Saudi Culture Exhibition in Paris Attracts French and European Visitors

The Saudi Culture Exhibition has attracted French and European visitors through the exhibition's various pillars in Paris. SPA
The Saudi Culture Exhibition has attracted French and European visitors through the exhibition's various pillars in Paris. SPA
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Saudi Culture Exhibition in Paris Attracts French and European Visitors

The Saudi Culture Exhibition has attracted French and European visitors through the exhibition's various pillars in Paris. SPA
The Saudi Culture Exhibition has attracted French and European visitors through the exhibition's various pillars in Paris. SPA

The Saudi Culture Exhibition, organized by the Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission in Paris, has attracted French and European visitors through the exhibition's various pillars.

Visitors' experience includes a photography exhibition by French photographer Terry Moujie, which includes a presentation of his most prominent work in the south of the Kingdom, his comic books, and a special stand for rare manuscripts and archaeological replicas.

The exhibition included an introduction to the "Translate" initiative, the philosophy conference, and the writers and readers festival, as well as a show of a number of local costumes to promote cultural exchange between the Saudi and French communities, as one of the strategic objectives of the Ministry of Culture under the umbrella of the Saudi Vision 2030.

The first week's events emphasize the quality of the cultural program prepared by the Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission in partnership with the Heritage Commission, Libraries Authority, the Music Commission, the Culinary Arts Commission, the Architecture and Design Commission, the Fashion Commission, the Film Commission, and Prince Mohammed bin Salman Global Center for Arabic Calligraphy.

Poetry evenings and short films produced through a competition supporting film-making were featured in the first week of the event.

The second week of the event will include eight symposiums, three poetry evenings, five short screenings as well as the screening of the documentary "Tarouq", a panel session on the King Salman Charter for Architecture and Urbanism, three performances demonstrations of handicrafts, and capacity-building and techniques in the heritage of handicrafts.

Through this participation, the cultural sector seeks to highlight the uniqueness and creativity of the Saudi culture's hundreds of years of history through delivering seminars on Saudi literature, translation efforts, and cultural and musical fusion, among others.



Italy Fines Tour Operators Almost 20 Mln Euros over Colosseum Tickets Hoarding 

A woman holds an umbrella to shelter herself from the sun as she sits near the Colosseum amid a heatwave in Rome, Italy, June 20, 2024. (Reuters)
A woman holds an umbrella to shelter herself from the sun as she sits near the Colosseum amid a heatwave in Rome, Italy, June 20, 2024. (Reuters)
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Italy Fines Tour Operators Almost 20 Mln Euros over Colosseum Tickets Hoarding 

A woman holds an umbrella to shelter herself from the sun as she sits near the Colosseum amid a heatwave in Rome, Italy, June 20, 2024. (Reuters)
A woman holds an umbrella to shelter herself from the sun as she sits near the Colosseum amid a heatwave in Rome, Italy, June 20, 2024. (Reuters)

Italy's antitrust authority has fined a ticketing company and six tour operators nearly 20 million euros ($21.7 million) for ticket hoarding practices limiting access to the Roman Colosseum, the regulator said on Monday.

The AGCM authority said it had fined CoopCulture, which managed official ticket sales for the Colosseum from 1997-2024, 7 million euros for failing to prevent automated ticket hoarding and for reserving a large share of tickets for its own guided tour packages.

The AGCM said this conduct led to the "substantial and prolonged unavailability" of standard-priced tickets for Italy's most popular tourist attraction, forcing consumers to purchase higher-priced tickets bundled with additional services.

Six tour operators - Tiqets International BV, GetYourGuide Deutschland GmbH, Walks LLC, Italy With Family S.r.l., City Wonders Limited, and Musement S.p.A. - were also fined for using software robots (bots) to buy tickets in bulk, contributing to their rapid disappearance from CoopCulture's website.

The operators then resold the tickets bundled with services such as guided tours or priority access, often at significantly higher prices, the regulator said.

The investigation began in July 2023 after widespread complaints that it was nearly impossible for consumers to buy tickets to the Colosseum at official prices online.