ROSHN and KFCRIS Launch Saudi Women’s Book, Glossary

ROSHN and KFCRIS Launch Saudi Women’s Book, Glossary
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ROSHN and KFCRIS Launch Saudi Women’s Book, Glossary

ROSHN and KFCRIS Launch Saudi Women’s Book, Glossary

ROSHN Group, the PIF-owned giga-project and Saudi Arabia’s most trusted real estate developer has signed an agreement with King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies (KFCRIS) to further express appreciation for and preserve Saudi women’s unique identity by releasing the first Saudi Women’s Book and Glossary, as part of the Saudi Women Project.

Attending the signing ceremony at KFCRIS were Princess Haifa AlFaisal, member of the Board of Trustees of the King Faisal Foundation, KFCRIS Secretary General, Princess Maha AlFaisal, ROSHN Group Chief Marketing and Communication Officer Ghada Alrumayan, KFCRIS Assistant Secretary-General Ibrahim Aldeghaither, and Director of the Saudi Women’s Project and scientific supervisor of the book and glossary that is be being developed by the center Dr. Dalal AlHarbi

Saudi Women’s Book and Glossary is a comprehensive study of the role of Saudi women in the formation of the Kingdom’s national identity and the preservation of its customs and traditions, said a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency on Saturday.

The book is backed by extensive research into the national and regional customs that women have passed on for generations, from rituals around births and weddings to caring for family and interacting with society. It carefully documents Saudi women’s contributions to education, attire, and occupations.

The book is supplemented by a glossary of the vocabulary related to women in Saudi heritage in all the regions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The Saudi Women Project is a pioneering cultural research undertaking, which seeks to present all aspects of Saudi women’s lived reality from the Kingdom’s unification in 1932.

The Saudi Women’s Book and Glossary presents the women’s role in the social, economic, and cultural developments in Saudi society, with focus on their customs and traditions. It is an unprecedented effort to preserve this unique Saudi story for generations to come.

“This project comes at a decisive moment in the history of Saudi women, with our contributions to the Kingdom’s advancement at a high tide, with Vision 2030 on the horizon. As we survey our accomplishments as a nation, it fills me with immense pride to see women excel across different sectors, as doctors and engineers, in the arts and sports, or raising the next generation of Saudi pioneers,” said ROSHN Group's Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Ghada AlRumayan.

“At ROSHN, we continue to demonstrate our commitment to empowering women with the skills and support to thrive in our dynamic, growing economy,” she added.

KFCRIS was established by the King Faisal Foundation in 1983 to maintain the late King’s mission of exchanging knowledge between the Kingdom and the world. KFCRIS brings together local and international researchers and organizations to produce sociological research and engage in intercultural dialogue.

It also houses Al-Faisal Cultural House, its publishing arm, the King Faisal Centre Library, the Faisal Family Archives, and Al-Faisal Museum for Arab-Islamic Art, which houses valuable collections of Islamic art, rare manuscripts, and pieces related to the late King Faisal.

ROSHN’s partnership with KFCRIS is part of the group’s wider strategy to improve the quality of life across the Kingdom by leveraging its reach and resources to create tangible impacts.

This agreement, in particular, aligns with the group’s core values, opportunity and empowerment, and is one other initiative that helps empower Saudi women and uphold Saudi culture.

Such endeavors include ROSHN’s pioneering RETURN program, which enables women to re-enter the workforce through dedicated training programs, as well as the group’s partnership with Nusf, The Arab Institute for Women’s Empowerment, and participation in its recent Walk the Talk mentorship initiative which offers Saudi women a unique opportunity to network and learn from accomplished women professionals.



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.


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.


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".