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First Najran Wheat Festival Celebrates Region's Rich Heritage

Najran brown wheat, known locally as Al-Bur Al-Najrani (Al-Samraa), has been grown in the region for centuries. - SPA
Najran brown wheat, known locally as Al-Bur Al-Najrani (Al-Samraa), has been grown in the region for centuries. - SPA
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First Najran Wheat Festival Celebrates Region's Rich Heritage

Najran brown wheat, known locally as Al-Bur Al-Najrani (Al-Samraa), has been grown in the region for centuries. - SPA
Najran brown wheat, known locally as Al-Bur Al-Najrani (Al-Samraa), has been grown in the region for centuries. - SPA

The inaugural Najran Wheat Festival drew a remarkable crowd, showcasing the deep cultural significance of wheat in Najran society. Visitors participated in various events, highlighting the region's unique connection to this historical grain, SPA reported.
Najran brown wheat, known locally as Al-Bur Al-Najrani (Al-Samraa), has been grown in the region for centuries. The festival, organized by the regional branch of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture along with the Social Development Bank, aims to celebrate and promote this cultural heritage passed down through generations.
Farmer Mohammed Al-Mansour, sharing his experience at the festival, spoke about the prized Najran brown wheat. "This unhybridized, naturally grown wheat is a heritage we received from our ancestors," he said. "Planted in early October, it takes five to six months to mature. We use minimal irrigation to protect it from pests, ensuring its high quality."
Executive Director of the Cooperative Agricultural Association West of Najran (CAAWN) Fahd Al-Jareeb stated that CAAWN is focused on educating visitors, farmers, and anyone interested in Najran wheat. The association teaches them about the different wheat varieties grown in the region and their unique characteristics. This includes identifying wheat by its head, or spike. For example, Al-Bur Al-Najrani wheat has a large, distinctive spike with brown chaff that is as long as the spike itself. This contrasts with white wheat, which has a much smaller spike.
Traditionally, wheat cultivation involved meticulous steps. After thorough land preparation, irrigation ensured moist soil for optimal grain growth. Today, modern planting methods are used, followed by harvesting after six months. In the past, farmers relied on animals like bulls, camels, and cows for harvesting, accompanied by communal chants and songs expressing gratitude for a bountiful harvest.
Slow Food's Ark of Taste has chosen Al-Bur Al-Najrani (Al-Samraa) as one of the 13 selected products in Saudi Arabia. This unique wheat is a key ingredient in Najran's beloved dishes, such as Al-Raqsh, where the wheat loaf is sliced into small pieces, placed on a stone plate, and soaked in savory broth and tender meat. The Saudi Culinary Arts Commission has designated Al-Raqsh as the official national dish of the Najran region.

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Culture

Culture Being Strangled by Kosovo's Political Crisis

The cinema has been waiting for much-needed repairs for years. Armend NIMANI / AFP
The cinema has been waiting for much-needed repairs for years. Armend NIMANI / AFP
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Culture Being Strangled by Kosovo's Political Crisis

The cinema has been waiting for much-needed repairs for years. Armend NIMANI / AFP
The cinema has been waiting for much-needed repairs for years. Armend NIMANI / AFP

Kosovo's oldest cinema has been dark and silent for years as the famous theater slowly disintegrates under a leaky roof.

Signs warn passers-by in the historic city of Prizren that parts of the Lumbardhi's crumbling facade could fall while it waits for its long-promised refurbishment.

"The city deserves to have the cinema renovated and preserved. Only junkies gathering there benefit from it now," nextdoor neighbor butcher Arsim Futko, 62, told AFP.

For seven years, it waited for a European Union-funded revamp, only for the money to be suddenly withdrawn with little explanation.

Now it awaits similar repairs promised by the national government that has since been paralyzed by inconclusive elections in February.

And it is anyone's guess whether the new government that will come out of Sunday's snap election will keep the promise.

'Collateral damage'

Cinema director Ares Shporta said the cinema has become "collateral damage" in a broader geopolitical game after the EU hit his country with sanctions in 2023.

The delayed repairs "affected our morale, it affected our lives, it affected the trust of the community in us," Shporta said.

Brussels slapped Kosovo with sanctions over heightened tensions between the government and the ethnic Serb minority that live in parts of the country as Pristina pushed to exert more control over areas still tightly linked to Belgrade.

Cultural institutions have been among the hardest-hit sectors, as international funding dried up and local decisions were stalled by the parliamentary crisis.

According to an analysis by the Kosovo think tank, the GAP Institute for Advanced Studies, sanctions have resulted in around 613 million euros ($719 million) being suspended or paused, with the cultural sector taking a hit of 15-million-euro hit.

'Ground zero'

With political stalemate threatening to drag on into another year, there are warnings that further funding from abroad could also be in jeopardy.

Since February's election when outgoing premier Albin Kurti topped the polls but failed to win a majority, his caretaker government has been deadlocked with opposition lawmakers.

Months of delays, spent mostly without a parliament, meant little legislative work could be done.

Ahead of the snap election on Sunday, the government said that more than 200 million euros ($235 million) will be lost forever due to a failure to ratify international agreements.

Once the top beneficiary of the EU Growth Plan in the Balkans, Europe's youngest country now trails most of its neighburs, the NGO Group for Legal and Political Studies' executive director Njomza Arifi told AFP.

"While some of the countries in the region have already received the second tranches, Kosovo still remains at ground zero."

Although there have been some enthusiastic signs of easing a half of EU sanctions by January, Kurti's continued push against Serbian institutions and influence in the country's north continues to draw criticism from both Washington and Brussels.

'On the edge'

Across the river from the Lumbardhi, the funding cuts have also been felt at Dokufest, a documentary and short film festival that draws people to the region.

"The festival has had to make staff cuts. Unfortunately, there is a risk of further cuts if things don't change," Dokufest artistic director Veton Nurkollari said.

"Fortunately, we don't depend on just one source because we could end up in a situation where, when the tap is turned off, everything is turned off."

He said that many in the cultural sector were desperate for the upcoming government to get the sanctions lifted by ratification of the agreements that would allow EU funds to flow again.

"Kosovo is the only one left on the edge and without these funds."

Culture

Saudi Culture Ministry Concludes Intangible Cultural Heritage Documentation Project in Al-Ahsa

Saudi Culture Ministry Concludes Intangible Cultural Heritage Documentation Project in Al-Ahsa
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Saudi Culture Ministry Concludes Intangible Cultural Heritage Documentation Project in Al-Ahsa

Saudi Culture Ministry Concludes Intangible Cultural Heritage Documentation Project in Al-Ahsa

The Saudi Ministry of Culture concluded the project to survey, document, and archive intangible cultural heritage in Al-Ahsa Governorate by holding a workshop in the governorate, attended by stakeholders and relevant entities, as part of the ministry’s efforts to preserve national cultural heritage and strengthen Saudi cultural identity, reported the Saudi Press Agency on Thursday.

The project included a field survey covering various cities and villages across Al-Ahsa, during which diverse elements of intangible cultural heritage were identified and documented. These included oral traditions, performing arts, skills associated with traditional cultural crafts, social practices, and knowledge related to nature and the local environment.

The work was carried out in cooperation with concerned entities, specialized experts, and local practitioners.

The workshop reviewed the project’s final outcomes and presented reports on documentation and digital archiving activities.

It discussed mechanisms to ensure the sustainability of these efforts and the transmission of this cultural legacy to future generations, contributing to greater community awareness of the value and importance of intangible cultural heritage.

Culture

Hail Region Pavilion Showcases Heritage Artifacts at Camel Festival

The pavilion aims to connect visitors to Hail's history and social legacy - SPA
The pavilion aims to connect visitors to Hail's history and social legacy - SPA
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Hail Region Pavilion Showcases Heritage Artifacts at Camel Festival

The pavilion aims to connect visitors to Hail's history and social legacy - SPA
The pavilion aims to connect visitors to Hail's history and social legacy - SPA

Hail Region pavilion at the Ministry of Interior’s Security Oasis exhibition, part of the 10th King Abdulaziz Camel Festival in Al-Sayahid, features heritage artifacts that reflect the region's renowned hospitality.

The display includes ancient trays and copperware from nearly seventy years ago.

According to SPA, these traditional food preparation and serving vessels have garnered significant interest from visitors. They document daily life in old Hail and its deep-rooted social traditions, particularly in gatherings and special occasions.

The pavilion aims to connect visitors to Hail's history and social legacy, fostering appreciation for national heritage and ensuring cultural preservation for future generations.