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UAE Celebrates Saudi National Day

Saudi Arabia flag display on Burj Khalifa (WAM)
Saudi Arabia flag display on Burj Khalifa (WAM)
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UAE Celebrates Saudi National Day

Saudi Arabia flag display on Burj Khalifa (WAM)
Saudi Arabia flag display on Burj Khalifa (WAM)

The UAE is celebrating Saudi Arabia’s 92nd National Day, marked on September 23, with large-scale official and popular celebrations, under the theme, "Together Forever KSA-UAE," underscoring the deep-rooted relations between the two countries.

UAE’s major landmarks and many official and private entities have started decorating their headquarters with Saudi flags, and shopping malls have announced special events and activities on the occasion.

The two countries announced in 2016 the establishment of Saudi-Emirati Coordination Council, which aims to establish a joint vision to strengthen and maintain their mutual ties and consolidate their integrated economic systems.

Marking the occasion an official tweet, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice -President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, extended his congratulations to the leadership and people of Saudi Arabia.

The leadership of the two countries celebrate national occasions, which underscores the deep-rooted ties between both countries.

UAE- Saudi cultural relations also saw the signing of many joint agreements, where economic and commercial ties represent a distinguished and rich model of cooperation for a better future.

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Varieties

In Freezing Temperatures, Swimmers in China Plunge into a River for Health and Joy

A resident swims in a pool carved from ice on the frozen Songhua river in Harbin in northeastern China's Heilongjiang province, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP)
A resident swims in a pool carved from ice on the frozen Songhua river in Harbin in northeastern China's Heilongjiang province, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP)
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In Freezing Temperatures, Swimmers in China Plunge into a River for Health and Joy

A resident swims in a pool carved from ice on the frozen Songhua river in Harbin in northeastern China's Heilongjiang province, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP)
A resident swims in a pool carved from ice on the frozen Songhua river in Harbin in northeastern China's Heilongjiang province, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP)

Even as the mercury dropped below freezing, enthusiasm soared among about a dozen hardy swimmers during an annual ritual in northeast China’s ice city of Harbin.

The swimmers had trained daily throughout the year for this moment.

They first had to carve out a pool in the Songhua River, thawing the 10-centimeter (4-inch) thick ice that froze overnight. Then they stripped down and, one by one, plunged into the bone-chilling waters of the pool about 10 meters (33 feet) long.

Some said their limbs were already numb when the air temperature fell to minus 13 degrees Celsius (8 degrees Fahrenheit).

Chen Xia, from the eastern coastal province of Zhejiang, dived into the river even though she was suffering from a cold. She said the waters in her home city were warmer than those in Harbin, where the temperature was about 0 C (32 F).

The experience strengthened her confidence in winter swimming, a sport she has been devoted to for about two decades.

“I felt prickling all over my body,” said Chen, 56. “But it still made me feel blissful."

Harbin resident Yu Xiaofeng said winter swimming in her city can be dated back to the 1970s, after locals saw Russian Orthodox faithful being baptized in the river. In 1983, the city's winter swimming association was established.

Yu, 61, said she found a sense of a big family and joy during her 30 years of swimming.

“Since the pandemic, we came up with a slogan: Rather suffer through winter swimming than line up at the hospital,” she said, adding that winter swimmers appeared to have better health than others.

You Decang, 76, said swimming kept him healthy and he had never caught a cold.

"If I go just one day without winter swimming, I feel quite uncomfortable,” he said.