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Saudi Arabia Participates in World Travel Market to Showcase its Unique Destinations

A general view of Riyadh city, Saudi Arabia, February 20, 2022. REUTERS/Mohammed Benmansour
A general view of Riyadh city, Saudi Arabia, February 20, 2022. REUTERS/Mohammed Benmansour
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Saudi Arabia Participates in World Travel Market to Showcase its Unique Destinations

A general view of Riyadh city, Saudi Arabia, February 20, 2022. REUTERS/Mohammed Benmansour
A general view of Riyadh city, Saudi Arabia, February 20, 2022. REUTERS/Mohammed Benmansour

Saudi Arabia, the world’s fastest-growing tourism destination, is taking part, once again, in the World Travel Market (WTM), held in London from November 6 to 9, to promote tourism.
More than 75 representatives of the most important tourist destinations, such as AlUla, Diriyah, Al Soudah, historic Jeddah, of ministries and agencies, of the most important international hotel chains, airlines, travel and tourism companies, and tour operators, in addition to a number of “Nusuk” platform partners, take part in the event; the number marks a 48% increase over the previous participation, according to SPA.
The Kingdom will be present in an interactive pavilion that projects the Saudi hospitality and culture, highlights unique destinations and inspiring experiences and reflects its natural and climatic diversity.
Minister of Tourism and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Tourism Authority Ahmed bin Aqeel Al-Khatib said: “With pride, Saudi tourism is enhancing its remarkable and distinguished presence at WTM in London, through more than 75 partners of the Saudi tourism sector, to contribute to highlighting destinations, offers and events, and reinforce the Kingdom’s leadership position in the field of sustainable tourism.”
“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s participation in important global forums is expanding year after year, which confirms our firm commitment to advancing the growth and prosperity of the global tourism sector, and achieving the goals of Saudi Vision 2030, by highlighting the enormous investment opportunities and inviting the whole world to explore inspiring tourism experiences, which only exist in Saudi Arabia", Al-Khatib added.
For his part, Tourism Authority CEO Fahd Hamidaddin said: “Our participation this year in the WTM comes to confirm to our partners our commitment to providing everything new and of quality, and today we bring the largest number of destinations, products and service providers, in order to attract larger numbers and segments of international travelers.”

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has held the presidency of the Executive Council of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) since 2022; it was re-elected to the position in October 2023. It also hosts the World Tourism Organization's first regional office in the Middle East.

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Culture

Saudi Arabia Participates in Cairo International Book Fair 2026

Saudi Arabia Participates in Cairo International Book Fair 2026
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Saudi Arabia Participates in Cairo International Book Fair 2026

Saudi Arabia Participates in Cairo International Book Fair 2026

The Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission will lead the Kingdom’s participation in the 57th edition of the Cairo International Book Fair 2026 taking place from January 21 until February 3.

CEO of the Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission Abdullatif Alwasel stated that this participation is an extension of the commission’s ongoing efforts to enhance the Kingdom’s cultural and literary presence at the regional and international levels and to introduce Saudi cultural heritage, while underscoring the Kingdom’s role in leading the global cultural landscape.

He noted that the commission has mobilized its capabilities to support the participation of Saudi publishing houses in book fairs both within and outside the Kingdom, while also working to attract international publishers to participate in Saudi book fairs by building new partnerships and strengthening channels of cultural cooperation.

The Kingdom’s participation in the fair, which is organized by the General Egyptian Book Organization, aims to strengthen cultural relations and knowledge exchange between the Kingdom and Egypt, enhance cooperation in the fields of literature, publishing, and translation, support and promote Saudi publishing houses and literary agencies internationally, and raise awareness of Saudi cultural heritage in global forums.

Culture

Top Prosecutor: Louvre Heist Probe Still Aims to Recover Jewelry

FILE - People wait for the Louvre museum to open, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025 in Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, File)
FILE - People wait for the Louvre museum to open, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025 in Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, File)
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Top Prosecutor: Louvre Heist Probe Still Aims to Recover Jewelry

FILE - People wait for the Louvre museum to open, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025 in Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, File)
FILE - People wait for the Louvre museum to open, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025 in Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, File)

French investigators remain determined to find the imperial jewels stolen from the Louvre in October, a prosecutor has told AFP.

Police believe they have arrested all four thieves who carried out the brazen October 19 robbery, making off with jewelry worth an estimated $102 million from the world-famous museum.

"The interrogations have not produced any new investigative elements," top Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said this week, three months after the broad-daylight heist.

But the case remains a top priority, she underlined.

"Our main objective is still to recover the jewelry," she said.

That Sunday morning in October, thieves parked a mover's truck with an extendable ladder below the Louvre's Apollo Gallery housing the French crown jewels.

Two of the thieves climbed up the ladder, broke a window and used angle grinders to cut glass display booths containing the treasures, while the other two waited below, investigators say.

The four then fled on high-powered motor scooters, dropping a diamond-and-emerald crown in their hurry.

But eight other items of jewelry -- including an emerald-and-diamond necklace that Napoleon I gave his second wife, Empress Marie-Louise -- remain at large.

Beccuau said investigators were keeping an open mind as to where the loot might be.

"We don't have any signals indicating that the jewelry is likely to have crossed the border," she said, though she added: "Anything is possible."

Detectives benefitted from contacts with "intermediaries in the art world, including internationally" as they pursued their probe.

"They have ways of receiving warning signals about networks of receivers of stolen goods, including abroad," Beccuau said.

As for anyone coming forward to hand over the jewels, that would be considered to be "active repentance, which could be taken into consideration" later during a trial, she said.

A fifth suspect, a 38-year-old woman who is the partner of one of the men, has been charged with being an accomplice but was released under judicial supervision pending a trial.

Investigators still had no idea if someone had ordered the theft.

"We refuse to have any preconceived notions about what might have led the individuals concerned to commit this theft," the prosecutor said.

But she said detectives and investigating magistrates were resolute.

"We haven't said our last word. It will take as long as it takes," she said.

Culture

Desert X AlUla Unveils Acclaimed Lineup of Saudi and Global Artists in 2026 Edition

Mohammad AlFaraj's artwork at Desert X AlUla 2026 (Courtesy of Lance Gerber)
Mohammad AlFaraj's artwork at Desert X AlUla 2026 (Courtesy of Lance Gerber)
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Desert X AlUla Unveils Acclaimed Lineup of Saudi and Global Artists in 2026 Edition

Mohammad AlFaraj's artwork at Desert X AlUla 2026 (Courtesy of Lance Gerber)
Mohammad AlFaraj's artwork at Desert X AlUla 2026 (Courtesy of Lance Gerber)

Arts AlUla has announced the lineup of Saudi and international artists participating in the fourth edition of Desert X AlUla, the international open-air art exhibition held in collaboration with Desert X.

 

Running from January 16 to February 28, the exhibition will feature an exceptional selection of specially commissioned artworks, ranging from large-scale installations and sound pieces that stretch across and beneath the desert landscape, to kinetic works and immersive interactive experiences.

 

The showcase reflects a deep connection to AlUla’s unique environment, its dramatic natural landscapes, and rich cultural heritage.

 

Desert X AlUla, the region’s first public art biennial, will feature 11 artists presenting diverse perspectives, materials, and artistic traditions in their large-scale works in its 2026 edition.

 

The program offers a delightful mix of performances and interactive family activities, alongside dedicated programs that blend sound, movement, storytelling, and play.

 

Also, the visitor pavilion will host a live music program curated in collaboration with AlUla Music Hub, creating moments where art, nature, and community converge in a shared experience shaped by rhythm and a strong sense of place.

 

Arts AlUla confirmed that Desert X AlUla 2026 will be open to the public.