Saudi Culture Ministry Launches Logo Design for ‘Dar Al-Qalam’ Competition

Saudi Culture Ministry Launches Logo Design for ‘Dar Al-Qalam’ Competition
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Saudi Culture Ministry Launches Logo Design for ‘Dar Al-Qalam’ Competition

Saudi Culture Ministry Launches Logo Design for ‘Dar Al-Qalam’ Competition

The Saudi Ministry of Culture has launched a competition to design a logo for the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Global Center for Arabic Calligraphy, "Dar Al-Qalam".

It is open for all interested designers, calligraphers and artists, and the winning logo will receive a prize of up to SR100,000 ($27,000).

In its statement, the ministry said the competition’s main goal is to choose the best logo for Dar Al-Qalam. But it also aims at establishing an educational and developmental environment for artists and calligraphers, and founding a creative community.

The competition includes three phases starting with open registration on the competition’s website; sorting and qualification of applications, assessing primary proposals, and holding many workshops and seminars with experts in this field; and finally, the presentations of final contestants before the jury and selection of the winning logo.

The ministry noted that the competition comes in light of the Life Quality Initiatives, one of the Saudi Vision 2030 programs, and as part of the ministry’s efforts to help Dra Al-Qalam achieve its strategic goals to enhance calligraphy, provide a cultural and educational environment that meets the best local and global practices that bolster international cultural exchange, and support experts and talented in the field.



Crowd Control at Japan's Mount Fuji as Hiking Season Begins

Climbers gather on the first day of the climbing season at Fuji Yoshidaguchi Trail (Yoshida Route) at the fifth station on the slopes of Mount Fuji, in Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan July 1, 2024. REUTERS/Issei Kato
Climbers gather on the first day of the climbing season at Fuji Yoshidaguchi Trail (Yoshida Route) at the fifth station on the slopes of Mount Fuji, in Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan July 1, 2024. REUTERS/Issei Kato
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Crowd Control at Japan's Mount Fuji as Hiking Season Begins

Climbers gather on the first day of the climbing season at Fuji Yoshidaguchi Trail (Yoshida Route) at the fifth station on the slopes of Mount Fuji, in Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan July 1, 2024. REUTERS/Issei Kato
Climbers gather on the first day of the climbing season at Fuji Yoshidaguchi Trail (Yoshida Route) at the fifth station on the slopes of Mount Fuji, in Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan July 1, 2024. REUTERS/Issei Kato

Mount Fuji's summer climbing season began on Monday with new crowd control measures to combat overtourism on the Japanese volcano's most popular trail.

An entry fee of 2,000 yen ($13) plus an optional donation is being charged for those taking on the Yoshida Trail, and numbers are capped at 4,000 per day, Agence France Presse reported.

Online reservations have also been introduced this year by authorities concerned about safety and environmental damage on Japan's highest mountain, AFP said.

Record tourist crowds are flocking to Japan post-pandemic, with many wanting to see or scale Mount Fuji.

The mountain is covered in snow most of the year but draws more than 220,000 visitors each July-September climbing period.

Many trudge through the night to see the sunrise from the 3,776-meter summit.

Some sleep on the trail or start fires for heat, while others attempt to complete the hike without breaks, becoming sick or injured as a result.

The once-peaceful pilgrimage site has three other main routes that will remain free to climb.

But the Yoshida Trail -- accessed from Tokyo relatively easily -- is the preferred option for most holidaymakers, with around 60 percent of climbers choosing that route.