عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Culture

Saudi Culture Ministry, Boutique Group Sign Agreement to Promote Saudi Cultural Heritage

The agreement covers several cultural fields to highlight the Kingdom’s heritage. SPA
The agreement covers several cultural fields to highlight the Kingdom’s heritage. SPA
TT
TT

Saudi Culture Ministry, Boutique Group Sign Agreement to Promote Saudi Cultural Heritage

The agreement covers several cultural fields to highlight the Kingdom’s heritage. SPA
The agreement covers several cultural fields to highlight the Kingdom’s heritage. SPA

The Ministry of Culture signed a cooperation agreement with Boutique Group to enhance joint efforts to promote the Kingdom’s rich heritage.
The signing ceremony was held at the ministry’s headquarters in Diriyah’s Al-Bujairi District.
Deputy Minister of Culture for National Partnerships and Talent Development Noha Kattan signed the deal with Boutique Group Chief Executive Christophe Mares.
Kattan said the partnership aligns with the ministry’s goals of empowering Saudi heritage and culture.
She added that the agreement honors the Kingdom’s rich history and helps build a future that values tradition and encourages global cultural creativity.
Mares expressed his company's pleasure in the new partnership, which will focus on providing a unique and luxurious experience that reflects the Saudi cultural identity. He said the company will reflect each region’s culture by integrating its visual style, sounds, and traditions into palace operations.
The agreement covers several cultural fields to highlight the Kingdom’s heritage in creative and contemporary ways.
This will be achieved by integrating Saudi cuisine into the culinary arts, dressing hotel staff in traditional Saudi attire, and infusing palace designs with cultural identity.
These efforts will enhance the guest experience at Boutique Group’s palaces, offering a deeper connection to Saudi culture.

Most Viewed

 
 
Culture

Mercury Contamination Found at More Ancient Maya Sites

Tourists climb the Maya pyramid of Nohoch Mul at the archaeological site of Coba December 15, 2012. (Reuters)
Tourists climb the Maya pyramid of Nohoch Mul at the archaeological site of Coba December 15, 2012. (Reuters)
TT
TT

Mercury Contamination Found at More Ancient Maya Sites

Tourists climb the Maya pyramid of Nohoch Mul at the archaeological site of Coba December 15, 2012. (Reuters)
Tourists climb the Maya pyramid of Nohoch Mul at the archaeological site of Coba December 15, 2012. (Reuters)

For the ancient Maya, the vibrant red mineral cinnabar held deep sacred meaning, representing blood, life and the soul. They used it widely as pigment in murals and temples while also employing it in ceremonies and funerary rites. What they did not know is that cinnabar is mostly mercury, which can be highly toxic.

Previous research showed how mercury from cinnabar left enduring contamination at the sites of certain ancient Maya cities such as Tikal in Guatemala. A new study reveals that this contamination was more widespread than previously known and documents how mercury, after leaching into the surrounding soil and bodies of water, proved deadly for many aquatic organisms.

Researchers obtained core samples from beneath lakes at two ancient Maya cities on Mexico's Yucatan peninsula — the well-studied site of Coba and the little-known site of Xcach.

The samples showed a mercury spike at Coba beginning around 250 AD ‌and lasting about ‌150 years around the outset of the golden age of Maya civilization, called the ‌Classic ⁠Period. At Xcach, there ⁠was a spike from around 125 AD to 200 AD, shortly before the Classic Period, then a second spike at about the same time as the one at Coba, and a third spike from about 535 AD to 820 AD, running to around the end of the Classic Period.

The study documents mercury contamination in the Maya northern lowlands, a region with previously sparse mercury records, and reveals some of the highest recorded Maya-era mercury concentrations.

Many of the great Maya cities collapsed and were abandoned at the end of the Classic Period. Varying hypotheses have been presented to explain this calamity, including climate change and warfare. The ⁠new research suggests mercury poisoning as one additional factor.

"Our study shows that modern toxicology ‌and pollution regulations were far exceeded at the most toxic levels for centuries ‌around Coba and Xcach," said paleolimnologist Matt Waters, a professor of environmental science at Auburn University in Alabama and lead author of ‌the study published in the journal Science Advances.

"Furthermore, we measured multiple biological markers in the sediments for bacteria, algae, cyanobacteria, ‌shelled organisms and insect midges, which all decreased or vanished in the lakes, meaning the mercury had made its way into multiple levels of the food chain," Waters said.

MERCURY POISONING

Mercury in people can harm the central nervous system, brain, kidneys, lungs and heart.

"While we do not show this in our sediment records, this trophic movement implies that the Maya people might have been exposed to mercury via ‌consumption of water or fish," said study co-author Savanna Wooten, a postdoctoral researcher at the Jones Center at Ichauway research facility in Georgia.

"This research does little to link ⁠mercury directly to the demise of ⁠Classic-era Maya cities. But it does add one more stressor to the growing list of environmental and climatic pressures documented to have co-occurred with the Classic Period Maya," Wooten said.

Coba (pronounced "koh-BAH") is estimated to have had a population of 60,000 to 90,000 people during the Classic Period. It is a well-known jungle archeological site visited by many tourists that features one of the tallest ancient pyramids in the Yucatan.

Less is known about Xcach (pronounced "SCOTCH"), a site on private land featuring multiple pyramids and structures where very little archeological work has been done.

Cinnabar is a naturally occurring mercury sulfide mineral and may have been a major trade commodity in places like Coba and Xcach where it is not found in natural abundance, the researchers said.

The Maya fashioned one of the great civilizations in the pre-Columbian New World, prospering in a broad area of Mexico as well as Guatemala, Belize, Honduras and El Salvador. Among other achievements, they built monumental structures, crafted great works of art, gained a sophisticated understanding of astronomy and mathematics, produced an advanced calendar and developed an intricate writing system.

"Their longevity as a culture and development in science, construction and art is both extensive and elegant. Cinnabar would have been a pigment that added beauty and culture to these people," Waters said.

Culture

Theater and Performing Arts Commission to Present a Variety of Performances across Six Saudi Cities

Theater and Performing Arts Commission to Present a Variety of Performances across Six Saudi Cities
TT
TT

Theater and Performing Arts Commission to Present a Variety of Performances across Six Saudi Cities

Theater and Performing Arts Commission to Present a Variety of Performances across Six Saudi Cities

The Theater and Performing Arts Commission (TPAC) will present a variety of performances from November 11 to December 19, 2026, across six cities in the Kingdom. The program will kick off in the capital, Riyadh, with performances taking place in public spaces, offering visitors an immersive experience and a closer look at TPAC’s activities.

The program features theatrical shows, roving traditional performing arts, puppet shows, a traveling circus, and interactive experiences.
It includes 10 daily segments showcasing a variety of traditional performing arts rooted in each city's cultural heritage, SPA reported.

The performances will kick off at the U Walk complex in Riyadh from November 11 to 14; the House of Culture in Dammam from November 18 to 21; Al-Noor Park in Buraidah, in Qassim Region, from November 25 to 28; the House of Culture in Hail from December 2 to 5; and Arruddaf Park in Taif from December 9 to 12.

The program will conclude at Jeddah Promenade from December 16 to 19.
The venues will welcome visitors daily from 5:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.

The performances are part of TPAC’s efforts to develop the sector, empower creative talent, enhance their skills, and expand the presence of theater and performing arts in society.

The program also offers the public an opportunity to learn about TPAC’s initiatives and engage with its experiences and performances.

Culture

AlUla's Madrasat Addeera Opens Applications for Design and Handicrafts Program for Women

The program aims to develop young women’s skills and equip them to produce craft products inspired by AlUla's natural environment and cultural identity - SPA
The program aims to develop young women’s skills and equip them to produce craft products inspired by AlUla's natural environment and cultural identity - SPA
TT
TT

AlUla's Madrasat Addeera Opens Applications for Design and Handicrafts Program for Women

The program aims to develop young women’s skills and equip them to produce craft products inspired by AlUla's natural environment and cultural identity - SPA
The program aims to develop young women’s skills and equip them to produce craft products inspired by AlUla's natural environment and cultural identity - SPA

Madrasat Addeera in AlUla Governorate has opened applications for its 2026–2027 vocational training program, targeting young women interested in design and handicrafts.

The program aims to develop young women’s skills and equip them to produce craft products inspired by AlUla's natural environment and cultural identity. Applications will remain open until November 12, SPA reported.

The seven-month program combines design principles with practical training in traditional crafts, using local materials and patterns inspired by nature. It prepares trainees to move on to design and production studios, develop made-to-order handicraft products, and create customized corporate gifts.

Established as the first girls' school in AlUla, Madrasat Addeera has been transformed since 2019 into a creative center and an educational and cultural hub for the governorate's residents.

It seeks to revive traditional crafts and historical arts and attract international expertise as the region's first arts and design center.