عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Varieties

Stefano Carboni CEO for Saudi Museums Commission

Dr. Stefano Carboni
Dr. Stefano Carboni
TT
TT

Stefano Carboni CEO for Saudi Museums Commission

Dr. Stefano Carboni
Dr. Stefano Carboni

Saudi Culture Minister Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan Al-Saud has appointed Dr. Stefano Carboni as the new CEO of the Museums Commission.

Carboni has managed museums and art galleries around the world, working at The Metropolitan Museum of Art between 1992 and 2008, and has received a number of prestigious awards.

He has a Ph.D. in Arabic language and Islamic art from the School of Oriental and African Studies, SOAS University of London.

As the Museum Commission’s chief executive officer, Carboni will be responsible for formulating a strategy for the sector, promoting funding and investment, and adopting professional training programs.

His responsibilities also include the design of relevant educational programs offering scholarships for talented people.

The Museums Commission is one of 11 new cultural authorities being launched by the Culture Ministry to manage the Saudi cultural sector.

Most Viewed

 
 
Varieties

Coffee Lovers Find Grounds for Complaint at Australian Open

Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 15, 2025 General view of people buying coffee outside the courts. (Reuters)
Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 15, 2025 General view of people buying coffee outside the courts. (Reuters)
TT
TT

Coffee Lovers Find Grounds for Complaint at Australian Open

Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 15, 2025 General view of people buying coffee outside the courts. (Reuters)
Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 15, 2025 General view of people buying coffee outside the courts. (Reuters)

Melbourne prides itself on serving up the world's best coffee, but finding a hot brew at the Australian Open has proved a challenge for some of the tens of thousands of fans attending this year's Grand Slam tennis tournament.

Organizers have worked hard over the last decade to improve options for refreshment and an array of outlets at the Melbourne Park precinct.

Yet long queues face fans looking to indulge their passion for the city's favorite beverage at the 15 coffee stores Tennis Australia says dot the 40-hectare (99-acre) site.

"We need more coffee places open," said Katherine Wright, who has been coming to the tournament for the five years as she lined up for a hot drink near the Rod Laver Arena on Wednesday.

"We are big coffee drinkers, especially Melburnians."

The Australian Open attracts more than 90,000 fans a day early on in the tournament, when ground passes are relatively cheap, offering the chance to watch main draw action on the outer courts.

Liz, another Melburnian, said she stood in line for half an hour for a cup of coffee on Sunday, when rain halted play for six hours on the outer courts.

"This is a well-established global event," she added. "You actually need to be providing better service to the consumer."

Melbourne imports about 30 tons of coffee beans a day, the Australian Science Education Research Association says, representing a surge of nearly eightfold over the past decade that is sufficient to brew 3 million cups of coffee.

For Malgorzata Halaba, a fan who came from Poland on Sunday for her second Australian Open, finding one of those 3 million cups was a must.

"It seems it took me a day and a half, and several kilometers of walking around the grounds, to find coffee," she said. "And jet-lagged as I am, coffee is a lifesaver."