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Saudi Pavilion Launches Cultural Exchange Program at Expo 2025 Osaka

The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat
The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat
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Saudi Pavilion Launches Cultural Exchange Program at Expo 2025 Osaka

The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat
The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat

The Saudi Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka has launched its cultural exchange program, designed to provide professional and personal development for staff from participating pavilions. This initiative aims to share Saudi Arabia's rich cultural heritage and global influence with new team members.

Director of the Saudi Pavilion Eng. Adel Alfayez said that the program celebrates unity through diversity and fosters collaboration among pavilions, enabling the exchange of stories and the building of connections.

Alfayez welcomed the new team members, highlighting their journey through the Kingdom's diverse heritage, landscapes, and economy. This experience will help them build meaningful relationships with visitors and enrich their careers in preparation for Expo 2030 Riyadh.

The program's inaugural phase includes 13 Saudi staff members distributed across five international pavilions, with 15 visiting international staff members rotating through key roles in the Saudi Pavilion for three months. Additional participants will join in later rounds.

Visiting staff will undergo comprehensive training, covering Saudi culture, occupational health and safety, pavilion operational objectives, and visitor experience management. A job shadowing system will provide direct support from Saudi colleagues, ensuring immersion in the Kingdom's culture and skill acquisition.

The Saudi Pavilion will host over 700 events during Expo 2025 Osaka, including live shows, performing arts, and heritage activities. Visitors can enjoy a rich cultural experience featuring an augmented reality exhibit, as well as musical performances and special events marking national occasions.

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Culture

Louvre Museum Says Shutting for the Day Due to Strike

People walk next to the Louvre Museum covered in snow in Paris, France, 07 January 2026. (EPA)
People walk next to the Louvre Museum covered in snow in Paris, France, 07 January 2026. (EPA)
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Louvre Museum Says Shutting for the Day Due to Strike

People walk next to the Louvre Museum covered in snow in Paris, France, 07 January 2026. (EPA)
People walk next to the Louvre Museum covered in snow in Paris, France, 07 January 2026. (EPA)

The Louvre Museum was forced to close on Monday due to strike action from staff in the latest disruption at the world's most-visited museum, management said.

"Due to public strikes, the Musee du Louvre is closed today," the museum said in a message posted on its website, informing disappointed tourists and art lovers that their entry tickets would be automatically reimbursed.

The museum closed for a full day last month and has been only partially open on several other days since.

Nearly three months after an embarrassing daylight heist, which has heaped pressure on Louvre bosses, staff are calling for more recruitment and better maintenance of the vast former royal palace.

Questions continue to swirl since the October 19 break-in over whether it was avoidable and why thieves were able to steal crown jewels worth more than $100 million.

Two intruders used a truck-mounted extendable platform to access a gallery containing the jewels, slicing through a glass door with disk-cutters in front of startled visitors before stealing eight priceless items.

As well as the robbery, two other recent incidents have highlighted maintenance problems inside the building, which chief architect Francois Chatillon has described as "not in a good state".

A water leak in November damaged hundreds of books and manuscripts in the Egyptian department, while management had to shut a gallery housing ancient Greek ceramics in October because ceiling beams above it risked giving way.

Culture

20-Year-Olds Gathering in Kimonos for Coming of Age Day Ceremony in Japan

Kimono-clad Japanese young women take pictures after attending a Coming-of-Age Day ceremony in Yokohama, near Tokyo, Japan, 12 January 2026. EPA/FRANCK ROBICHON
Kimono-clad Japanese young women take pictures after attending a Coming-of-Age Day ceremony in Yokohama, near Tokyo, Japan, 12 January 2026. EPA/FRANCK ROBICHON
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20-Year-Olds Gathering in Kimonos for Coming of Age Day Ceremony in Japan

Kimono-clad Japanese young women take pictures after attending a Coming-of-Age Day ceremony in Yokohama, near Tokyo, Japan, 12 January 2026. EPA/FRANCK ROBICHON
Kimono-clad Japanese young women take pictures after attending a Coming-of-Age Day ceremony in Yokohama, near Tokyo, Japan, 12 January 2026. EPA/FRANCK ROBICHON

Young women in brightly colored long-sleeved kimonos and young men in formal suits or traditional hakama and haori gathered Monday at Yokohama Arena to mark Coming-of-Age Day, an annual celebration for those who have turned 20.

The ceremonies, which are a widely observed public rite of passage in Japan, lasted less than an hour. Before and after the events, young adults gathered near the arena entrance, sidewalks and nearby train stations, greeting friends they had not seen for a long time. Smartphones were raised repeatedly as participants took pictures of each other and themselves.

Among the many participants wearing black and navy suits, a large number of young men chose traditional hakama trousers and haori jackets.

Legally, adulthood in Japan now begins at 18, following a revision of the Civil Code in April 2022. Even so, most local governments continue to hold Coming-of-Age ceremonies for 20-year-olds.

Inside Yokohama Arena, participants stood for the national anthem, then sang Yokohama’s city song together. Many then switched on the lights of their mobile phones, illuminating the hall.

Culture

Saudi Pavilion at Makkah's Global Village Showcases the Kingdom’s Culture

Saudi Pavilion at Makkah's Global Village Showcases the Kingdom’s Culture
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Saudi Pavilion at Makkah's Global Village Showcases the Kingdom’s Culture

Saudi Pavilion at Makkah's Global Village Showcases the Kingdom’s Culture

The Saudi pavilion at Global Village in Makkah, part of the Makkah winter season, reflects the richness and uniqueness of the Kingdom's culture and heritage.

It features interactive and engaging sections that introduce visitors to the Kingdom’s cultural heritage, including live demonstrations of traditional handicrafts and artwork inspired by the local environment, SPA reported.

The pavilion’s presence at Global Village reflects ongoing efforts to highlight the nation’s cultural heritage, promote its civilizational legacy, and strengthen its cultural presence at major events.