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King Salman Sponsors Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup

Saudi Arabia's King Salman - SPA
Saudi Arabia's King Salman - SPA
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King Salman Sponsors Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup

Saudi Arabia's King Salman - SPA
Saudi Arabia's King Salman - SPA

Under the patronage of King Salman, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques’ Cup is set to take place this weekend at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh.

Governor of Riyadh, Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz, will attended the event and crown the winners, as directed by King Salman.

There will be two different races with a prize of 1.5 million Saudi riyals for each.

The races continues on Saturday with the Diriyah Cup with the winner qualifying for one of the races that is part of the Saudi Cup.

This year’s event is of particular importance as it grants the winner direct qualification for the most valuable race in the world, the Saudi Cup.

The qualifying races for the Saudi Cup will be held on Friday, and they will be followed by the 1351 Turf Sprint, NEOM Cup, Manifa Cup, Riyadh Sprint Cup, and the Saudi Derby.

Horses from the GCC will also be allowed to participate in the most prestigious tournaments.

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Pope Leo to Escape Rome’s Summer Heat with July Stay at Castel Gandolfo

Pope Leo XIV meets the members of the Rome's local church in the Paul VI hall at the Vatican, Thursday, June 12, 2025. (AP)
Pope Leo XIV meets the members of the Rome's local church in the Paul VI hall at the Vatican, Thursday, June 12, 2025. (AP)
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Pope Leo to Escape Rome’s Summer Heat with July Stay at Castel Gandolfo

Pope Leo XIV meets the members of the Rome's local church in the Paul VI hall at the Vatican, Thursday, June 12, 2025. (AP)
Pope Leo XIV meets the members of the Rome's local church in the Paul VI hall at the Vatican, Thursday, June 12, 2025. (AP)

As temperatures in Rome swelter this month, reaching more than 35 degrees Celsius (95°F) under the hot Mediterranean sun, Pope Leo has decided to leave town.

The pontiff will spend July 6 to 20 about an hour's drive south in Castel Gandolfo, a small hamlet on Lake Albano, the Vatican said on Tuesday.

Leo, elected pope on May 8 to replace the late Pope Francis, will also return to the lakeshore for at least one weekend in August, it said.

All of Leo's public and private audiences have been suspended from July 2 through July 23, the Vatican said, as was usual under Francis, to allow the pontiff a period of rest. They will restart on July 30.

By going to Castel Gandolfo, Leo is restarting a summer tradition that was broken by Francis.

Dozens of popes over centuries have spent the summer months at Lake Albano, where temperatures are usually about ten degrees cooler than Rome, but Francis preferred to stay in his air-conditioned Vatican residence.

The Vatican has owned a papal palace and surrounding grounds in Castel Gandolfo since 1596. Spanning 55 hectares, the property includes official apartments, elaborate Renaissance-style gardens, a forest and a working dairy farm.

Francis, who shunned most of the trappings of the papacy, had the official papal palace turned into a museum.

Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni told Reuters the pope would not stay at the palace, which will remain a museum, and will instead stay on another Vatican property.

Leo will return to Castel Gandolfo for the weekend of August 15 to 17.