Egyptian Artisans Carve a Path to World Luxury Markets 

In this picture taken on February 19, 2023 a smith uses a flame to heat a jewellery piece during its fabrication process at the Azza Fahmy workshop in the 6th of October industrial zone southwest of Egypt's capital.(AFP)
In this picture taken on February 19, 2023 a smith uses a flame to heat a jewellery piece during its fabrication process at the Azza Fahmy workshop in the 6th of October industrial zone southwest of Egypt's capital.(AFP)
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Egyptian Artisans Carve a Path to World Luxury Markets 

In this picture taken on February 19, 2023 a smith uses a flame to heat a jewellery piece during its fabrication process at the Azza Fahmy workshop in the 6th of October industrial zone southwest of Egypt's capital.(AFP)
In this picture taken on February 19, 2023 a smith uses a flame to heat a jewellery piece during its fabrication process at the Azza Fahmy workshop in the 6th of October industrial zone southwest of Egypt's capital.(AFP)

Egyptian luxury brands are harnessing traditional craftsmanship from jewellery design to carpet weaving to bring the country's ancient cultural riches to the world.

Experts in the sector say the global appeal of Arab and Islamic designs from other countries shows Egypt could do more to promote its rich, millennia-old artistic heritage.

One pioneer has been master jeweller Azza Fahmy, whose signature Islamic art-inspired pieces have graced the world's rich and famous including US pop star Rihanna and Jordan's Queen Rania.

Fahmy, who started off in an Old Cairo workshop about 50 years ago, said her focus has been designs that "resonate with Egyptian identity".

Artists and artisans in Egypt, the Arab world's most populous country, draw from a history that spans ancient Pharaonic times, the Mamluk, Ottoman and modern eras.

"We are lucky to be able to draw on 6,000 years of history," said textile designer Goya Gallagher, founder of Cairo-based Malaika Linens, which makes high-end household pieces.

"The main challenge is making sure our pieces are timeless, that they're very well made and always hand-made," she said at the company workshop on the western outskirts of Cairo.

Myriad challenges

But while Egypt boasts some business success stories, many more luxury goods makers say they labor against myriad odds to eke out a market both locally and internationally.

In the era of global mass production, Egypt's once expansive pool of skilled artisans has shrunk, with many young people turning their backs on family skills passed down through the ages.

As businesses struggle to fill the talent gap, they also face the headwinds of a painful economic crisis that has tanked the local currency and restricted raw material imports.

The state's efforts to support the handicrafts sector, meanwhile, have been "limited and sporadic", says the United Nations Industrial Development Organization.

Culture consultant Dina Hafez agreed that Egypt offers little in the way of formalized arts and crafts training.

"The training of artisans is still essentially based on informal education and networks of apprenticeship," said Hafez of Blue Beyond Consulting.

"The sector lacks any structure. We need a real ecosystem. But for the moment, it's all based on personal initiatives."

She said Egypt could learn from Türkiye and Morocco, "where the opportunities and obstacles look a lot like Egypt", but which had managed to launch "their designs onto the international scene".

'Soft power'

Still, change is afoot.

Fahmy, the jewellery designer, said there is always space in the market for works made by skilled artisans and "good designers with creative minds and quality education".

Many designers hope to benefit from government initiatives to draw in investment and tourism revenue from its ancient wonders.

At the Grand Egyptian Museum at the foot of the Giza pyramids, Egyptian luxury stores enjoy pride of place.

Although its official opening has been long delayed, the museum offers limited tours and events, and the shops already "showcase the best of Egyptian crafts", said the owner of one, Mohamed al-Kahhal.

In Cairo's historic center, linen company Malaika trains women from marginalized backgrounds in embroidery and sells the wares to its customers and to other fashion and textile brands.

Carpet maker Hend al-Kahhal works in the same spirit, of bringing Egyptian identity to global frontiers.

Standing on the factory roof, where wool and silk creations hung out to dry, Kahhal said the family business works with designers "to give a contemporary touch to Pharaonic and Mamluk motifs".

The Egyptian Handicrafts Export Council, under the trade and industry ministry, has long been working to showcase such Egyptian creations internationally.

But Hafez, the culture consultant, said she hopes for more progress in future, as often "budget constraints, red tape and customs regulations don't exactly make things easier".

The question, she said, is whether Egyptian "authorities are really aware of the soft power these creators can have".



Hungarian and US Scientists Win Medicine Nobel for COVID-19 Vaccine Work 

A screen at the Karolinska Institute shows this year's laureates Katalin Kariko of Hungary (L) and Drew Weissman of the US during the announcement of the winners of the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm on October 2, 2023. (AFP)
A screen at the Karolinska Institute shows this year's laureates Katalin Kariko of Hungary (L) and Drew Weissman of the US during the announcement of the winners of the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm on October 2, 2023. (AFP)
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Hungarian and US Scientists Win Medicine Nobel for COVID-19 Vaccine Work 

A screen at the Karolinska Institute shows this year's laureates Katalin Kariko of Hungary (L) and Drew Weissman of the US during the announcement of the winners of the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm on October 2, 2023. (AFP)
A screen at the Karolinska Institute shows this year's laureates Katalin Kariko of Hungary (L) and Drew Weissman of the US during the announcement of the winners of the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm on October 2, 2023. (AFP)

Scientists Katalin Kariko and Drew Weissman from Hungary and the United States respectively won the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for discoveries enabling the development of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, the award-giving body said on Monday.

The prize, among the most prestigious in the scientific world, is selected by the Nobel Assembly of Sweden's Karolinska Institute medical university and also comes with 11 million Swedish crowns (about $1 million).

"The 2023 NobelPrize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to Katalin Kariko and Drew Weissman for their discoveries concerning nucleoside base modifications that enabled the development of effective mRNA vaccines against COVID-19," the body said.

Kariko was senior vice president and head of RNA protein replacement at BioNTech until 2022 and has since acted as an adviser to the company. She is also a professor at the University of Szeged in Hungary and adjunct professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine.

Weissman is professor in vaccine research at the Perelman School.

Kariko found a way to prevent the immune system from launching an inflammatory reaction against lab-made mRNA, previously seen as a major hurdle against any therapeutic use of mRNA.

Together with Weissman, she showed in 2005 that adjustments to nucleosides, the molecular letters that write the mRNA’s genetic code, can keep the mRNA under the immune system’s radar.

"So this year's Nobel Prize recognizes their basic science discovery that fundamentally changed our understanding of how mRNA interacts with the immune system and had a major impact on society during the recent pandemic," said Rickard Sandberg, member of the Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institute

The medicine prize kicks off this year's awards with the remaining five to be unveiled in the coming days.

The prizes, first handed out in 1901, were created by Swedish dynamite inventor and wealthy businessman Alfred Nobel, and are awarded for achievements in science, literature and peace, and in later years also for economics.

The Swedish king will present the prizes at a ceremony in Stockholm on Dec. 10, the anniversary of Nobel's death, followed by a lavish banquet at city hall.

Last year's medicine prize went to Swede Svante Paabo for sequencing the genome of the Neanderthal, an extinct relative of present-day humans, and for discovering a previously unknown human relative, the Denisovans.

Other past winners include Alexander Fleming, who shared the 1945 prize for the discovery of penicillin, and Karl Landsteiner in 1930 for his discovery of human blood groups.


Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission Signs Executive Program with China NPPA

The program will encourage the two parties to build bridges of culture, enrich content, and strengthen literary cooperation - SPA
The program will encourage the two parties to build bridges of culture, enrich content, and strengthen literary cooperation - SPA
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Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission Signs Executive Program with China NPPA

The program will encourage the two parties to build bridges of culture, enrich content, and strengthen literary cooperation - SPA
The program will encourage the two parties to build bridges of culture, enrich content, and strengthen literary cooperation - SPA

The Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission signed an executive program with the National Press and Publication Administration (NPPA) in China, for cooperation in the fields of translation, literature and publishing, and translation of prominent classic literature books from Arabic language into Chinese language and vice-versa, and publishing them in both friendly countries.The signing ceremony of the executive program took place at the Riyadh International Book Fair 2023, which is organized by the Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission under the theme "Inspirational Destination" at King Saud University in Riyadh from September 28 to October 7, SPA reported.

The program will encourage the two parties to build bridges of culture, enrich content, and strengthen literary cooperation between the Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission and the National Press and Publication Administration in China in a way that serves the sector and contributes to the development of cultural exchange between the Saudi and Chinese peoples.The program also reflects the keenness of the Ministry of Culture to promote international cultural exchange as one of the strategic goals of Saudi Vision 2023.


Celebrated Syrian Author Khaled Khalifa Dead at 59

Writer Khaled Khalifa speaks during an interview with AFP at his home in the Syrian capital Damascus on June 2, 2020. (AFP)
Writer Khaled Khalifa speaks during an interview with AFP at his home in the Syrian capital Damascus on June 2, 2020. (AFP)
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Celebrated Syrian Author Khaled Khalifa Dead at 59

Writer Khaled Khalifa speaks during an interview with AFP at his home in the Syrian capital Damascus on June 2, 2020. (AFP)
Writer Khaled Khalifa speaks during an interview with AFP at his home in the Syrian capital Damascus on June 2, 2020. (AFP)

Syrian writer and veteran government critic Khaled Khalifa has died of cardiac arrest at the age of 59 at his home in Damascus, a close friend told AFP.

Khalifa, who hailed from Maryamin in northwestern Aleppo province, was celebrated for his novels, television screenplays and newspaper columns, and honored with several of the Arab world's top literary awards.

He "died in his home alone in Damascus" on Saturday, said journalist Yaroub Aleesa, who had spent time with the author during his final days. "We called him repeatedly and he didn't respond. When we went to his home, we found him dead on the sofa."

Doctors at the Abbassiyyin Hospital in Damascus said the cause of death was a heart attack.

Khalifa gained fame as a writer of several popular Syrian TV series in the early 1990s.

He was known as a staunch opponent of the ruling Baath party and his columns criticizing the authorities.

But despite his well-known stance, he chose to remain in the country after the 2011 civil war broke out with the repression of protests against the government.

"I am staying because this is my country," he said in a 2019 interview. "I was born here, I live here and I want to die here!"

His 2006 novel "In Praise of Hatred" was shortlisted for the International Prize for Arab Fiction -- often dubbed the Arab Booker prize -- and was translated into six languages.

The novel recounts the story of a young Syrian woman from Aleppo who escapes her sequestered life by joining an extremist organization.

In 2013, his novel "No Knives in the Kitchens of this City" won the Naguib Mahfouz literature prize, Egypt's top accolade for writers.

It focuses on the lives of Syrians under the rule of the Baath party headed by President Bashar al-Assad.

The writer's death sparked a wave of condolences on social media from fellow writers and members of Syria's exiled opposition.

"Goodbye, you kind man," wrote Syrian writer and academic Salam Kawakibi.

Khalifa was expected to be buried later on Sunday in Damascus, though details of the funeral had yet to be disclosed.


King Abdulaziz Public Library Translates Over 100 Books from 12 Languages

The library has translated more than 100 books. SPA
The library has translated more than 100 books. SPA
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King Abdulaziz Public Library Translates Over 100 Books from 12 Languages

The library has translated more than 100 books. SPA
The library has translated more than 100 books. SPA

Translation from various international languages was a strategic goal of King Abdulaziz Public Library (KAPL) in Riyadh. Dozens of important books were translated into various scientific, literary, historical, and cultural fields, including children's books.

The library has translated more than 100 books, with a focus on works by Western scholars, orientalists, and travelers about Saudi Arabia and its founder King Abdulaziz Al Saud. It has also emphasized the translation of books related to history, Islamic civilization, and library science.

On International Translation Day, celebrated on September 30 each year, the library highlights the most prominent books that it has translated since the launch of its scientific publishing and translation program.

These translations have been from a range of international languages, including English, French, German, Korean, Hindi, Urdu, Czech, Turkish, Russian, Spanish, Japanese, and Chinese.

The International Federation of Translators, established in 1953, has been celebrating International Translation Day since 1991 to promote collaboration among translators worldwide and to underscore the importance of translation and translators' work. The United Nations General Assembly recognized and celebrated this day for the first time on September 30, 2017.


Cultural, Intellectual Destinations Inspire Riyadh International Book Fair Visitors

The Sultanate of Oman is the guest of honor during this edition
of the Riyadh International Book Fair. (Saleh al-Ghannam)
The Sultanate of Oman is the guest of honor during this edition of the Riyadh International Book Fair. (Saleh al-Ghannam)
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Cultural, Intellectual Destinations Inspire Riyadh International Book Fair Visitors

The Sultanate of Oman is the guest of honor during this edition
of the Riyadh International Book Fair. (Saleh al-Ghannam)
The Sultanate of Oman is the guest of honor during this edition of the Riyadh International Book Fair. (Saleh al-Ghannam)

The new edition of the Riyadh International Book Fair (RIBF) is offering its audience millions of books and new titles from the Arabic library, and also offering a wide space for intellectual and cultural dialogues that revive the evenings of the Saudi capital with publishers, intellects, and content creators from all over the world.

The corridors of the fair were crowded thanks to its new location at the King Saud University, and its organization over an area of 50,000 sqm. People have been touring seamlessly to visit the pavilions of over 1,800 publishers partaking from 32 countries and displaying millions of titles. The setup also features halls for the training workshops and platforms for the discussion evenings, which look into various topics on the intellectual movement and the Arabic creativity.

The Oman pavilion... history and art

RIBF is hosting a folkloric Omani group that performs popular arts reflecting the diversity and richness of the country. The Sultanate of Oman is the guest of honor of this year’s edition of the fair. Its pavilion displays diverse aspects of thought, culture, literature, art, and heritage, and hosts seminars, poetry evenings and art shows in which partakes an elite of Omani novelists and intellects.

Mhanna al-Qamshoui from the Omani Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Youth, said the visitors flocked to the Sultanate’s pavilion right after the opening, looking to explore the rare Omani manuscripts, the art exhibition, musical shows, and VR presentation on the Sultanate, as well as a Majlis serving Omani goods and popular sweets.

Qamshoui added that the pavilion exhibits a collection of rare manuscripts that reflect the Omani cultural history and its role in the Arab world, the connections among Arab countries and people throughout history, and their civilizational role in advancing humanity and serving various scientific and cultural purposes.

Visitors of the Omani pavilion have been given the opportunity to enjoy a collection of rare manuscripts including the oldest ever, which was written in 1137. The pavilion is decorated with a mural inspired by the Jabreen Castle built by Bil'arab bin Sultan bin Saif Al Yarubi in 1670.

Outdoor area... coffee and books

In the outdoor area, visitors can take a break in the coffee shops and partake in the intellectual discussions before resuming their tours.

The area also hosts theater shows and Saudi and Omani performances that entertain the visitors with cultural ambiances that highlight the historic connection between humans and books, and the significance of literatures for Arabs, as well as honoring the symbols of culture, thought, and poetry in the region.

Qamshoui announced that the Omani Orchestra will attend the RIBF in the few coming days to share its musical creativity with the Saudi audience, and expand the Omani experience in the heart of Saudi Arabia.


Saudi Assistant Culture Minister, Somali Education Minister Discuss Cultural Exchange

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the Riyadh International Book Fair 2023. SPA
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the Riyadh International Book Fair 2023. SPA
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Saudi Assistant Culture Minister, Somali Education Minister Discuss Cultural Exchange

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the Riyadh International Book Fair 2023. SPA
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the Riyadh International Book Fair 2023. SPA

Saudi Assistant Minister of Culture Rakan Al-Touq has met with the Somali Minister of Education, Culture and Higher Education Farah Sheikh Abdulkadir.

During their meeting, they discussed Saudi-Somali cultural exchange and cooperation in libraries and the Arabic language.

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the Riyadh International Book Fair 2023, held from September 28 to October 7, under the theme “An Inspiring Destination,” with the participation of several Somali intellectuals.


Japan's Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Gives Lecture in Al-Jouf Region

SPA
SPA
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Japan's Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Gives Lecture in Al-Jouf Region

SPA
SPA

Ambassador of Japan to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Fumio Iwai gave a public lecture titled “Experience of Japan through Meiji Restoration” at Abdurahman Al-Sudeiri Culture Canter in Sakaka, Al-Jouf Region.

In his lecture, Ambassador Iwai talked about the social and economic reforms that Japan experienced in its history and discussed the similarities with the dynamic social and economic reforms currently underway in Saudi Arabia, in terms of developing industry and culture, growing human resource and passion of the people, according to SPA.

Ambassador Iwai exchanged opinions with the audience through a question-and-answer session.

Prior to the lecture, Ambassador Iwai paid a visit to Prince Faisal bin Nawaf bin Abdulaziz, the Governor of Al-Jouf province.

He also visited Al-Jouf University and met with the its president, Dr. Mohammed bin Mufrij Al-Huwaiti, the chamber of commerce, and Nawwaf Al-Rashed Heritage Museum.


Al-Jouf University Joins Times Higher Education 2024

Al-Jouf University Joins Times Higher Education 2024
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Al-Jouf University Joins Times Higher Education 2024

Al-Jouf University Joins Times Higher Education 2024

Al-Jouf University has realized an achievement by joining the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024 for the second time, SPA reported.
Acting President of Al-Jouf University Dr. Mohammed Al-Hwaiti said that this achievement is an addition to other accomplishments that the university has achieved on international rankings over the past two years.

He said this accomplishment reflects its efforts to develop the academic and administrative world through visions and plans that contributed to making the university a distinguished facility among international universities.


Pakistani Biryani: A Spicy Recipe for Delectable Debate 

In this photograph taken on September 19, 2023, a staff carries plates of biryani at a restaurant in Karachi. (AFP)
In this photograph taken on September 19, 2023, a staff carries plates of biryani at a restaurant in Karachi. (AFP)
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Pakistani Biryani: A Spicy Recipe for Delectable Debate 

In this photograph taken on September 19, 2023, a staff carries plates of biryani at a restaurant in Karachi. (AFP)
In this photograph taken on September 19, 2023, a staff carries plates of biryani at a restaurant in Karachi. (AFP)

Eying each other across a stream of traffic, rival Pakistani biryani joints vie for customers, serving a fiery medley of meat, rice and spice that unites and divides South Asian appetites.

Both sell a niche version of the dish, steeped in the same vats, with matching prices and trophies commending their quality.

But in Karachi, where a biryani craze boomed after the creation of Pakistan, it is the subtle differences that inspire devotion.

"Our biryani is not only different from theirs but unique in the world," says restaurateur Muhammad Saqib, who layers his "bone marrow biryani" with herbs.

"When a person bites into it he drowns in a world of flavors," the 36-year-old says.

Across the road, Muhammad Zain sees it differently.

"We were the ones who started the biryani business here first," the 27-year-old claims, as staff scoop out sharing platters with a gut-punch of masala.

"It's our own personal and secret recipe."

Both agree on one thing.

"You can't find biryani like Pakistan's anywhere in the world," says Saqib.

"Whether it's a celebration or any other occasion, biryani always comes first," according to Zain.

International cuisine

British colonial rule in South Asia ended in 1947 with a violent rupture of the region along religious lines.

Hindus and Sikhs in newly created Pakistan fled to India while Muslim "Mohajirs" -- refugees -- went the other way.

India and Pakistan have been arch-rivals since, fighting wars and locked in endless diplomatic strife. Trade and travel have been largely choked off.

Many Mohajirs settled in Karachi, home to just 400,000 people in 1947 but one of the world's largest cities today with a population of 20 million.

For Indian food historian Pushpesh Pant, biryani served in South Asia's melting-pot cities such as Karachi is a reminder of shared heritage.

"Hindus ate differently, Nanakpanthis (Sikhs) ate differently, and Muslims ate differently, but it was not as if their food did not influence each other," he told AFP from the city of Gurugram outside Delhi.

"In certain parts of Pakistan and certain parts of India, the differences in flavors and foods are not as great as man-made borders would make us think."

Every Karachi neighborhood has its own canteens fronted by vendors clanking a spatula against the inside of biryani pots.

The recipe has endless variations.

The one with beef is a favorite in Islamic Pakistan, while vegetarian variants are more popular in largely Hindu India.

Chicken is universal. Along coastlines, seafood is in the mix.

And purists debate if adding potatoes is heresy.

"Other than that, there is Pulao Biryani which is purely from Delhi," says 27-year-old pharmacist Muhammad Al Aaqib, describing a broth-stewed variation.

"My roots lead back to Delhi too so it's like the mother of biryanis for us."

"Perhaps every person has a different way of cooking it, and their way is better," says 36-year-old landlord Mehran Khoso.

'No secret ingredient'

The origins of biryani are hotly contested.

However, it is generally accepted the word has Persian roots and it is argued the dish was popularized in the elite kitchens of the Mughal Empire, which spanned South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries.

In spite of that pedigree, its defining quality is permutation.

Quratul Ain Asad, 40, spends Sunday morning cooking for her husband and son, Mohajir descendants of a family that arrived in Karachi from the Indian town of Tonk in 1948.

But at the dinner table, they feast not on an heirloom recipe but a TV chef's version with a cooling yoghurt sauce and a simple shredded salad.

Asad insists on Karachi's biryani supremacy.

"You will not like biryani from anywhere else once you've tasted Karachi's biryani," she says.

"There is no secret ingredient. I just cook with a lot of passion and joy," she adds. "Perhaps that's why the taste comes out good."

Cooked in bulk, biryani is also a staple of charity donations.

At Ghazi Foods, 28-year-old Ali Nawaz paddles out dozens of portions of biryani into plastic pouches, which are delivered to poor neighborhoods on motorbikes.

A minute after one of those bikes stops, the biryani is gone, seized by kids and young adults.

"People pray for us when they eat it," says Nawaz. "It feels good that our biryani reaches the people."


King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language Launches Riyadh Lexicon

Riyadh Lexicon provides linguistic explanation of modern contemporary vocabulary - SPA
Riyadh Lexicon provides linguistic explanation of modern contemporary vocabulary - SPA
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King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language Launches Riyadh Lexicon

Riyadh Lexicon provides linguistic explanation of modern contemporary vocabulary - SPA
Riyadh Lexicon provides linguistic explanation of modern contemporary vocabulary - SPA

The King Salman Global Academy for the Arabic Language celebrated on Wednesday the launch of Riyadh Lexicon, the richest dictionary in contemporary words.
Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the academy patronized the launching ceremony with the attendance of linguists and representatives of strategic partners, SPA reported.
Acting Secretary General of the King Salman Global Academy for the Arabic Language Dr. Abdullah bin Saleh Al-Washmi commended the efforts of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s leadership in supporting and promoting the Arabic language worldwide.
Riyadh Lexicon provides linguistic explanation of modern contemporary vocabulary using computer technologies for more storage, preciseness and search tools. It is also uploaded in an App to be used in mobile phones.
The launch of the Riyadh Lexicon is in re-emphasis of the Kingdom’s strategic support to all issues pertaining to the Arabic language.