Riyadh Season 2022 Kicks off with Shows 'Beyond Imagination'

 Boulevard World part of Riyadh Season 2022 (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Boulevard World part of Riyadh Season 2022 (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Riyadh Season 2022 Kicks off with Shows 'Beyond Imagination'

 Boulevard World part of Riyadh Season 2022 (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Boulevard World part of Riyadh Season 2022 (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Entertainment Authority (GEA), Turki Al-Sheikh, announced on Wednesday the launching of the Riyadh Season 2022 under the slogan “Beyong Imagination”, which will kick off on Oct. 21 with an international event featuring the world-acclaimed Cirque du Soleil.

Al-Sheikh explained that the new season would consist of 15 areas, including the Boulevard World, which would display restaurants, markets and arts from several regions around the world, including America, France, Greece, India, China, Spain, and Japan, Morocco, Mexico, in addition to the Italian city of Venice.

The Boulevard World will also include the world’s largest artificial lake, allowing visitors to enjoy riding submarines for the first time in Riyadh.

Al-Sheikh said that visitors would also enjoy a number of special attractions, such as the Kombat Village and the Superhero Village, in addition to a cable car that allows movement between the Boulevard World and the Boulevard Riyadh City, with a capacity of up to 3,000 visitors per hour.

As for the Boulevard Riyadh City, which was present in the past seasons, Al-Sheikh said that it has been expanded to include 12 new restaurants and cafes, in addition to 25 Arab and international plays, including seven Saudi plays.

Al-Sheikh indicated that the Winter Wonderland area returns this year with five new attractions. This season will also feature the Riyadh Zoo, with more than 1,300 animals of 190 species.

With the World Cup kicking off next month, Al-Sheikh announced that the Riyadh Season would include the Fan Festival zone at Mrsool Park that would accommodate 20,000 fans for each game, in parallel with exhibitions on late football star Diego Maradona and the Newcastle Club.

Other sports events will be happening this year, including the Riyadh Season Cup that will bring together Paris Saint-Germain F.C. and players from Al Hilal SFC and Al-Nassr FC, in addition to WWE matches.



UK Travel Disrupted as Storm Bert Fallout Continues

Waves crash over the harbor arm caused by high winds from Storm Bert in Folkestone, Britain, November 24, 2024. (Reuters)
Waves crash over the harbor arm caused by high winds from Storm Bert in Folkestone, Britain, November 24, 2024. (Reuters)
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UK Travel Disrupted as Storm Bert Fallout Continues

Waves crash over the harbor arm caused by high winds from Storm Bert in Folkestone, Britain, November 24, 2024. (Reuters)
Waves crash over the harbor arm caused by high winds from Storm Bert in Folkestone, Britain, November 24, 2024. (Reuters)

Britain's roads and railways were hit by closures on Monday after Storm Bert battered the country over the weekend, causing widespread flooding and killing four people.

There were more than 200 flood warnings and flood alerts in place across England and Wales, while trains from London to the southwest were cancelled and rail services in central England were severely disrupted.

"Do not attempt to travel on any route today," Great Western Railway, whose trains connect London to Bristol and Cornwall, said on X.

Among those killed during the storm were a dog walker in North Wales and a man who died when a tree hit his car in southern England.

Major roads in Northamptonshire and Bristol were closed, while fallen trees on rail lines cut off services between London and Stansted Airport, Britain's fourth busiest hub.

The disruption comes after Storm Bert hit Britain late on Friday, bringing snow, rain and strong winds.

The Met Office kept a warning for strong winds in place for northern Scotland on Monday and said the storm would clear from that part of the country early on Tuesday.