AlUla Reveals its Plans for Developing Tourism

AlUla is becoming more attractive to tourists. Reuters
AlUla is becoming more attractive to tourists. Reuters
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AlUla Reveals its Plans for Developing Tourism

AlUla is becoming more attractive to tourists. Reuters
AlUla is becoming more attractive to tourists. Reuters

Saudi Arabia plans to turn the historical city of AlUla in the northeast into an international tourism center that draws visitors interested in art and culture.

The Royal Commission for AlUla, the body tasked with developing and implementing sustainability initiatives, presented its plans for developing tourism at its natural reserves.

Members of the commission took part in a panel discussion at the Hospitality of Tomorrow virtual conference organized by Bench Events.

The participants said that the Royal Commission aims to attract two million visitors annually to AlUla, create 38,000 jobs, contribute 120 billion riyals (32 billion dollars) to the country’s Gross Domestic Product and protect AlUla’s historical and cultural heritage sites.

The conference was organized to provide a platform for discussion between stakeholders and leaders in the hospitality sector with the aim of speeding up its recovery by establishing the ties needed to build understanding and enhance relations and unity.

In the session, Abdulrahman Alsuhaibani, Director of Museums and Exhibitions, and Heritage Consultant, Royal Commission for AlUla said that AlUla is an exceptional site that has had human existence for more than 200,000 years, and the successive civilizations that inhabited it left rich and diverse legacies that makeup AlUla’s rich heritage. "We have a new and important old story that we would like to tell its chapters; accordingly, preserving AlUla and protecting its treasures and its heritage is among our priorities.”

The invigorating role that arts play in the development of AlUla and bringing in the local community was also discussed, with Nora Aldabal Arts and Culture Programming Director, Royal Commission for AlUla saying: “Bringing attention to AlUla as a cultural center supports creativity and artistic exchange (...) in cooperation with international bodies such as Desert X, where artists had the opportunity to make exhibitions in the context of societies, making society an essential pillar of the experiment’s success.”

Neville Wakefield from Desert X stressed that culture is the center of communication, adding that they worked to attract artists from all over the world and urged them to participate in the discussion and establish channels of dialogue amongst themselves as they visited the natural sites of AlUla.



Barcelona’s Feline Mascot ‘Cat’ Makes Its Debut at Home Game

 Barcelona's new mascot "Cat" makes an appearance before the Spanish league football match between FC Barcelona and UD Las Palmas at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys in Barcelona on November 30, 2024. (AFP)
Barcelona's new mascot "Cat" makes an appearance before the Spanish league football match between FC Barcelona and UD Las Palmas at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys in Barcelona on November 30, 2024. (AFP)
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Barcelona’s Feline Mascot ‘Cat’ Makes Its Debut at Home Game

 Barcelona's new mascot "Cat" makes an appearance before the Spanish league football match between FC Barcelona and UD Las Palmas at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys in Barcelona on November 30, 2024. (AFP)
Barcelona's new mascot "Cat" makes an appearance before the Spanish league football match between FC Barcelona and UD Las Palmas at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys in Barcelona on November 30, 2024. (AFP)

Barcelona’s new mascot, a large yellow feline named “Cat,” has made its debut as part of the Spanish club’s 125th anniversary.

The mascot cavorted on the field at Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium before Barcelona hosted Las Palmas in a Spanish league game Saturday. The visitors won 2-1.

It wears Barcelona’s burgundy and blue shirt and shorts, and its mouth opens to reveal the same soccer ball icon found on the club’s emblem.

The name plays on Barcelona’s standing as the leading club in Spain’s northeast region of Catalonia. The four red stripes on its forehead, the club said, refer to the Catalan regional flag.

“Cat” was unveiled Friday at an anniversary gala.

The club describes the mascot as a “friendly, positive puss that is especially passionate about football, but also embraces all sports that are part of FC Barcelona’s multi-sport ethos, whether male or female, pro or amateur.”

In addition to its champion women's soccer team, Barcelona competes in other sports, including basketball, handball, indoor soccer, and roller hockey.

A previous mascot, “Clam,” was created for the club's 100th anniversary.