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Saudi Arabia Discusses Joint Cooperation with British, German Officials

Saudi Assistant Minister of Culture Rakan bin Ibrahim Al-Touq met with the UK Parliamentary Under Secretary of State of Department for Culture, Media and Sport. SPA
Saudi Assistant Minister of Culture Rakan bin Ibrahim Al-Touq met with the UK Parliamentary Under Secretary of State of Department for Culture, Media and Sport. SPA
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Saudi Arabia Discusses Joint Cooperation with British, German Officials

Saudi Assistant Minister of Culture Rakan bin Ibrahim Al-Touq met with the UK Parliamentary Under Secretary of State of Department for Culture, Media and Sport. SPA
Saudi Assistant Minister of Culture Rakan bin Ibrahim Al-Touq met with the UK Parliamentary Under Secretary of State of Department for Culture, Media and Sport. SPA

Saudi Assistant Minister of Culture Rakan bin Ibrahim Al-Touq met on Saturday with the UK Parliamentary Under Secretary of State of Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Lord Stephen Parkinson, on the sidelines of the meeting of the G20 Ministers of Culture in Varanasi in India.

During the meeting, the two sides discussed bilateral cultural cooperation between the two friendly countries, mainly the participation of the Saudi Culinary Arts Commission in the Taste of London Festival and the partnership between Royal Academy of Culinary Arts and The Prince's Foundation School of Traditional Arts.

Also on the sidelines of the meeting in Veranasi, Al-Touq met with the Germany Minister of State for Culture and the Media, Claudia Roth.

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Tourists Toss Coins over a Makeshift Pool as Rome’s Trevi Fountain Undergoes Maintenance

A small pool is seen in front of the Trevi Fountain to allow tourists to throw their coins in it, as the fountain has been emptied to undergo maintenance work that will last until around September 2025, in Rome, Friday, Nov. 1, 2024. (AP)
A small pool is seen in front of the Trevi Fountain to allow tourists to throw their coins in it, as the fountain has been emptied to undergo maintenance work that will last until around September 2025, in Rome, Friday, Nov. 1, 2024. (AP)
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Tourists Toss Coins over a Makeshift Pool as Rome’s Trevi Fountain Undergoes Maintenance

A small pool is seen in front of the Trevi Fountain to allow tourists to throw their coins in it, as the fountain has been emptied to undergo maintenance work that will last until around September 2025, in Rome, Friday, Nov. 1, 2024. (AP)
A small pool is seen in front of the Trevi Fountain to allow tourists to throw their coins in it, as the fountain has been emptied to undergo maintenance work that will last until around September 2025, in Rome, Friday, Nov. 1, 2024. (AP)

Tourists eager to return to the Eternal City are being forced to toss coins over a plastic barrier and into a small makeshift pool in front of Rome’s Trevi Fountain while the attraction is being drained for maintenance.

The rectangular box, unadorned and showing its plywood finish, has elicited mixed reactions. “I think it is a very sweet gesture that people can still do that," said Marianna Strekstadt, visiting from the Netherlands on Friday. A cashless traveler, she was taking a pass.

Others, like Daniela Carbone, found the substitute pool “ugly.” Yet, she gave her kids some coins to throw in anyway. “We have to please the children,” she said.

City lore has it that tossing a coin into the Baroque fountain will ensure a return trip to Rome. This tradition generates an estimated 1.5 million euros ($1.6 million) annually, which has been donated to the Catholic charity Caritas for the past 15 years.

To manage the overwhelming number of tourists visiting the fountain, Rome City officials are devising a plan to block off the area around the fountain. Visitors will be required to book online and then pay a fee of 2 euros ($2.20) to get in. Once inside, they will have 30 minutes to enjoy the fountain.