عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Varieties

Saudi Film Commission Showcases Special Pavilion at TIFF 2025

The commission’s participation reflects its commitment to strengthening Saudi Arabia’s position as a key player in the global film industry
The commission’s participation reflects its commitment to strengthening Saudi Arabia’s position as a key player in the global film industry
TT
TT

Saudi Film Commission Showcases Special Pavilion at TIFF 2025

The commission’s participation reflects its commitment to strengthening Saudi Arabia’s position as a key player in the global film industry
The commission’s participation reflects its commitment to strengthening Saudi Arabia’s position as a key player in the global film industry

The Saudi Film Commission is participating in the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), one of the world’s leading film festivals held from September 4 to 14, attracting renowned filmmakers, critics, and audiences from around the globe.

The commission’s participation reflects its commitment to strengthening Saudi Arabia’s position as a key player in the global film industry and showcasing the Kingdom’s creative potential.

This year, the commission’s involvement includes a dedicated pavilion highlighting recent achievements in the Saudi film industry, major projects, and innovative initiatives.

The official Saudi delegation at TIFF features representatives from the Film Commission and Saudi filmmakers, further elevating the Kingdom’s profile throughout the festival’s programs and activities.

A highlight of this year’s festival will be the world premiere of “Unidentified.”

Supported by the commission’s flagship Daw program, which provides funding for local filmmakers, the film is a crime thriller that explores historical social issues through a contemporary Saudi perspective. Its inclusion in TIFF’s official world premiere lineup offers a significant platform to showcase Saudi cinema to an international audience.

The commission aims to spotlight Saudi Arabia’s unique filming locations, foster international co-production and collaboration, and expand the global reach of Saudi films. Additionally, the participation underscores the commission’s ongoing support for local talent and the development of the Saudi film sector.

This participation aligns with the commission’s broader strategy to increase the Kingdom’s presence at major international film festivals, support the growth of the local film industry, and position Saudi Arabia as a leading destination for film production in line with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030.

Most Viewed

 
 
Varieties

Regional Temperature Records Broken Across the World in 2025

A general view of the melting Lewis Glacier in Mount Kenya National Park on March 7, 2025. (Photo by Luis TATO / AFP)
A general view of the melting Lewis Glacier in Mount Kenya National Park on March 7, 2025. (Photo by Luis TATO / AFP)
TT
TT

Regional Temperature Records Broken Across the World in 2025

A general view of the melting Lewis Glacier in Mount Kenya National Park on March 7, 2025. (Photo by Luis TATO / AFP)
A general view of the melting Lewis Glacier in Mount Kenya National Park on March 7, 2025. (Photo by Luis TATO / AFP)

Central Asia, the Sahel region and northern Europe experienced their hottest year on record in 2025, according to AFP analysis based on data from the European Copernicus program.

Globally, the last 12 months are expected to be the third hottest ever recorded after 2024 and 2023, according to the provisional data, which will be confirmed by Copernicus in its annual report in early January.

But the average, which includes land and oceans, masks overall records for certain parts of the world.

Many poorer nations do not publish detailed climate data, so AFP has completed the global picture by independently analyzing Copernicus data from climate models, measurements from about 20 satellites, and weather stations.

The data spans the whole world, hour by hour, since 1970.

Here is what the detailed analysis revealed for 2025, during which 120 monthly temperature records were broken in more than 70 countries.

Every country in Central Asia broke its annual temperature records.

Landlocked, mountainous Tajikistan saw the highest abnormal temperatures in the world, at more than 3C above its seasonal averages from 1981 to 2010.

Monthly temperature records have been broken every month since May, with the exception of November.

Neighboring countries such as Kazakhstan, Iran and Uzbekistan experienced temperatures 2C to 3C above the seasonal average.

Temperature records were beaten in several countries in the Sahel and west Africa.

Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Burkina Faso and Chad saw a rare divergence in temperatures, notching 0.7C to 1.5C above their seasonal average.

The last 12 months were the hottest ever recorded in Nigeria, and one of the fourth hottest in the other countries.

Scientists from the World Weather Attribution (WWA) network, who assess the role of human-induced climate change in extreme weather events, wrote in their annual report published on Monday that extreme heat events "have become almost 10 times more likely since 2015".

Countries in the Sahel -- the semi-arid region of west and north-central Africa stretching from Senegal to Sudan -- are among the most vulnerable to rising temperatures, with many already facing armed conflict, food insecurity and widespread poverty.

Around 10 European countries are on the verge of, or coming close to, breaking their annual temperature record, notably due to an exceptional summer.

In Switzerland and several Balkan countries, summer temperatures were 2C and even 3C above their seasonal average.

Spain, Portugal and Britain also recorded their worst summer on record, with extreme heat fueling massive wildfires.

The driest spring in more than a century led to a UK water shortage.

Northern Europe was largely spared the heatwave that hit Europe at the end of June but it instead experienced an abnormally warm autumn.

The last 12 months are expected to be one of the two warmest years on record in Norway, Sweden, Finland and Iceland.

Varieties

Saudi Arabia: AlUla Showcase its Environmental Diversity on Gulf Wildlife Day

AlUla’s participation in Gulf Wildlife Day reflects its ongoing commitment to protecting its natural resources. SPA
AlUla’s participation in Gulf Wildlife Day reflects its ongoing commitment to protecting its natural resources. SPA
TT
TT

Saudi Arabia: AlUla Showcase its Environmental Diversity on Gulf Wildlife Day

AlUla’s participation in Gulf Wildlife Day reflects its ongoing commitment to protecting its natural resources. SPA
AlUla’s participation in Gulf Wildlife Day reflects its ongoing commitment to protecting its natural resources. SPA

Saudi Arabia’s AlUla Governorate showcased its environmental wealth and natural diversity during its participation in Gulf Wildlife Day, highlighting its status as one of the Kingdom’s key regions rich in biodiversity and geology, featuring unique landscapes that include volcanic mountains, valleys, rock formations, and diverse natural habitats.

AlUla stands out as an advanced model in wildlife protection efforts, through initiatives implemented by the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU).

These initiatives aim to safeguard biodiversity, enhance the sustainability of ecosystems, and carry out breeding and reintroduction programs for endangered species into their natural habitats.

AlUla is home to five principal nature reserves that form a cornerstone of the governorate’s environmental protection system. These include Wadi Nakhlah, Harrat AlZabin, Harrat Uwayrid, Gharameel, and Sharaan.

These nature reserves witness phased releases of various wildlife species under carefully designed scientific programs, contributing to restoring ecological balance and strengthening the sustainability of wildlife.

The RCU gives special attention to the protection of the Arabian leopard, which is considered one of the region’s rare environmental symbols, with comprehensive programs that include breeding and reintroduction into its natural habitat, alongside establishing a global environmental conservation fund aimed at supporting international efforts to protect endangered species and preserve biodiversity.

These efforts are carried out in partnership with the National Center for Wildlife (NCW), a key partner in implementing endangered species reintroduction programs, developing protection plans, and exchanging scientific expertise, strengthening national coordination in wildlife conservation.

AlUla’s participation in Gulf Wildlife Day reflects its ongoing commitment to protecting its natural resources and highlighting its environmental wealth as a national and human heritage, demonstrating the balance between humans and nature and reaffirming its leading role in promoting environmental sustainability locally and regionally.

Varieties

Thieves Drill into a German Bank Vault and Steal Tens of Millions of Euros Worth of Property

Police officers stand in front of the savings bank branch in the Buer district in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025 following a break-in into the bank's vault. (Christoph Reichwein/dpa via AP)
Police officers stand in front of the savings bank branch in the Buer district in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025 following a break-in into the bank's vault. (Christoph Reichwein/dpa via AP)
TT
TT

Thieves Drill into a German Bank Vault and Steal Tens of Millions of Euros Worth of Property

Police officers stand in front of the savings bank branch in the Buer district in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025 following a break-in into the bank's vault. (Christoph Reichwein/dpa via AP)
Police officers stand in front of the savings bank branch in the Buer district in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025 following a break-in into the bank's vault. (Christoph Reichwein/dpa via AP)

Thieves stole tens of millions of euros worth of property from safety deposit boxes inside a German bank vault that they drilled into Monday during the holiday lull, police said.

Some 2,700 bank customers were affected by the theft in Gelsenkirchen, police and the Sparkasse bank said.

Thomas Nowaczyk, a police spokesperson, said investigators believe the theft was worth between 10 and 90 million euros ($11.7 to 105.7 million).

German news agency dpa reported that the theft could be one of Germany's largest heists.

The bank remained closed Tuesday, when some 200 people showed up demanding to get inside, dpa reported.

A fire alarm summoned police officers and firefighters to the bank branch shortly before 4 a.m. Monday. They found a hole in the wall and the vault ransacked. Police believe a large drill was used to break through the vault's basement wall.

Witnesses told investigators they saw several men carrying large bags in a nearby parking garage over the weekend. Video footage from the garage shows masked people inside a stolen vehicle early Monday, police said.

Gelsenkirchen is about 192 kilometers (119 miles) northwest of Frankfurt.