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GASGI Displays Corrected Historical Photos of Saudi Arabia 1950-1980

The General Authority for Survey and Geospatial Information (GASGI) released a collection of corrected historical aerial photographs showcasing various regions of Saudi Arabia during the period from 1950 to 1980. (SPA)
The General Authority for Survey and Geospatial Information (GASGI) released a collection of corrected historical aerial photographs showcasing various regions of Saudi Arabia during the period from 1950 to 1980. (SPA)
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GASGI Displays Corrected Historical Photos of Saudi Arabia 1950-1980

The General Authority for Survey and Geospatial Information (GASGI) released a collection of corrected historical aerial photographs showcasing various regions of Saudi Arabia during the period from 1950 to 1980. (SPA)
The General Authority for Survey and Geospatial Information (GASGI) released a collection of corrected historical aerial photographs showcasing various regions of Saudi Arabia during the period from 1950 to 1980. (SPA)

The General Authority for Survey and Geospatial Information (GASGI) released a collection of corrected historical aerial photographs showcasing various regions of Saudi Arabia during the period from 1950 to 1980, SPA said on Wednesday.
The photographs document the urban development, vegetation cover, and other transformations that took place in these areas. The project displays 164,484 images, providing a valuable record of the history of the locations.
Collaborating with various government agencies, GASGI undertook the task of processing the photographs, aligning them with the reference coordinate system, and organizing them according to the region, year of production, and scale.
The project’s objective is to utilize these corrected aerial images as historical references for analyzing the changes that occurred in both urban and rural areas over time. The project’s outputs are published on GASGI’s national geospatial platform, ensuring that the photographs are accompanied by legible digital coordinates.
GASGI is dedicated to the organization, enhancement, and oversight of the surveying, geospatial information, and imaging sector, with the aim of aligning it with international standards.

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Malaysian Rice Porridge a ‘Trademark’ Ramadan Tradition

This picture taken on March 5, 2025 shows an Indian Muslim mixing ingredients to prepare the popular dish "bubur lambuk" at Masjid India during the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan in Kuala Lumpur. (AFP)
This picture taken on March 5, 2025 shows an Indian Muslim mixing ingredients to prepare the popular dish "bubur lambuk" at Masjid India during the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan in Kuala Lumpur. (AFP)
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Malaysian Rice Porridge a ‘Trademark’ Ramadan Tradition

This picture taken on March 5, 2025 shows an Indian Muslim mixing ingredients to prepare the popular dish "bubur lambuk" at Masjid India during the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan in Kuala Lumpur. (AFP)
This picture taken on March 5, 2025 shows an Indian Muslim mixing ingredients to prepare the popular dish "bubur lambuk" at Masjid India during the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan in Kuala Lumpur. (AFP)

As dusk fell, hundreds of Muslims at a mosque in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur feast on bowls of fragrant rice porridge known locally as "bubur lambuk", part of a Ramadan tradition dating back decades.

Slow-cooked with various spices in giant pots and stirred with oversized ladles, bubur lambuk is traditionally prepared by volunteers in mosque courtyards before being distributed to the public for iftar, the fast-breaking meal in the largely Islamic nation.

But the broth, specially prepared at Masjid India, a well-known Kuala Lumpur mosque, serves a unique version of the porridge using a recipe originating from India.

"This tradition has been passed down from generation to generation, from the 60s to the 70," he told AFP.

"So it has become a trademark. If it (Nombu Kanji) wasn't there, it wouldn't be complete."

Mosque volunteers use 140 kilograms (308 pounds) of rice daily to cook the porridge, which is served in bowls to prayer attendees or packed into 1,000 large plastic packets to be distributed to the public.

Each packet is enough to feed a family of four.

"From the perspective of making things easier for the people in this area, sometimes the homeless who struggle to get food, low-income workers, and office workers who sometimes don't have time to go home and cook benefit from this," he said.

"So, the preparation of iftar meals by mosques helps make their daily lives more convenient (during Ramadan)."

Mohaiyadin Sahulhameed, a local resident originally from India, said the porridge served at the mosque reminded him of home.

"Back in our village, the way we cook is using large woks, with curry leaves, mustard seeds, cinnamon, and all sorts of ingredients mixed together. When combined with rice, it creates a rich aroma, quite similar to how it's done here," he said.

The mosque's cook, Sathakkathullah Hameed, said he saw preparing the large pots of porridge daily as a religious calling.

"During this fasting month, I want to help others. Allah grants rewards, mercy, and blessings, and, God willing, He will provide sustenance," he said.

"And when people eat the porridge I cook, they say 'Bismillah,' (in the name of God) and I respond with 'Alhamdulillah' (praise be to God)."