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Eiffel Tower Operator Says Strike by Staff Has Ended, Site to Reopen on Sunday

This photograph taken on February 23, 2024, shows the Eiffel Tower on a cloudy day in Paris. (AFP)
This photograph taken on February 23, 2024, shows the Eiffel Tower on a cloudy day in Paris. (AFP)
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Eiffel Tower Operator Says Strike by Staff Has Ended, Site to Reopen on Sunday

This photograph taken on February 23, 2024, shows the Eiffel Tower on a cloudy day in Paris. (AFP)
This photograph taken on February 23, 2024, shows the Eiffel Tower on a cloudy day in Paris. (AFP)

A strike by staff at the Eiffel Tower has ended, the company that runs one of the most visited tourist sites in the world said in a statement on Saturday.

The tower will reopen on Sunday, the Societe d'Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel (SETE), which is owned by Paris City Hall, added.

Workers at the Eiffel Tower went on strike on Feb. 19 in protest over the way the Paris monument is managed.

It came as Paris prepares to host the 2024 Summer Olympics, which begin on July 26 and will feature metal from the tower in the winners' medals.

SETE and trade unions "reached an end-of-strike agreement stipulating that the parties will regularly review the company's business model, maintenance costs and sales through a body that will meet every six months", the company said.

SETE said visitors who bought tickets between Feb. 19-24 will get refunds.

Unions claim Paris City Hall, which owns 99% of SETE, is underestimating the cost of planned maintenance and repairs to the monument ahead of the Olympics.

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Saudi Museums Commission Showcases Chinese Contemporary Art for 1st Time in Saudi Arabia

The exhibition draws fascinating parallels between Arab and Chinese traditions. SPA
The exhibition draws fascinating parallels between Arab and Chinese traditions. SPA
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Saudi Museums Commission Showcases Chinese Contemporary Art for 1st Time in Saudi Arabia

The exhibition draws fascinating parallels between Arab and Chinese traditions. SPA
The exhibition draws fascinating parallels between Arab and Chinese traditions. SPA

The Museums Commission inaugurated on Thursday the exhibition "The Writings of Today Are a Promise for Tomorrow" at the Saudi Arabia Museum of Contemporary Art at Jax, introducing contemporary artists of Chinese origin to Saudi Arabia for the first time.
Bringing together over 30 artists of different generations and cultural backgrounds, the exhibition showcases a collection of over 50 art pieces, offering diverse and nuanced perspectives on the profound transformation of our contemporary society.
The exhibition draws fascinating parallels between Arab and Chinese traditions by exploring two central elements they have in common: calligraphy and the garden. The exhibition highlights the profound significance of calligraphy as a cultural and societal practice in both Arabic and Chinese cultures, in which the written word and script are revered not only as a form of communication but also as a spiritual endeavor.
The balance between discipline and naturalness, a requirement for masterful calligraphy, links the field of writing with the domain of the garden. By definition, the garden is nature in an arranged order, and it is considered in both cultures a representation of creation, designed for the appreciation of beauty and spirituality, and for contemplation and conviviality.
"The Writings of Today Are a Promise for Tomorrow" exhibition also reflects an aspiration towards future possibilities and ongoing dialogue, addressing the concepts of energy flow and synergy. Writing here is understood in a larger sense as the trace of a meaningful act of participation and communication.
The exhibition is designed as a stroll through a series of thematic stages, exploring the interplay between presence and absence, action and contemplation, memory and imagination
Visitors will have the opportunity to explore pieces from two notable Paris-based collections of contemporary Chinese art, the Donnersberg Collection and the dslcollection, as well as direct contributions from artists and site-specific works produced in Saudi Arabia for the exhibition. They will also see the works of a French-Algerian artist Adel Abdessemed and Taiwanese artist Michael Lin, showing for the first time in Saudi Arabia.
The exhibition showcases how the art of today continues to evolve, reflecting and reshaping the flow of cultural energy, connecting past and future, and embodying the promise of tomorrow.
The exhibition will run until January 18, 2025.