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Saudi Arabia's King Fahd National Library Introduces 'Open Access' Initiative

The library wishes to encourage the public to seek knowledge
The library wishes to encourage the public to seek knowledge
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Saudi Arabia's King Fahd National Library Introduces 'Open Access' Initiative

The library wishes to encourage the public to seek knowledge
The library wishes to encourage the public to seek knowledge

King Fahd National Library has launched a new initiative, called "Open Access", to mark World Book and Copyright Day. It enables free access to a range of its publications on library and information science, Saudi history, and heritage.
By making these publications readily available, the library wishes to encourage the public to seek knowledge, which is vital to individual and societal development.
King Fahd National Library Secretary General Prince Khaled bin Talal bin Badr expressed pride in the initiative, and said that it will help wider dissemination and accessibility of knowledge.
The initiative is part of the library's continuous efforts to foster the culture of reading and scientific research, and position itself as a prominent knowledge hub in Saudi Arabia.
Furthermore, the "Open Access" initiative aligns with UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science, of 2021.
It will benefit library users and strengthen partnerships with private, government, and semi-government entities such as the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property (SAIP), the Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission, the Libraries Commission, the Research Development and Innovation Authority, associations, public libraries, specialized libraries, academic libraries, academic departments, and research centers concerned with libraries, information, and publishing.
The "Open Access" approach is the core focus of this initiative; it enables users to freely access scientific and literary books through Creative Commons (CC) licenses that give online access to sources, with certain reuse rights, provided attribution is given to the authors.
The initiative aligns with the goals of the Kingdom's Vision 2030 by promoting the reading culture, scientific research, knowledge dissemination, and accessibility.

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Culture

Malaysian Minister of Religious Affairs Visits Hira Cultural District in Makkah

The Hira Cultural District is regarded as a prominent heritage landmark. SPA
The Hira Cultural District is regarded as a prominent heritage landmark. SPA
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Malaysian Minister of Religious Affairs Visits Hira Cultural District in Makkah

The Hira Cultural District is regarded as a prominent heritage landmark. SPA
The Hira Cultural District is regarded as a prominent heritage landmark. SPA

Malaysian Minister of Religious Affairs Dr. Muhammad Naeem bin Mukhtar visited on Sunday the Hira Cultural District in Saudi Arabia’s Makkah.

During the visit, the Malaysian minister and his accompanying delegation toured the Revelation Gallery and the Museum of the Holy Quran.

Members of the delegation expressed admiration for the historical legacy presented through the use of the latest technologies, as well as for the valuable efforts and purposeful messages aimed at enriching the religious and cultural experience. They also praised the beauty of the cultural and intellectual heritage and the distinctive presentation methods.

The Hira Cultural District is regarded as a prominent heritage landmark and a major attraction for visitors arriving in Makkah from around the world.

Culture

AlUla Revives Tantora Ceremony as Annual Cultural Tradition

AlUla will celebrate the revival of the Tantora Ceremony on Monday in AlUla Old Town. (SPA)
AlUla will celebrate the revival of the Tantora Ceremony on Monday in AlUla Old Town. (SPA)
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AlUla Revives Tantora Ceremony as Annual Cultural Tradition

AlUla will celebrate the revival of the Tantora Ceremony on Monday in AlUla Old Town. (SPA)
AlUla will celebrate the revival of the Tantora Ceremony on Monday in AlUla Old Town. (SPA)

AlUla will celebrate the revival of the Tantora Ceremony on Monday in AlUla Old Town, one of the region’s most distinctive heritage markers and a defining element of its intangible cultural legacy.

The Tantora is a historic solar timekeeping device that generations of AlUla’s residents relied upon to mark the beginning of the agricultural season and the arrival of Al-Marba’aniyah, becoming an essential guide for daily life and seasonal farming cycles, said The Saudi Press Agency.

This year’s ceremony is part of the Royal Commission for AlUla's (RCU) ongoing efforts to elevate cultural heritage and strengthen its presence in the public realm. The program includes a rich array of cultural and heritage activities that highlight the historical significance of Tantora and its role in shaping the community's relationship with its oasis environment.

Visitors will enjoy traditional performances, artisan showcases, and interpretive sessions on the history and uses of the Tantora, alongside demonstrations that evoke aspects of AlUla’s past.

The ceremony reinforces awareness of this cultural marker as one of the region’s most notable expressions of intangible heritage. It also underscores its importance in understanding the seasonal practices that formed a central part of life in AlUla, particularly its connection to the onset of winter and the agricultural preparations associated with the peak of winter.

Reviving the Tantora Ceremony reflects RCU’s commitment to conserving heritage and reactivating it through contemporary approaches that strengthen cultural identity, foster community belonging, and connect new generations with AlUla’s historic legacy.

The event also enriches AlUla’s cultural and tourism offering by providing experiences that deepen visitor appreciation of Saudi Arabia’s cultural heritage.

The RCU affirmed that celebrating this tradition demonstrates AlUla’s dedication to protecting its cultural and natural treasures and enhancing their role in sustainable development, fully aligned with AlUla’s long-term vision and the goals of Saudi Vision 2030, which positions culture as a core pillar of quality of life and balanced national growth.

Culture

Rome to Charge Tourists to Get Close to the Famed Trevi Fountain

A visitor takes a photo of Rome's Trevi Fountain, Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, as the city municipality announced that, starting on Feb. 1, it will impose a 2 euro fee for tourists to visit the recessed fountain edge. (AP)
A visitor takes a photo of Rome's Trevi Fountain, Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, as the city municipality announced that, starting on Feb. 1, it will impose a 2 euro fee for tourists to visit the recessed fountain edge. (AP)
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Rome to Charge Tourists to Get Close to the Famed Trevi Fountain

A visitor takes a photo of Rome's Trevi Fountain, Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, as the city municipality announced that, starting on Feb. 1, it will impose a 2 euro fee for tourists to visit the recessed fountain edge. (AP)
A visitor takes a photo of Rome's Trevi Fountain, Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, as the city municipality announced that, starting on Feb. 1, it will impose a 2 euro fee for tourists to visit the recessed fountain edge. (AP)

Tourists who want to get close to Rome's Trevi Fountain will soon have to pay a two-euro ($2.34) fee, the city mayor said on Friday, as authorities look to profit more handsomely from Italy's many attractions.

Mayor Roberto Gualtieri told reporters the new payment system would start on February 1, adding that the measure was expected to raise 6.5 million euros a year.

"Two euros isn't very much ... and it will lead to less chaotic tourist flows," Gualtieri said, stressing that citizens of Rome will continue to have free access to the fountain.

Tourists will ‌have to ‌pay if they want to get ‌onto ⁠the stone steps ‌surrounding the fountain's basin, while the small surrounding square offering a view of the imposing monument will remain open for everyone.

The Trevi Fountain, where tradition dictates that visitors toss a coin into the water to guarantee their return to Rome, has long been a major tourist attraction, even for visiting world leaders.

Completed in 1762, the monument is ⁠a late Baroque masterpiece depicting Oceanus and symbolizing the varying ‌moods of the world's seas and ‍rivers.

It has received nine million ‍visitors so far this year, Gualtieri said, suggesting that he ‍expects many people will opt to view the fountain from afar in future, rather than pay to get near the water.

Visitors on Friday said they would be willing to pay if the money was put to good use.

"If it means that money is used to keep it maintained, then yeah, that's fine," said British ⁠tourist Yvonne Salustri.

Gualtieri said five other relatively unknown sites in Rome that are currently free will start charging five euros for access from February, continuing the recent trend aimed at squeezing profits from Italy's cultural heritage.

In 2023, a five-euro entrance fee was introduced for Rome's ancient Pantheon. As a result, the square outside is often crammed with people waiting for their turn to pay and enter.

Venice has introduced a tourist entry-fee system during the peak travel season, while Verona this month began charging for access to the balcony in ‌the northern Italian city that is associated with Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet".