عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Culture

Japan Crown Prince, Princess Visit Saudi Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka

Japanese Crown Prince Akishino and his wife, Crown Princess Kiko, visit the Saudi Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka. (SPA)
Japanese Crown Prince Akishino and his wife, Crown Princess Kiko, visit the Saudi Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka. (SPA)
TT
TT

Japan Crown Prince, Princess Visit Saudi Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka

Japanese Crown Prince Akishino and his wife, Crown Princess Kiko, visit the Saudi Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka. (SPA)
Japanese Crown Prince Akishino and his wife, Crown Princess Kiko, visit the Saudi Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka. (SPA)

Japanese Crown Prince Akishino and his wife, Crown Princess Kiko, who are the honorary presidents of Expo 2025 Osaka, visited the Saudi Pavilion participating in the global event, reported the Saudi Press Agency on Tuesday.

Saudi Ambassador to Japan and Commissioner General of the Saudi Arabia Pavilion Ghazi Binzagr welcomed the Crown Prince and Princess of Japan upon their arrival. He commended the visit, saying it highlights the deep, historical, and friendly relations between Saudi Arabia and Japan. He emphasized the pivotal role of the expo in fostering human connection and dialogue among nations.

The ambassador briefed the Japanese Crown Prince and Princess on the pavilion's components, including a model for Expo 2030 Riyadh. They viewed creative elements reflecting Saudi cultural identity and future aspirations and received commemorative gifts inspired by the heritage of AlUla, which features the first Saudi site to be included on the UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage List.

Saudi-Japanese relations have seen rapid development over the past decades. In 1981, Saudi Arabia witnessed the first visit from the Japanese Imperial House, followed by another visit in 1994.

In 2017, the Saudi-Japan Vision 2030 initiative came to light, yielding over 80 joint projects across various fields, including renewable energy, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, and healthcare, thereby strengthening the two countries' strategic partnership.

The visit by the Crown Prince and Princess of Japan to the pavilion is part of their participation in the official Japan Day ceremony at Expo 2025 Osaka. It coincides with the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Japan, which falls on June 7, 2025. This historic occasion represents a significant milestone in the ongoing partnership based on mutual respect, cultural exchange, and constructive diplomatic cooperation.

Most Viewed

 
 
Culture

Italy Uncovers Basilica Designed by Vitruvius, the 'Father of Architecture'

A handout photo made available by Regione Marche press office shows the excavations in Piazza Andrea Costa from which large columns emerge, remains believed of the Basilica of Vitruvius, in Fano, Italy, 19 January 2026. (EPA/Regione Marche press office)
A handout photo made available by Regione Marche press office shows the excavations in Piazza Andrea Costa from which large columns emerge, remains believed of the Basilica of Vitruvius, in Fano, Italy, 19 January 2026. (EPA/Regione Marche press office)
TT
TT

Italy Uncovers Basilica Designed by Vitruvius, the 'Father of Architecture'

A handout photo made available by Regione Marche press office shows the excavations in Piazza Andrea Costa from which large columns emerge, remains believed of the Basilica of Vitruvius, in Fano, Italy, 19 January 2026. (EPA/Regione Marche press office)
A handout photo made available by Regione Marche press office shows the excavations in Piazza Andrea Costa from which large columns emerge, remains believed of the Basilica of Vitruvius, in Fano, Italy, 19 January 2026. (EPA/Regione Marche press office)

Italian officials on Monday hailed the discovery of a more than 2,000-year-old public building attributed to Vitruvius, the ancient Roman architect and engineer known as the "father of architecture."

"It is a sensational finding ... something that our grandchildren will be talking about," Italian Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli told a press conference.

Vitruvius, who lived in the ‌1st century BC, ‌is celebrated for having written "De architectura," ‌or ⁠The Ten ‌Books on Architecture, the oldest surviving treatise on the subject.

His teachings on the classical proportions of buildings have inspired artists over centuries, including Leonardo da Vinci, whose famous drawing of the human body is known as the "Vitruvian Man."

Archaeologists believe they have found ⁠the remains of an ancient basilica, or public building, in the central ‌Italian city of Fano northeast of ‍Rome, that was created ‍by Vitruvius.

"I feel like this is the discovery ‍of the century, because scientists and researchers have been searching for this basilica for over 500 years," said the Mayor of Fano Luca Serfilippi.

"We have absolute match" between what was discovered and the descriptions given by Vitruvius in his books, regional archaeological superintendent Andrea Pessina told reporters.

The basilica had a rectangular layout, with 10 columns on the long side, and four on the short ones, Pessina said.

During excavation, when traces of four columns emerged, archaeologists used Vitruvius' descriptions to calculate where the top right column should be. When they started digging, they found it immediately, Pessina said.

"The are few certainties in archaeology ... but we were impressed by the precision" of the match, he added.

Further digging will determine whether more of the ‌basilica lies underground and if the site can be shown to the public, the superintendent said.

Culture

French TV Broadcasts Louvre Robbery Images

People wait for the Louvre museum to open as employees at the Louvre Museum vote to extend a strike that has disrupted operations at the world's most visited museum, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025 in Paris. (AP)
People wait for the Louvre museum to open as employees at the Louvre Museum vote to extend a strike that has disrupted operations at the world's most visited museum, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025 in Paris. (AP)
TT
TT

French TV Broadcasts Louvre Robbery Images

People wait for the Louvre museum to open as employees at the Louvre Museum vote to extend a strike that has disrupted operations at the world's most visited museum, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025 in Paris. (AP)
People wait for the Louvre museum to open as employees at the Louvre Museum vote to extend a strike that has disrupted operations at the world's most visited museum, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025 in Paris. (AP)

Footage of the spectacular robbery at the Louvre Museum has been broadcast for the first time on French television, showing the brazen jewel thieves breaking into display cases.

The images, filmed by surveillance cameras, were shown by the TF1 and public France Televisions channels on Sunday evening, three months after the hugely embarrassing break-in in October.

They show the two burglars, one wearing a black balaclava and a yellow high-visibility jacket, the other dressed in black with a motorcycle helmet, as they force their way into the Apollo Gallery.

After breaking in through a reinforced window with a high-powered disk cutters, they begin slicing into display cases under the eyes of several staff members who do not intervene.

Managers at the Louvre have stressed that staff are not trained to confront thieves and are asked to prioritize the evacuation of visitors.

During the roughly four minutes that the two men were inside the gallery, one staff member can be seen holding a bollard used to orient visitor through the gallery, according to France Televisions.

The images form a key part of the ongoing criminal investigation into the October 19 heist.

Details of the footage have been reported in French newspapers, including Le Parisien.

Four suspects are in police custody, including the two suspected thieves, but the eight stolen items of French crown jewels worth an estimated $102 million have not been found.

The security failures highlighted by the break-in on a Sunday morning in broad daylight have lead to major pressure on director Laurence des Cars, who has apologized.

Metal bars have since been installed over the windows of the Apollo Gallery.

Culture

Cultural Development Fund Highlights Economic Value of Saudi Culture in Davos

The Cultural Development Fund (CDF) logo
The Cultural Development Fund (CDF) logo
TT
TT

Cultural Development Fund Highlights Economic Value of Saudi Culture in Davos

The Cultural Development Fund (CDF) logo
The Cultural Development Fund (CDF) logo

The Cultural Development Fund (CDF) is participating in the Saudi House pavilion initiative, led by the Ministry of Economy and Planning, during the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum 2026, held in Davos, Switzerland, from January 19 to 23.

Through this participation, CDF aims to showcase the economic value of Saudi culture, highlight its role in diversifying the national economy and enhancing quality of life, attract international investment in the cultural sector, and spotlight Saudi cultural entrepreneurship.

According to a statement from the fund, the CDF’s participation includes a networking breakfast bringing together global economic leaders and investors from various countries, with the aim of raising awareness of Saudi culture as an economic force and a key pillar of Saudi Vision 2030.

The event will also provide a platform for exchanging perspectives and opportunities with international investors and financial institutions, while offering a closer look at the enablers of the Saudi cultural sector and its investment opportunities.

As part of the event, the CDF will host a panel discussion titled “Investing in Culture as an Economic Engine” that will feature CEO of the Cultural Development Fund Majed bin Abdulmohsen Al-Hugail, alongside Deputy Minister of Cultural Strategies and Policies at the Ministry of Culture Albara Al-Auhali.

The discussion will address the economic value of culture globally and locally, highlighting the CDF’s role in providing financial solutions that support cultural enterprises and enable their contribution to GDP growth and quality of life. The session will also explore cultural policies and their impact on strengthening the sector’s economic and investment potential.

Within the NextOn dialogue series organized by the Saudi House in Davos, the Cultural Development Fund will enable supported cultural projects to share their success stories and highlight their role in enhancing cultural production and increasing its economic value.

Participating entrepreneurs include Co-Founder of AlMashtal Creative Incubator Princess Noura bint Saud bin Naif, and CEO of Arabian Housing and Building company (AHB) Khalid Henaidy, who will speak about the role of entrepreneurship in shaping the future of the Kingdom’s cultural economy.

‏This participation underscores the CDF’s role as a center of excellence and financial enabler for the cultural sector in the Kingdom, and forms part of its efforts to strengthen the presence of Saudi cultural dynamism on the global stage. It aligns with the CDF’s objectives to maximize the cultural sector’s economic and social impact, increase its contribution to GDP, quality of life, and advance the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.