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Cirque du Soleil to Present Major International Performances in Saudi Arabia

Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan and Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group Co-Chairman Gabriel de Alba
Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan and Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group Co-Chairman Gabriel de Alba
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Cirque du Soleil to Present Major International Performances in Saudi Arabia

Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan and Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group Co-Chairman Gabriel de Alba
Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan and Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group Co-Chairman Gabriel de Alba

The Saudi Ministry of Culture signed an agreement with the entertainment group Cirque du Soleil to enhance cooperation between the two and enable the world-renowned circus to present its creative performances in the Kingdom.

The agreement was signed by the Saudi Minister of Culture and Chairman of the Theater and Performing Arts Commission, Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan, and Gabriel de Alba, the Co-Chairman of the Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group, during their meeting in New York City.

As per this agreement, the Cirque du Soleil group will perform its famous shows for the first time in Saudi Arabia, including a number of touring shows: The Illusionist, Now You See Me, Paw Patrol Live, Race to Rescue, and Trolls Live!, as well as the Blue Man Group’s world tour.

The agreement also stipulates that the two parties’ development of plans to establish a Cirque du Soleil academy and regional office to provide top-tier educational programs led by renowned international specialists and experts.

Students from all over Saudi Arabia, as well as the rest of the world, will have the opportunity to hone their performing skills through advanced education and training programs, international school exchange programs in circuses, residency programs and internationally-recognized certificates.

It is worth noting that Cirque du Soleil entertainment group has performed six shows in Saudi Arabia since 2018, the last of which was, "Messi 10", which was held last November during the Riyadh Season.

This latest deal arrives amid massive changes in the performing arts scene in Saudi Arabia since the establishment of the Ministry of Culture and the Theater and Performing Arts Commission, which announced, in 2021, its strategy to develop the sector through plans to develop theater and performing arts infrastructure, create job opportunities, build partnerships, provide educational and capacity-building opportunities for 4,500 playwrights, and receive 4,000 male and female trainees by 2030.

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Varieties

Renewable Energy Helps Red Sea Global Avoid 118,000 Tons of Carbon Emissions

Red Sea Global (RSG) has successfully avoided 117,879 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO₂e) emissions during 2024. (SPA)
Red Sea Global (RSG) has successfully avoided 117,879 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO₂e) emissions during 2024. (SPA)
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Renewable Energy Helps Red Sea Global Avoid 118,000 Tons of Carbon Emissions

Red Sea Global (RSG) has successfully avoided 117,879 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO₂e) emissions during 2024. (SPA)
Red Sea Global (RSG) has successfully avoided 117,879 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO₂e) emissions during 2024. (SPA)

Red Sea Global (RSG) announced on Tuesday a major sustainability milestone, revealing that it successfully avoided 117,879 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO₂e) emissions during 2024.

The achievement was independently verified and officially certified by DNV, confirming the company's full reliance on renewable energy and low-carbon operations.

In a statement, Red Sea Global said this figure represents the volume of emissions that would have been generated had conventional energy sources and transportation systems been used. To put the impact into perspective, the achievement is equivalent to removing approximately 27,500 cars from the roads for an entire year or eliminating the annual electricity consumption of nearly 24,500 homes.

Group Chief Environment and Sustainability Officer at Red Sea Global Raed Albasseet said: "Avoiding nearly 118,000 tons of emissions at this advanced stage of development demonstrates the powerful impact of embedding sustainability into operations from day one.”

“As our destinations continue to expand, this positive impact will grow further, proving to the world that luxury tourism can be a leading force in protecting and regenerating nature,” he added.

He stressed that these results stem from Red Sea Global’s strong commitment to clean energy principles. The Red Sea destination is currently powered entirely by 100% renewable electricity, supported by more than 760,000 solar panels and the world’s largest battery storage facility, ensuring a continuous supply of clean energy around the clock.

In the field of sustainable mobility, he explained that the company operates an advanced fleet of electric vehicles and buses, supported by a network of 150 renewable energy-powered charging stations.

Albasseet also noted that Red Sea International Airport has taken pioneering steps by beginning the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and Lower-Carbon Aviation Fuel (LCAF) for seaplane operations, while continuing to work with partners to expand their use on commercial flights serving the destination.

These initiatives form a key pillar of Red Sea Global’s journey toward achieving net-zero emissions (Scopes 1 and 2) by 2030. The results align with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 and the Kingdom’s Circular Carbon Economy Framework, supporting Saudi Arabia’s ambition to reach net-zero emissions by 2060.

By combining advanced technological solutions with a science-based approach, Red Sea Global continues to strengthen its position as a leading global model, demonstrating how regenerative tourism can deliver measurable and large-scale climate benefits.

Varieties

Muhammad Ali’s Family Reflects on the Champion Boxer’s Legacy 10 Years After His Death

In this Feb. 25, 1964, file photo, Muhammad Ali, or Cassius Clay at the time, strikes a familiar pose as he shouts "I am the greatest," as he leaves the ring, arms raised, following his defeat of former heavyweight boxing champion Sonny Liston, in Miami Beach, Fla. (AP file)
In this Feb. 25, 1964, file photo, Muhammad Ali, or Cassius Clay at the time, strikes a familiar pose as he shouts "I am the greatest," as he leaves the ring, arms raised, following his defeat of former heavyweight boxing champion Sonny Liston, in Miami Beach, Fla. (AP file)
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Muhammad Ali’s Family Reflects on the Champion Boxer’s Legacy 10 Years After His Death

In this Feb. 25, 1964, file photo, Muhammad Ali, or Cassius Clay at the time, strikes a familiar pose as he shouts "I am the greatest," as he leaves the ring, arms raised, following his defeat of former heavyweight boxing champion Sonny Liston, in Miami Beach, Fla. (AP file)
In this Feb. 25, 1964, file photo, Muhammad Ali, or Cassius Clay at the time, strikes a familiar pose as he shouts "I am the greatest," as he leaves the ring, arms raised, following his defeat of former heavyweight boxing champion Sonny Liston, in Miami Beach, Fla. (AP file)

Muhammad Ali's legacy extends beyond his stinging right jab, world titles and Olympic gold medal, to the heart and compassion he showed long after he left the ring, his wife Lonnie Ali said.

“He transcended boxing into every space you can imagine,” she told The Associated Press this week ahead of the 10-year anniversary of Ali’s death on June 3, 2016, after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease.

“Muhammad lived by this mantra: service to others is the rent we pay for our room here on earth," Lonnie Ali said during an interview at The Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville, Kentucky. “He showed up every day with kindness and empathy in his heart for people who are in need."

Ali, known as the “Louisville Lip” in his hometown, rose to prominence as a trash-talking world champion boxer in the 1960s and began speaking about civil rights issues as his star was rising. He is widely regarded as the most famous and influential boxer of all time, winning the heavyweight title three times.

The Ali Center is sponsoring a “Day of Compassion” on Wednesday, the 10th anniversary of his death, to promote acts of service and caring. Lonnie Ali, who serves as the center's lifetime director, said the hope is an expanding annual event to highlight works of service and volunteering.

The day will focus on one of "the core values that made up Muhammad Ali” in an increasingly divided country, she said.

“Today, we are in a place where we are losing touch with our humanity and with each other,” she said. “It’s causing rifts, not just in families and communities, but in this nation. We’re becoming increasingly polarized and separated, and sort of retreating to people who think like us, look like us, and not really reaching out.”

She also challenged political leaders to lead with compassion, noting the recent weakening of the 1965 Voting Rights Act by the Supreme Court.

“We should always be thinking about how we can uplift a community, not how we can make it harder for them,” Lonnie Ali said. “We want equal representation in this country. You can’t have equal representation when you’re denying people voting rights, you can’t do that.”

But there is hope, she said, and she saw that when the city of Louisville came together for a weeklong celebration of Ali's life in 2016. The week was capped by a funeral procession through the city and past her late husband's modest childhood home near downtown Louisville. Former President Bill Clinton and actor Billy Crystal spoke at his funeral, and Will Smith, who portrayed Ali in a 2001 movie, was a pallbearer.

The outpouring of love for Ali at his hometown funeral service was livestreamed to millions around the world. A decade later, Ali’s face graced a US Postal Service stamp for the first time, showing his enduring influence.

“We’re talking about people who traveled thousands of miles to come here, who had never met the man, never laid eyes on him personally, but wanted to ... give their last respects to him: kings, princes, presidents, heads of state, celebrities, sports figures,” Lonnie Ali said.

Varieties

UK Sets Target to Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 87% by 2040

A woman walks a dog past Drax power station during the sunset in Drax, North Yorkshire, Britain, November 27, 2020. (Reuters)
A woman walks a dog past Drax power station during the sunset in Drax, North Yorkshire, Britain, November 27, 2020. (Reuters)
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UK Sets Target to Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 87% by 2040

A woman walks a dog past Drax power station during the sunset in Drax, North Yorkshire, Britain, November 27, 2020. (Reuters)
A woman walks a dog past Drax power station during the sunset in Drax, North Yorkshire, Britain, November 27, 2020. (Reuters)

The UK government on Tuesday set a legal target of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 87 percent by 2040, an additional intermediate goal.

The country has already fixed an objective of reducing emissions by 68 percent by 2030 and at least 81 percent by 2035, compared to 1990 levels, and is aiming to be carbon neutral by the middle of the century.

The announcement comes as Energy Security and Net Zero Minister Ed Miliband said the UK faced "the second fossil fuel shock of the decade", a reference to Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 followed in February by the United States war with Iran.

The government would set out its plan for implementing the objective in coming months, in line with the Paris Agreement aim to keep global warming to 1.5C, a ministry statement added.

The landmark 2015 Paris Agreement commits the world to limiting warming to well below 2C and pursuing efforts to hold it at 1.5C -- a long-term target scientists say would help avoid the worst consequences of climate change.

Mike Childs of environmental group Friends of the Earth welcomed the latest announcement.

"Extreme heat and record-breaking temperatures in May, more frequent and severe flooding, wildfires and drought -- this is already the reality of the climate crisis in the UK," he said.

"Cutting carbon emissions is vital to help avert the worst impacts of climate change," he added.