ALECSO General Conference Praises Saudi Arabia's 'Gifted Arabs' Initiative 

The Gifted Arabs initiative is organized by the King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity (Mawhiba) in collaboration with ALECSO. (SPA)
The Gifted Arabs initiative is organized by the King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity (Mawhiba) in collaboration with ALECSO. (SPA)
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ALECSO General Conference Praises Saudi Arabia's 'Gifted Arabs' Initiative 

The Gifted Arabs initiative is organized by the King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity (Mawhiba) in collaboration with ALECSO. (SPA)
The Gifted Arabs initiative is organized by the King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity (Mawhiba) in collaboration with ALECSO. (SPA)

The Arab League Educational, Cultural, and Scientific Organization (ALECSO) praised on Monday the Gifted Arabs Initiative that has played a significant role in supporting talented individuals across all Arab countries.

The initiative is organized by the King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity (Mawhiba) in collaboration with ALECSO, which held a General Conference in Jeddah on Monday.

The event was attended by Minister of Education and Vice Chairman of the Saudi National Committee for Education, Culture, and Science, Yousef bin Abdullah Al-Benyan, as well as ministers and heads of national committees for education and science from 22 Arab countries.

The initiative has been instrumental in creating an encouraging environment for talent and creativity in the Arab world for the third consecutive year.

It reflects the Kingdom's commitment to sharing its pioneering experience in discovering and nurturing talented students with the Arab world and supporting Arab youth in utilizing their energies and capabilities.

This is achieved through the development of a specialized assessment to identify talented and creative individuals in the Arab world, taking into account the diverse Arab environment and culture.

The assessment is based on a scientific methodology that incorporates the best global educational practices.



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.