Riyadh to Launch First Cultural ‘Fenaa’ to Bring Thinkers, Creatives Together

Buildings are seen in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, December 18, 2017. Picture taken December 18, 2017. REUTERS/Faisal Al Nasser
Buildings are seen in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, December 18, 2017. Picture taken December 18, 2017. REUTERS/Faisal Al Nasser
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Riyadh to Launch First Cultural ‘Fenaa’ to Bring Thinkers, Creatives Together

Buildings are seen in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, December 18, 2017. Picture taken December 18, 2017. REUTERS/Faisal Al Nasser
Buildings are seen in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, December 18, 2017. Picture taken December 18, 2017. REUTERS/Faisal Al Nasser

Riyadh is set to open the first inclusive cultural yard on Thursday. Planned by the Ministry of Culture, the center will serve as a vital knowledge space that incubates thinkers, creators, and talents. It also features exhibitions, sculptures, and large areas to host cultural and artistic events and transform the creative talents into promising opportunities for unusual ideas and artworks.

Named “Fenaa Alawwal”, the new center will present an exploration destination and a space for cultural dialogue and exchange aimed at building a diverse community of thinkers and creators, as part of the national strategy to empower culture and turn it into a lifestyle, and create opportunities for global, cultural exchange.

The construction works at the Diplomatic Quarter, Riyadh, have turned the first commercial bank in the kingdom (built in 1988) into an artistic and cultural destination for creators from all fields.

The site’s white, cylindrical columns are covered with local, Saudi decorations, while its exterior yard became a stage for artworks and sculptures, topped by a six-piece, permanent collection specially designed for “Fenaa Alawwal”, reflecting the level of creativity and sophistication of many local and international artists.

The site is also characterized with open, flexible corners that will host cultural and artistic events and activities, in addition to a library that provides a wide collection of books and publications in all fields.

The Ministry of Culture released a video that tells the story of the building, which was transformed from a historic, commercial center into a cultural, artistic destination under the sponsorship of the Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC), as part of the Vision 2030’s national transformation program.

The “Fenaa Alawwal” bets on leading the “Third Place” experience in Saudi Arabia by providing an exploration destination, a cultural hub, a platform for knowledge exchange, and a communication bridge that connects art to its pioneers and generations.

Artist Elham Dawsari said that the “Third Place” concept we see in spaces like “Fenaa Alawwal” is crucial because it links artists, interested audiences, officials, and community members in a spontaneous, simple way that encourages and motivates the artist to connect with the community and exchange thought and creative production.

For her part, Artist Miaad al-Akili welcomed the launch of “Fenaa Alawwal”, which gathers creative and artistic works, hoping the new center to be the first of many cultural centers across the kingdom.

Akili said cultural centers play a major role in developing the local landscape, especially when based on innovation, and nurturing the connection of artists with the different generations. She also believes that such centers represent a major, cultural base for a new journey of Saudi arts, and a different generation supported by these exceptional initiatives.

Artist Ali al-Sharif called for incorporating artistic interests such as sculpting and Al Sadu into education, and to start taking care of the talented students in early stages to ensure that the results meet the requirements of the creative phase that Saudi Arabia is living nowadays.

Sharif urged for building a database that features creators and innovators, allows to communicate with them and support their projects.

He added that art has moral and financial values, and the inherited works emphasize a style that helps communities preserve their heritage and creative works throughout history.



SpaceX Starship Explodes During Routine Test

Flames rise as a SpaceX rocket explodes in Brownsville, Texas, US, June 18, 2025, in this screengrab obtained from a social media video. TheRocketFuture via X/via REUTERS
Flames rise as a SpaceX rocket explodes in Brownsville, Texas, US, June 18, 2025, in this screengrab obtained from a social media video. TheRocketFuture via X/via REUTERS
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SpaceX Starship Explodes During Routine Test

Flames rise as a SpaceX rocket explodes in Brownsville, Texas, US, June 18, 2025, in this screengrab obtained from a social media video. TheRocketFuture via X/via REUTERS
Flames rise as a SpaceX rocket explodes in Brownsville, Texas, US, June 18, 2025, in this screengrab obtained from a social media video. TheRocketFuture via X/via REUTERS

One of Elon Musk's SpaceX Starships exploded during a routine test late Wednesday in Texas, law enforcement said, in the latest setback to the billionaire's dream of turning humanity into an interplanetary species.

The Starship 36 suffered "catastrophic failure and exploded" at the Starbase launch facility shortly after 11:00 pm (0400 GMT Thursday), a Facebook post by the Cameron County authorities said, according to AFP.

A video shared with the post showed the megarocket attached to the launch arm, and then a flash and a towering, fiery explosion.

Musk's Space X said the rocket was preparing for the tenth flight test when it "experienced a major anomaly while on a test stand at Starbase," without elaborating on the nature of the complication.

"A safety clear area around the site was maintained throughout the operation and all personnel are safe and accounted for," Space X added on social media.

"There are no hazards to residents in surrounding communities, and we ask that individuals do not attempt to approach the area while safing operations continue."

The Starship was not scheduled for launch on Wednesday evening when the explosion occurred during a "routine static fire test," according to the Cameron County authorities.

During a static fire, part of the procedures preceding a launch, the Starship's Super Heavy booster would be anchored to the ground to prevent it from lifting off during the test-firing.

Starbase on the south Texas coast, near the border with Mexico, is the headquarters for Musk's space project.

Standing 403 feet (123 meters) tall, Starship is the world's largest and most powerful rocket and central to Musk's long-term vision of colonizing Mars.

The Starship is billed as a fully reusable rocket with a payload capacity of up to 150 metric tons.

The latest setback follows an explosion of a prototype Starship over the Indian Ocean in late May.

The biggest and most powerful launch vehicle ever built had lifted off on May 27 from the Starbase facility, but the first-stage Super Heavy booster blew up instead of executing its planned splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico.

The previous two outings also ended poorly, with the upper stage disintegrating over the Caribbean.

But the failures will likely do little to dent Musk's spacefaring ambitions.

SpaceX has been betting that its "fail fast, learn fast" ethos, which has helped it dominate commercial spaceflight, will eventually pay off.

The company has caught the Super Heavy booster in the launch tower's giant robotic arms three times -- a daring engineering feat it sees as key to rapid reusability and slashing costs.

NASA is also increasingly reliant on SpaceX, whose Dragon spacecraft is vital for ferrying astronauts to and from the International Space Station.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in early May approved an increase in annual Starship rocket launches from five to 25, stating that the increased frequency would not adversely impact the environment.

The decision overruled objections from conservation groups who had warned the expansion could endanger sea turtles and shorebirds.