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Saudi Ministry of Culture Celebrates Successful Year of the Camel

Saudi Arabia launched the Year of the Camel initiative earlier this year to celebrate the camel as a cornerstone of Saudi cultural identity. SPA
Saudi Arabia launched the Year of the Camel initiative earlier this year to celebrate the camel as a cornerstone of Saudi cultural identity. SPA
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Saudi Ministry of Culture Celebrates Successful Year of the Camel

Saudi Arabia launched the Year of the Camel initiative earlier this year to celebrate the camel as a cornerstone of Saudi cultural identity. SPA
Saudi Arabia launched the Year of the Camel initiative earlier this year to celebrate the camel as a cornerstone of Saudi cultural identity. SPA

The Saudi Ministry of Culture has held a ceremony in Laysen Valley, Riyadh, to celebrate the successful conclusion of the Year of the Camel initiative.

Key partners who contributed significantly to achieving the cultural year's objectives were honored at Saturday’s ceremony, which started with a captivating visual presentation of Alheda'a, an oral polyphonic expression accompanied by gestures or musical instruments played by herders to communicate with their camels, recently inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, followed by a visual presentation summarizing the achievements of the Year of the Camel and highlighting the collaborative efforts of the ministry and its partners from the public, private, and non-profit sectors.

The ceremony marked the culmination of a three-day closing activities of the festival organized by the Ministry of Culture, which featured an array of events and activities celebrating camels and their significance in Saudi culture that attracted a large and enthusiastic audience.

The Ministry launched the Year of the Camel initiative earlier this year to celebrate the camel as a cornerstone of Saudi cultural identity. Throughout the year, numerous cultural events and activities were organized both domestically and internationally, celebrating camels and the rich cultural heritage they represent.

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Sumo to Stage Event in Paris as Part of Global Push

People gather at the entrance of Ryogoku Kokugikan for the arrival of sumo wrestlers during the Grand Sumo Tournament in Tokyo on January 19, 2025. (AFP)
People gather at the entrance of Ryogoku Kokugikan for the arrival of sumo wrestlers during the Grand Sumo Tournament in Tokyo on January 19, 2025. (AFP)
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Sumo to Stage Event in Paris as Part of Global Push

People gather at the entrance of Ryogoku Kokugikan for the arrival of sumo wrestlers during the Grand Sumo Tournament in Tokyo on January 19, 2025. (AFP)
People gather at the entrance of Ryogoku Kokugikan for the arrival of sumo wrestlers during the Grand Sumo Tournament in Tokyo on January 19, 2025. (AFP)

Sumo will stage a tournament in Paris for the first time in over three decades next year in a push to expand the ancient sport beyond Japan, organizers said Sunday.

Accor Arena, which hosted basketball and gymnastics events at last year's Paris Olympics, will stage a two-day competition featuring top wrestlers in the French capital in June 2026.

Japan Sumo Association (JSA) officials announced last month that they will also stage a tournament later this year at London's Royal Albert Hall -- the first overseas sumo competition in 20 years.

"It's important for us to show our sport to the world," JSA chairman Hakkaku told reporters at Tokyo's Kokugikan, where the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament is currently taking place.

"And for the wrestlers, they're the best in the world, they should be proud of that and see that they're admired all over the world."

Paris hosted sumo tournaments in 1986 and 1995 at the invitation of former French president Jacques Chirac, who was known to be a huge fan of the centuries-old sport.

Hakkaku, who competed at the 1986 Paris event, said he was "grateful for the long and deep relations between sumo and France".

"We feel renewed joy and great responsibility as we prepare for our third performance in Paris in 2026," he said.

"We are committed to fully sharing the charm of sumo... with the French people."

French organizers said they would pull out all the stops to recreate the atmosphere of a sumo tournament in Japan.

David Rothschild, promoter and executive producer for events organizers AEG, said the Paris tournament would be part of a "festival" celebrating Japanese culture.

"When you say the word sumo, everyone in France knows it represents traditional Japanese culture," he said.

"There was a time when it was shown on TV and there are people in France who are very knowledgeable about it," Rothschild added.

"But time flies and we want to introduce the beauty of sumo to a new generation."

Sumo has staged events in several countries around the world, including the Soviet Union, Mexico and the United States.

The last overseas tournament organized by the JSA was in Las Vegas in 2005.

Hakkaku, the JSA chairman, said the association's efforts to bring sumo to audiences abroad were meant to "introduce people to the traditional culture of Japan".

"We thought a lot about how to develop our sport after Covid and I think this was the best idea, but it was already in our plans before that," he said.