry.

Education in Guyana is seen as a bridge out of poverty, the only way to permanently improve the quality of life of its citizens in all sectors.

Guyana is famous for the quality of teaching, modernizing its curricula, and normalizing e-learning in classrooms and vocational training centers.

The Co-operative Republic of Guyana has several advantages that make it an ideal location for Information Technology Enabled Services (ITES), as its English-speaking heritage and good approach have led to the opening of many business process facilitation (call centers) companies specializing in outside sales or telemarketing.

Guyana strives to raise awareness of the need to improve medical services and facilities, particularly in maternity care, oncology, and mental health, and its rural and urban communities benefit from well-equipped hospitals, comprehensive health centers, advanced technological treatments, and high-quality medicines.

Guyana is expanding infrastructure projects such as highways, roundabouts, bridges, banks, airports, laying communication cables, and building cell towers to serve the population, schools, universities, hospitals, and factories to keep pace with the massive economic transformation in all sectors.

The Co-operative Republic of Guyana has several national celebrations, the most important of which is Independence Day which falls on May 26 of each year, in which the celebration of the anniversary of Guyana’s independence from the UK on May 26, 1966, and preparations for this day begin months in advance, usually ending at midnight, as thousands gather at the National Cultural Center to participate in the flag-raising ceremony, listen to the president’s speech, enjoy a variety of performances, including painting the Maypole, listening to poems, music, and songs, where the festivities end with a grand fireworks display and local specialties.

Guyana also celebrates Emancipation Day on Aug. 1 of each year, and it is also called Freedom Day in Guyana and other parts of the Caribbean, in which the people of Guyana celebrate the anniversary of the end of slavery on Aug. 1, 1838. On this day, residents of all cultural backgrounds wear different and traditional African clothes and offer artistic and cultural performances that include traditional dances, African music, drum,s and food, fun shows, and games.

Source: Qatar News Agency

The Information & eGovernment Authority (iGA) participated in the 6th Smart Cities Summit 2023.

The event was held under the patronage of he Minister of Municipalities and Agriculture Affairs Wael bin Nasser Al Mubarak on May 16 – 17 May 2023 at the Gulf Convention Centre – Gulf Hotel.

iGA participated in the panel discussion and the concurrent exhibition organized alongside with summit with participation of local and international entities.

During the opening ceremony, iGA Chief Executive Mohamed Ali Al Qaed, iGA received the Smart Cities 2023 Award – Smart Citizens Engagement category for Tawasul app.

The app been awarded for its features and eServices that contributes to reinforce and enhance community partnership support smart cities.

Al Qaed expressed his sincere thanks and appreciation to the organizing committee for the well organization and awarding iGA, wishing the summit all the success.

He emphasized that the award reflects the government’s efforts towards adopting technologies and providing advanced channels that reinforce communication between citizens and residents with the public entities and support government efforts and policies towards sustainable development

.

The iGA is participating in number of panel discussions as part of the summit’s program, i.e. the ” Food security and AgriTech in Bahrain, opportunities and challenges “.

Chief of Spatial Information and Remote Sensing – GIS Directorate I Fathi Al Burshaid is showcasing a number of iGA projects such as Vegetation survey, Soil Mapping and Botanical Atlas Projects.

iGA Head of eService Delivery Fatima Abdul Kareem participated in the panel “Enabling Smart Citizens” highlighting the National Suggestion & Complaint system “Tawasul” and Tawasul app, shading light on its role in promoting interactive engagement with citizens as part of ICT initiatives that contribute towards improving people’s quality of life.

iGA participated with a stand in the concurrent exhibition to showcase several digital transformation projects and systems that support the real estate development and facilitate investors services.

The showcased projects include the Planning Platform (www.planning.bh), which is an interactive digital platform that provides services related to the land planning process and mechanism, in addition to providing urban planning eServices.

It is worth mentioning that the Bahrain Smart Cities Summit 2023 aimed to showcase a number of international practices in the field of digital transformation of smart cities, the challenges and the related strategies.

Source: Bahrain News Agency

Themed “First House”, in reference to the Holy Ka’bah in Makkah, the Islamic Arts Biennale 2023, organised by the Diriyah Biennale Foundation at the Western Hajj Terminal at King Abdulaziz International Airport, continues to welcome visitors until May 23, helping them immerse in a multi-sensory journey through the past, present and future of the Islamic arts. This exhibition aims at increasing awareness and reflection on this type of Islamic arts and at providing unique opportunities for learning and research.

Since its opening on January 23, 2023, the Islamic Arts Biennale has received more than 425,000 visitors. It features works of over 40 artists from around the globe, over 50 pieces of new style, 280 artefacts and over 15 never-before-exhibited artefacts exhibited in four galleries, two pavilions, and an outdoor area. Alongside the biennale is “Al Madar”, a satellite exhibition that serves to open doors to future collaborations and partnerships.

Spread across 118,000 square metres of space, the Islamic Arts Biennale 2023 is a first-of-its-kind exhibition that conveys a holistic perspective of Islamic art as a living tradition that connects past, present, and future.

Source: Saudi Press Agency