Four new projects to focus on environment, culture, and wellness in Riyadh

As part of ongoing efforts to improve the lives of Saudi citizens and transform the city of Riyadh in KSA into one of the world’s most livable cities, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman launched on 19 March 2019 four projects worth SR86 billion.

HRH Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will head the committee overseeing the projects: King Salman Park, Riyadh Green, Sports Boulevard, and Riyadh Art.

The projects will complement Saudi Vision 2030’s Quality of Life Program, and are aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, to create sustainable cities and communities, while driving urgent action against climate change.

The projects are expected to generate 70,000 new jobs for citizens in various sectors, and offer investment opportunities worth SR50 billion to local and foreign investors. Implementation will begin during 2H19.

King Salman Park

Source: King Salman Park website. The plan includes green areas and open spaces of more than 9.3 million sq m.

King Salman Park aims to contribute to changing and improving the lifestyle of all Riyadh residents. The park will be located at a strategic location in the heart of Riyadh, linked to six main roads and highways. It will include buildings and facilities such as: The Royal Art Complex, a national theatre, an opera house, art academies, museums and galleries, extensive green areas, open squares, sports compounds, and a golf course.

Sports Boulevard

Sports Boulevard aims to encourage citizens to follow a healthy lifestyle, exercise, and participate in different sports, particularly, walking, cycling, and horse riding. The boulevard will include 48 green and open space sites, event venues, show squares, outdoor museums, movie theatres, cycling and horseback riding tracks, jogging tracks, and sports and cultural centres.

Green Riyadh

Green Riyadh will lead to improved air quality, and reduced temperatures in Riyadh by increasing green space availability to 28 sq m per capita from the current 1.7 s m per capita. It aims to raise total green spaces by planting 7.5 million trees across the capital. All of the greening will be watered by recycled water from an irrigation network.

Riyadh Art

Riyadh Art will be the world’s largest government investment in public art. The project aims to engage artists and citizens from all around the world, as well as strengthen social values, improve civilised interaction, knowledge transfer, and creative cooperation. It will deliver more than 1,000 installation artworks and landmarks to be created by local and international artists, distributed in public spaces across the city of Riyadh. It will include cultural and art institutions such as museums and theatres.

Nizwa marks fruitful year as Capital of Islamic Culture 2015

Source: Ministry of Justice,
Oman.

Nizwa in Oman concludes the 2015 programme marking its selection as the Capital of Islamic Culture for the Arab region today, reports the Oman News Agency.

The project of Islamic Culture capitals was approved by the 3rd Islamic Conference of Ministers of Culture in 2001. The Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) chooses three cities each year from member states in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to be the capitals of Islamic Culture, representing the Arab, Asian and African Regions.

Nizwa was selected by the ISESCO to represent the Arab Region as a Capital of Islamic Culture for 2015 while Almaty, the previous capital of Kazakhstan, was selected to represent the Asian Region and Cotonou in Benin the African Region.

Nizwa Castle.

Nizwa is about 164 km from the capital Muscat. It used to be the capital city and continues to be one of the major scientific and cultural centres in Oman.

Interested?

Read the ISESCO blog post detailing Nizwa's history

Etihad and LUXE team up on collectible limited edition Business Class amenity kits

Source: Etihad Airways.

Etihad Airways has launched a new range of collectible limited edition Business Class amenity kits, the result of a unique collaboration between the airline and luxury travel brand LUXE City Guides, the guide for savvy travellers. The kits embody the flair synonymous with the Etihad Airways brand, and contain inflight amenities and natural facial products developed exclusively by London-based skincare and grooming brand Scaramouche + Fandango.

Six new stylised kit designs have been created by LUXE City Guides for Etihad Airways, inspired by some of the iconic cities on the airline’s extensive global network. The designs for Abu Dhabi, London and Madrid, have been specially produced for Etihad Airways, whilst the Los Angeles, Sydney and Hong Kong kits feature bespoke LUXE artwork. The initial limited edition offering will be expanded at a later stage, with new designs and more cities to be launched.

Each kit contains a customised Etihad Airways LUXE City Guide which corresponds to the showcased city, covering everything from hotels and restaurants, to spas, bars, boutiques and bespoke shopping, as well as services, specialists and personal guides. Scaramouche + Fandango has developed a unisex comfort kit and skincare offering in collaboration with Etihad Airways. Specially formulated for skincare needs inflight, the range consists of parabens-free products, high in natural ingredients, to enhance onboard wellbeing.

Calum Laming, Etihad Airways’ Vice President Guest Experience, said: “The introduction of these kits is not about providing brand names to our Business Class guests. It is about intelligent design, functionality and providing them with products which are attractive, natural, useful and re-usable. Collaborating with relevant, progressive lifestyle brands such as LUXE City Guides and Scaramouche + Fandango has enabled us to tailor amenities to the requirements of our guests while retaining all the authentic charm and sophistication of the Etihad Airways brand.

“Etihad Airways continues to reimagine the flying experience, setting a new benchmark for innovation and luxury. The introduction of these kits is part of a much bigger journey which was started with the introduction of our new revolutionary cabins on the flagship Airbus A380 and Boeing 787s, and the new service concepts introduced fleet-wide. These collectible kits also reflect the global nature of our business, while simultaneously highlighting the inspiration, style and unique qualities of our home, Abu Dhabi.”

Simon Westcott, LUXE City Guides Chief Executive Officer, said: “Etihad Airways offers one of the best inflight experiences in the world. In partnering with LUXE City Guides to create its new Business Class amenity kits, Etihad helps ensure that the premium experience extends long after its guests have landed. It is great to be working with fellow innovators.”

The comfort kit features a luxurious facial moisturiser enriched with vitamin E and made with anti-oxidants and essential oils to combat fatigue and the lower humidity levels in the cabin. Triglycerides and essential oils rebalance the skin’s natural moisture. A honey and shea butter lip balm enriched with vitamin E keeps lips hydrated. The new kits also include a sleep pack containing socks and eyemask, a care pack containing cotton pads and earbuds, in addition to a dental pack and earplugs.

The Abu Dhabi kit uses a unique design pattern inspired by the rich architectural heritage of the Emirate, translated into a style best described as Arabian Modernism. The pattern reflects the Etihad Airways’ brand and colour palette.

Ministry of Hajj reveals long-term initiatives to accommodate more pilgrims

Source: Ministry of Hajj, KSA.

Saudi Arabia expects to host many more pilgrims than over the next five years and is preparing to make the umrah and Hajj experiences as smooth as possible, revealed His Highness Dr Bandar ibn Muhammad Hajjar, the Minister of Hajj of Saudi Arabia. According to Dr Bandar, an estimated 8 million umrah pilgrims and 3 million Hajj pilgrims will visit this year, and the numbers will grow over the next five years.

Dr Bandar reported that the umrah and Hajj experiences are being enhanced on many fronts, including e-tracking for foreign pilgrims, crowd control (tafwij) during all stages of the Hajj journey, accommodation, health services, transportation, communications services, and project management. Other initiatives include the welcome and farewell ceremonies for umrah pilgrims, development of a Pilgrim City in Yanbu, and operating rest-houses along the Makkah-Madinah road.

The Ministry of Hajj is conducting studies on accommodating more pilgrims, including estimating water and electricity requirements, health, and transportation services, Dr Bandar said. The studies also cover the housing capacities in Makkah and Madinah, estimating local movement, and the accommodation of large numbers at the Mataf* (tawaf area), Mas`a** (sa`y area) and Al-Haramain Al-Sharifain***.

His Highness Dr Bandar further noted that the state has made the development of Al-Haramayn Al-Sharifayn and care of its visitors a top priority. Recent achievements to this purpose include the expansions of Al-Haramain Al-Sharifain, the Mas`a and the Mataf areas have all been expanded; established a Jamaraat**** facility, railway services in Mashair and Al-Haramain Al-Sharifain; built the King Abdul Aziz International Airport in Jeddah and the Prince Mohammad bin Abdul Aziz International Airport in Madinah, and also opened a Pilgrims Rest Hall with a 2,400-man capacity. 

*The mataf is the area where pilgrims circumambulate the Ka'abah as part of the ritual called the tawaf

**The Sa'y area is where pilgrims go seven times between the hills of As-Safa and Al Marwah

***Referring to the two holy cities of Makkah and Madinah

****A ritual where pebbles are thrown at pillars called jamaraat occurs as part of the pilgrimage

Panabo city recognises the significance of overseas Muslim investment

The local government of Panabo City in the Philippines organised a Halal Awareness Seminar on March 27 through the Tourism and Investment Promotions Section (TIPS) discussing the challenges of ‘halal’ cuisine in Davao, reported the Philippine Information Agency. 

According to Malou Ampuan of the Mindanao Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MICCI), Davao is the gateway for overseas Muslim business. “If we follow the strict and religious halal, we have nothing to eat here,” said Malou. 

Malou highlighted that the current Philippine Halal logo is no longer recognised by the International Halal Standard as some companies which had been using the logo without permission from the accreditation authority, Islamic Da’wah Council of the Philippines. 

Aleem Yusoph Adzaman, a speaker at the seminar, said that the seminar aims to develop the Philippines as a global market and a target for foreign Muslim investors, and also to publicise the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area Business Conference in October 2014 in Davao City. The city of Panabo also plans to conduct a seminar to build awareness on concept of ‘halal’ and its importance to the tourism and trade industry in the Philippines.