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Saudi Culture Ministry Signs Agreement with Snapchat

The agreement was signed by Hamed bin Mohammed Fayez, Deputy Minister of Culture, and Ben Schwerin, SVP of Content and Partnerships at Snap Inc. SPA
The agreement was signed by Hamed bin Mohammed Fayez, Deputy Minister of Culture, and Ben Schwerin, SVP of Content and Partnerships at Snap Inc. SPA
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Saudi Culture Ministry Signs Agreement with Snapchat

The agreement was signed by Hamed bin Mohammed Fayez, Deputy Minister of Culture, and Ben Schwerin, SVP of Content and Partnerships at Snap Inc. SPA
The agreement was signed by Hamed bin Mohammed Fayez, Deputy Minister of Culture, and Ben Schwerin, SVP of Content and Partnerships at Snap Inc. SPA

Saudi Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan Al Saud has overseen the signing of an agreement with Snap Inc. in the presence of its CEO, Evan Spiegel, at Jax District in Ad-Diriyah.

The agreement was signed by Hamed bin Mohammed Fayez, Deputy Minister of Culture, and Ben Schwerin, SVP of Content and Partnerships at Snap Inc.

The agreement comes as part of the Ministry’s efforts to build partnerships with the public, private, and nonprofit sectors to benefit the nation’s cultural scene, including the maximum leverage of cutting-edge technologies in this critical domain which represents a core component of Vision 2030’s Quality of Life program, besides collaborating to implement social service programs, adopting Augmented Reality (AR) solutions across the Ministry’s portfolio of events and initiatives, as well as upskilling local talent to master Snapchat’s unique offerings.

Snap Inc. has chosen the Jax cultural district in Diriyah to set up its Saudi base and a content creator studio. Jax district is the Kingdom’s trendiest creative hub boasting galleries, studios, and capabilities that incubate art and artists alike while inspiring the nation’s cultural movement.

The company will invest its digital technologies into local cultural programs and events besides supporting the cultural sector in line with the Ministry’s strategic plans to develop an interactive cultural experience on social media platforms and promote its creative content across 16 cultural sub-sectors.

Snapchat is a pioneering platform in the Kingdom with around 20 million active users.

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Varieties

Carnivorous 'Bone Collector' Caterpillar Dresses in Remains of its Prey

This photo provided by Daniel Rubinoff in April 2025 shows a new species of carnivorous caterpillar, left, which uses a protective case made with insect parts, near a spider in Oahu, Hawaii. (Courtesy Daniel Rubinoff via AP)
This photo provided by Daniel Rubinoff in April 2025 shows a new species of carnivorous caterpillar, left, which uses a protective case made with insect parts, near a spider in Oahu, Hawaii. (Courtesy Daniel Rubinoff via AP)
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Carnivorous 'Bone Collector' Caterpillar Dresses in Remains of its Prey

This photo provided by Daniel Rubinoff in April 2025 shows a new species of carnivorous caterpillar, left, which uses a protective case made with insect parts, near a spider in Oahu, Hawaii. (Courtesy Daniel Rubinoff via AP)
This photo provided by Daniel Rubinoff in April 2025 shows a new species of carnivorous caterpillar, left, which uses a protective case made with insect parts, near a spider in Oahu, Hawaii. (Courtesy Daniel Rubinoff via AP)

A new carnivorous caterpillar that wears the remains of its prey has been dubbed the “bone collector.”
The odd insect is only found on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. It creeps along spiderwebs, feeding on trapped insects and decorating its silk case with their body parts, The Associated Press reported.
There are other meat-eating caterpillars that “do lots of crazy things, but this takes the cake,” said study author Dan Rubinoff with the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
Scientists think the case might act as camouflage, allowing the caterpillar to feast on the spider’s ensnared meals without getting caught.
A host of caterpillars native to Hawaii use silk glands to spin protective cases studded with lichen, sand and other materials. This one is the first to use ant heads and fly wings.
“It really is an astonishing type of case,” said Steven Montgomery, an entomology consultant in Hawaii who was not involved with the new study.
Findings were published Thursday in the journal Science. Scientists found just 62 of the carnivorous caterpillars in over 20 years of observing.
Predatory caterpillars are extremely rare and the bone collectors found in Hawaii will even eat each other, researchers said.
The bone collector's origins date back at least 6 million years, making the caterpillars more ancient than the Hawaiian islands themselves. Today, they dwell on an isolated patch of mountain forest alongside invasive species.
“There is really a concern that we need to do better with conservation,” said Rubinoff.