AlUla Camel Cup Returns to Showcase Saudi Heritage

The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) and the Saudi Camel Racing Federation (SCRF) have partnered to bring forth the highly anticipated second edition of the AlUla Camel Cup. (SPA)
The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) and the Saudi Camel Racing Federation (SCRF) have partnered to bring forth the highly anticipated second edition of the AlUla Camel Cup. (SPA)
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AlUla Camel Cup Returns to Showcase Saudi Heritage

The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) and the Saudi Camel Racing Federation (SCRF) have partnered to bring forth the highly anticipated second edition of the AlUla Camel Cup. (SPA)
The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) and the Saudi Camel Racing Federation (SCRF) have partnered to bring forth the highly anticipated second edition of the AlUla Camel Cup. (SPA)

The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) and the Saudi Camel Racing Federation (SCRF) have partnered to bring forth the highly anticipated second edition of the AlUla Camel Cup. The event kicked off on Wednesday at the Mughayra Heritage Sports Village and will span over four days with the participation of some of the brightest names in the sport from various nations.

The event is an exceptional experience that offers a myriad of activities, valuable prizes, cultural experiences, and art and visual performances to enhance the event.

Activities include camel riding, the “Light Bright” experience, the art of henna, and Arabic calligraphy light shows after sunset.

RCU guests will be treated to a unique local experience that includes roasting and tasting traditional Saudi coffee, discovering local and international flavors at distinctive food and beverage outlets and regional food brands, trendy camel race streetwear, souvenirs, and crafts that reflect AlUla's heritage and history.

AlUla Camel Cup 2024 will also host the AlUla “Design Award” ceremony on Friday. The winning camel covers will be on display in the heart of the heritage village.

In its first edition, the event attracted thousands of participants from around the world, and this year it is expected to witness an even greater turnout, especially with the Ministry of Culture declaring 2024 as the “Year of the Camel”, celebrating its prominent role and place in Saudi culture and heritage.



UN Puts 4th Century Gaza Monastery on Endangered Site List

The Saint Hilarion complex dates back to the fourth century. Mahmud HAMS / AFP/File
The Saint Hilarion complex dates back to the fourth century. Mahmud HAMS / AFP/File
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UN Puts 4th Century Gaza Monastery on Endangered Site List

The Saint Hilarion complex dates back to the fourth century. Mahmud HAMS / AFP/File
The Saint Hilarion complex dates back to the fourth century. Mahmud HAMS / AFP/File

The Saint Hilarion complex, one of the oldest monasteries in the Middle East, has been put on the UNESCO list of World Heritage sites in danger due to the war in Gaza, the body said Friday.
UNESCO said the site, which dates back to the fourth century, had been put on the endangered list at the demand of Palestinian authorities and cited the "imminent threats" it faced.
"It's the only recourse to protect the site from destruction in the current context," Lazare Eloundou Assomo, director of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, told AFP, referring to the war sparked by Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel.
In December, the UNESCO Committee for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict decided to grant "provisional enhanced protection" -- the highest level of immunity established by the 1954 Hague Convention -- to the site.
UNESCO had then said it was "already concerned about the state of conservation of sites, before October 7, due to the lack of adequate policies to protect heritage and culture" in Gaza.
The Hamas attack on October 7 resulted in the deaths of 1,197 people in Israel, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.
Israel's retaliatory offensive against Hamas has killed at least 39,175 Palestinians in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry, which does not give details of civilian and militant deaths.