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Riyadh Season to Offer Diverse Events, World Championships

Turki Al-Sheikh, head of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority (PHOTO CREDIT: Turki al-Ogaili)
Turki Al-Sheikh, head of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority (PHOTO CREDIT: Turki al-Ogaili)
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Riyadh Season to Offer Diverse Events, World Championships

Turki Al-Sheikh, head of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority (PHOTO CREDIT: Turki al-Ogaili)
Turki Al-Sheikh, head of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority (PHOTO CREDIT: Turki al-Ogaili)

The fifth “Riyadh Season” will launch on October 12, featuring new locations, major events, and concerts, as well as 12 Gulf, Arab, and international plays, according to Turki Al-Sheikh, head of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority.
Riyadh Season has become a key economic attraction, drawing local and international investments. Last year, attendance more than doubled to over 20 million, compared to 10 million in its first season in 2019.
Al-Sheikh said that the new edition includes 14 entertainment areas, 11 world championships, in addition to 10 festivals and exhibitions.
He added that over 4,200 contracts have been signed, involving more than 2,000 companies, 95% of which are Saudi-owned.
Key partners include “Sela” from the Public Investment Fund, “Big Time” as the creative partner, and “SMG” as the media partner.
A new area called “The Venue” will be introduced in this year’s Riyadh Season. Spanning 9,425 square meters with a capacity of 8,000 square meters, it will host seven different events.
Al-Sheikh also announced that The Venue will feature a major global fashion event in collaboration with renowned Arab designer Elie Saab.
One of the key highlights this year is the Riyadh Season Tennis Cup event, which will feature the top six ranked tennis players in the world.
Additionally, the Middle East’s most influential marketing awards festival will be held in Saudi Arabia for the first time during this year’s Riyadh Season.
According to Al-Sheikh, “The Boulevard World” has expanded to 19 zones, a 35% increase, with 21 new attractions, five new areas, 300 restaurants and cafes, and about 1,400 stores—18% more than last year.
Five new countries will be featured in “The Boulevard World” this year: Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, South Africa, Iran, and Courchevel, a snowy area with a ski school and an all-day skiing experience.
He also revealed designs for the BLVD Business Park project, which will host several local and international entities and companies. Details were shared about the Boulevard Lane area, set to be developed in partnership with Saudi Airlines, featuring three converted Boeing 777 aircraft as commercial spaces and restaurants, along with 13 interactive experiences for all ages.
Improvement continues in various areas of the season, including "Wonder Garden," which has been upgraded to accommodate up to 23,000 people across nearly 500,000 square meters, featuring over 60 theatrical and roaming shows, 65 games and experiences, and more than 40 restaurants in a unique setting with three beautifully distinct garden areas.
As for VIA Riyadh, which hosted the press conference, Al Al-Sheikh said that it will be fully air-conditioned by summer 2025 to attract visitors year-round. This season will see improvements including upgraded cinema halls, new restaurants and cafes, and the renowned Ana Arabiya installation. Additionally, the season will feature the opening of a Christian Dior exhibition and museum, Dior café, gift shop, and 14 fashion-themed sections.
During the beautiful Riyadh winter, the "Dunes of Arabia" zone will be established to provide desert enthusiasts with immersive experiences such as sandboarding, desert driving, sand dune hiking, archery, and camel riding. Additionally, Al-Hosn Studios will open as one of the destinations in the Riyadh Season.
Souq Al-Awaleen, another free zone, reflects Saudi identity through a shopping experience, folk performances, handicrafts, and traditional clothing. As part of Riyadh Season's social responsibility initiatives, special days will also be organized for the children of martyrs and orphanages in the Boulevard World and Wonder Garden areas.

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Varieties

Louvre Thieves Escaped With 30 Seconds to Spare, Probe Reveals

The daring robbery at the Louvre took place in broad daylight © Dimitar DILKOFF / AFP
The daring robbery at the Louvre took place in broad daylight © Dimitar DILKOFF / AFP
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Louvre Thieves Escaped With 30 Seconds to Spare, Probe Reveals

The daring robbery at the Louvre took place in broad daylight © Dimitar DILKOFF / AFP
The daring robbery at the Louvre took place in broad daylight © Dimitar DILKOFF / AFP

The thieves who stole priceless crown jewels from the Louvre in October escaped with just 30 seconds to spare due to avoidable security failures at the Paris museum, a damning investigation revealed on Wednesday.

The probe, ordered by the culture ministry after the embarrassing daylight heist, revealed that only one of two security cameras was working near the site where the thieves broke in on the morning of Sunday October 19, according to AFP.

Agents in the security headquarters also did not have enough screens to follow the images in real-time, while a lack of coordination meant police were initially sent to the wrong place once the alarm was raised, the report unveiled at the French Senate's Culture Commission, stated.

"It highlights an overall failure of the museum, as well as its supervisory authority, to address security issues," the head of the commission, Laurent Lafon, said at the start of a hearing.

One of the most startling revelations was that the robbers left only 30 seconds before police and private security guards arrived on the scene.

"Give or take 30 seconds, the Securitas (private security) guards or the police officers in a car could have prevented the thieves from escaping," the head of the investigation, Noel Corbin, told senators.

He said that measures such as a modern security camera system, more resistant glass in the door cut open with angle grinders, or better internal coordination could have prevented the loss of the crown jewels -- worth an estimated $102 million -- which have still not been found.

Security risks were highlighted in several reports commissioned by management of the Louvre, including a 2019 audit by the jewellery company Van Cleef & Arpels.

The evaluation said the balcony used by the thieves was a weak point in security and could be reached by using an extendable ladder -- exactly what transpired in the heist.

Corbin confirmed that under-fire Louvre boss Laurence des Cars had been unaware of the audit which was carried out by her predecessor, Jean-Luc Martinez.

"The recommendations were not acted on and they would have enabled us to avoid this robbery," Corbin said, adding that there had been a lack of coordination between the two state-appointed administrators.

Police believe they have arrested all four thieves, who escaped on powerful motorbikes, having carried out the heist in the Apollo Gallery in around 10 minutes in total.

The revelations on Wednesday are likely to pile more pressure on des Cars, who was already facing calls to resign.

Varieties

Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve Launches Live Turtle Tracking Program

This data will fill a critical regional knowledge gap and drive unified, cross-border conservation strategies for these globally endangered species - SPA
This data will fill a critical regional knowledge gap and drive unified, cross-border conservation strategies for these globally endangered species - SPA
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Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve Launches Live Turtle Tracking Program

This data will fill a critical regional knowledge gap and drive unified, cross-border conservation strategies for these globally endangered species - SPA
This data will fill a critical regional knowledge gap and drive unified, cross-border conservation strategies for these globally endangered species - SPA

In a milestone for marine conservation, Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve has launched a live satellite tracking program for hawksbill and green turtles, including the first known tagging of a pre-nesting, egg-carrying green turtle in the Red Sea, SPA reported.

This data will fill a critical regional knowledge gap and drive unified, cross-border conservation strategies for these globally endangered species.

The team, led by Senior Marine Ecologist at Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve Dr. Ahmed Mohammed and KAUST Beacon Development’s Senior Marine Megafauna Specialist Dr. Hector Barrios-Garrido, successfully in-water captured and tagged three critically endangered (IUCN) hawksbill turtles and seven green turtles. The tags transmit real-time movement data identifying foraging grounds, migratory corridors, and most crucially the nesting site of the egg-carrying green turtle, ensuring the appropriate protection and management is in place. The program continues the reserve’s long-term commitment to marine conservation, expanding its turtle nest monitoring and protection program in operation since 2023.

The reserve protects 4,000km² of Red Sea waters, 1.8% of the Kingdom’s marine area, and a coastline of 170km, the longest coastline under management by a single entity in the Kingdom. Linking NEOM and Red Sea Global, this forms an 800km corridor of protected Red Sea coastline. It is a refuge for five of the world’s seven turtle species and a breeding ground for green and hawksbill turtles. The reserve’s ranger teams monitor turtle activity both on shore and at sea, protecting nesting sites critical to natal homing, the biological instinct that drives turtles to return to the same beaches where they were born.

‘’Critically endangered hawksbill turtles face an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild within our lifetime. With fewer than 200 breeding-age females remaining in the Red Sea, their survival depends on closing vital knowledge gaps to enable their effective conservation,” said CEO of Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve Andrew Zaloumis.

He added, “Hawksbill turtles hatching on the reserve’s protected beaches range across 438,000 km² of open sea bordered by eight MENA countries, before returning some three decades later to the same sandy beach to lay their eggs. Our satellite tagging and tracking program is a game-changer, providing the real-time data needed to identify their critical staging, foraging, and rookery areas across the Red Sea. The data will support national and regional conservation efforts to drive forward a much-needed unified ecosystem-wide turtle conservation management plan.’’

The reserve’s ongoing turtle conservation supports Saudi Arabia’s commitments under the UNEP Convention on Migratory Species and the IOSEA Marine Turtle Memorandum of Understanding by strengthening habitat protection and regional cooperation through scientific knowledge-sharing across the Red Sea.

Senior Marine Ecologist at the reserve Dr. Ahmed Mohammed stated, ‘’These state-of-the-art, lightweight tags are designed to operate for at least 12 months, providing continuous data that will enable detailed analysis of seasonal patterns, developmental habitats, and contribute valuable insights to regional and global sea turtle research. Additionally, depth sensors will reveal sea grass meadows, essential foraging grounds for green turtles and critical blue carbon sinks."

Despite the recent global reclassification of green turtles by the IUCN, regionally, they are still regarded as vulnerable and conservation dependent. All five marine turtle species resident in the Red Sea are listed under the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS), to which Saudi Arabia became a party in 1979. Turtles remain at risk from entanglement in fishing nets, habitat degradation, and illegal poaching. While these threats are absent within the reserve’s protected waters, ecosystem-wide management strategies that span political boundaries are necessary and the reserve continues to share data with the wider conservation and scientific community and partner with SHAMS on local and regional conservation strategies.

One of eight Royal Reserves, the 24,500 km² Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve stretches from the lava plains of the Harrats to the deep Red Sea in the west, connecting NEOM, Red Sea Global, and AlUla. It is home to the Public Investment Fund's (PIF) Wadi Al Disah project and Red Sea Global’s Destination AMAALA.

The reserve encompasses 15 distinct ecosystems. At just 1% of the Kingdom’s terrestrial area and 1.8% of its marine area, it boasts over 50% of the Kingdom’s species, making it one of the most biodiverse protected areas in the Middle East.

Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve is one of eight royal reserves established by royal decree and overseen by the Royal Reserves Council chaired by His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister. The reserve’s program is integrated with Saudi Arabia’s wider sustainability and conservation programs, including the Saudi Green and Middle East Green Initiatives.

Varieties

National Greening Program to Plant 400,000 Seedlings in North Riyadh Geopark

The projects falls in line with the objectives of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 - SPA
The projects falls in line with the objectives of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 - SPA
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National Greening Program to Plant 400,000 Seedlings in North Riyadh Geopark

The projects falls in line with the objectives of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 - SPA
The projects falls in line with the objectives of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 - SPA

The National Greening Program, affiliated with the National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification (NCVC), has launched its first afforestation project in the North Riyadh Geopark, located in Thadiq Governorate.

The project aims to plant 400,000 seedlings by 2030 as part of the program’s efforts to help rehabilitate environmentally degraded sites, in line with the objectives of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, SPA reported.

Representatives from government agencies, environmental associations, and some students and staff from the local schools participated in the first phase of the afforestation project.