ROSHN Launches Waterfront Walkway Revamp in Jeddah

The refreshed ROSHN Waterfront will be unveiled in early June. - SPA
The refreshed ROSHN Waterfront will be unveiled in early June. - SPA
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ROSHN Launches Waterfront Walkway Revamp in Jeddah

The refreshed ROSHN Waterfront will be unveiled in early June. - SPA
The refreshed ROSHN Waterfront will be unveiled in early June. - SPA

ROSHN Group has announced, in a press release, a revamp of ROSHN Waterfront, a popular destination in Jeddah that attracts over 55 million visitors annually.
It said the initiative "Renewing and Coloring Your Steps" aims to promote community engagement, support local talents, and enhance the public landscape.

Saudi artists will transform the walkway, which will stretch 3,200 meters long and 5 meters wide. Over 200 volunteers from Jeddah will paint the walkway by the end of May covering an area of 16,000 square meters. The refreshed ROSHN Waterfront will be unveiled in early June.
The initiative is a collaboration between ROSHN, the "Lenobadir" volunteering initiative, and Jeddah Municipality's Social Responsibility Charity.
The release said that ROSHN had held a competition for Saudi artists to submit their concepts for ROSHN Waterfront. Thirty-eight talented artists, including painters and designers, showcased their ideas, which were evaluated based on specific criteria. The primary focus was on embodying ROSHN Group's distinctive elements, highlighting the quality of life, and capturing Jeddah's vibrant atmosphere and unique identity, according to SPA.
Ghada AlRumayan, ROSHN Group's Chief Marketing Officer, said: "ROSHN Waterfront has become a popular destination in Jeddah, and we wanted to improve the quality of life for all with our support for Saudi artists." She further noted that the revitalization project will bring the spirit of Jeddah to life through the artwork created by hundreds of volunteers from the local community."
The area was opened in 2017 and renamed the ROSHN Waterfront in 2022. ROSHN's goal has been to help transform the area into a place everyone in Jeddah can enjoy as part of its focus on quality of life. ROSHN Waterfront features several kilometres of walkways, jogging tracks, and cycle corridors.



Man Meets His Biological Family 75 Years after Being Adopted

Over the weekend, Handshaw flew to Rochester, New York, where he met some of his half-siblings ahead of the family’s annual Christmas party. (Facebook)
Over the weekend, Handshaw flew to Rochester, New York, where he met some of his half-siblings ahead of the family’s annual Christmas party. (Facebook)
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Man Meets His Biological Family 75 Years after Being Adopted

Over the weekend, Handshaw flew to Rochester, New York, where he met some of his half-siblings ahead of the family’s annual Christmas party. (Facebook)
Over the weekend, Handshaw flew to Rochester, New York, where he met some of his half-siblings ahead of the family’s annual Christmas party. (Facebook)

Dixon Handshaw thought he was an only child for most of his life. But decades after being adopted, the 75-year-old learned he has a handful of siblings, whom he met just in time for the holidays.

Over the weekend, Handshaw – who lives in North Carolina – flew to Rochester, New York, where he met some of his half-siblings ahead of the family’s annual Christmas party.

“All my life, I dreamed about having siblings somewhere,” Handshaw told CNN affiliate WHAM, which captured the siblings’ first meeting at the airport on Friday. “This is my Christmas miracle.”

On Saturday, Handshaw met over 50 relatives he didn’t know existed until earlier this year, he told CNN on Tuesday. The gathering, which included cousins and their children, was a welcome surprise for Handshaw, who was the only child to his adoptive parents and has no children of his own.

“I’ve never met anybody who shares my DNA,” Handshaw said. But as soon as he met his relatives they immediately clicked, Handshaw said. “It was wonderful,” he added. “I have never felt such an outpouring of unconditional love as I had from my new family.”

Born in Buffalo, New York, in 1949, Handshaw was adopted at three months old and had a happy childhood, he said, adding that his parents were honest about his adoption.

“I always wanted to find them, but New York State sealed the pre-adoption birth certificates, and it was impossible to find out,” Handshaw said.

In 2020, original birth certificates were unsealed for adopted New Yorkers following the passage of a 2019 law.

Right now, Handshaw and his siblings are making up for lost time, but their meeting is better late than never, he noted.

“I had great adoptive parents. They were wonderful. I love them and I miss them, but I always wanted siblings, and now I have them,” Handshaw told CNN. “I thought one or two would be great. I got six!”