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Saudi Film Commission Participates in 2026 Cannes Film Festival

The commission's participation in the 79th edition of the Cannes Film Festival enhances Saudi Arabia’s growing presence at leading international cinematic platforms
The commission's participation in the 79th edition of the Cannes Film Festival enhances Saudi Arabia’s growing presence at leading international cinematic platforms
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Saudi Film Commission Participates in 2026 Cannes Film Festival

The commission's participation in the 79th edition of the Cannes Film Festival enhances Saudi Arabia’s growing presence at leading international cinematic platforms
The commission's participation in the 79th edition of the Cannes Film Festival enhances Saudi Arabia’s growing presence at leading international cinematic platforms

The Saudi Film Commission announced it would take part in the 79th edition of the Cannes Film Festival through a comprehensive program that reflects the rapid development of the Saudi film industry.

The participation further enhances Saudi Arabia’s growing presence at leading international cinematic platforms and reinforces its position as a global destination for filmmaking.

The commission is taking part in the festival through the Saudi pavilion, which hosts several government entities, private sector organizations, and non-profit institutions.

This commission will be present at the festival's 2026 edition, taking place from May 12 to 23. Saudi filmmakers will also participate in the festival through a series of specialized panel discussions, networking events, and a roundtable discussion focused on major transformations in content creation.

Held annually since 1946 in Cannes, France, the festival is widely regarded as one of the world’s most important film festivals. It serves as a leading platform for showcasing new productions and bringing together prominent filmmakers, producers, and investors from around the world.

On May 14, a JAX Studios session will highlight Saudi Arabia's advanced production capabilities and integrated infrastructure, inviting collaboration from local and international partners.

On May 15, two events will take place. The first is a panel discussion titled “The Kingdom of Cinematic Treasures”, which will explore the rapid growth of Saudi Arabia's film sector. The session will highlight opportunities for filmmakers, including financing systems and international partnerships, while addressing the challenges and prospects of the industry.

Later that day, a networking event titled "Cinematic Exchange, Saudi Brunch” will connect global film industry experts with their Saudi counterparts.

On May 17, the commission will host a roundtable discussion titled "Embracing the Creators' Economy," focusing on the rapid transformations in the digital content industry and examining how content creators are transitioning into filmmaking.

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Varieties

'Ocean Dream' Blue-green Diamond Sells for More Than $17 Million at Christie's

A Christie's employee displays "The Ocean Dream," the largest fancy vivid blue-green diamond, weighting 5.50 carats, during a preview at Christie's in Geneva, Switzerland, Thursday, May 7, 2026. (Jean-Christophe Bott/Keystone via AP)
A Christie's employee displays "The Ocean Dream," the largest fancy vivid blue-green diamond, weighting 5.50 carats, during a preview at Christie's in Geneva, Switzerland, Thursday, May 7, 2026. (Jean-Christophe Bott/Keystone via AP)
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'Ocean Dream' Blue-green Diamond Sells for More Than $17 Million at Christie's

A Christie's employee displays "The Ocean Dream," the largest fancy vivid blue-green diamond, weighting 5.50 carats, during a preview at Christie's in Geneva, Switzerland, Thursday, May 7, 2026. (Jean-Christophe Bott/Keystone via AP)
A Christie's employee displays "The Ocean Dream," the largest fancy vivid blue-green diamond, weighting 5.50 carats, during a preview at Christie's in Geneva, Switzerland, Thursday, May 7, 2026. (Jean-Christophe Bott/Keystone via AP)

A 5.5-carat triangular-cut diamond billed as the largest fancy vivid blue-green diamond known to exist sold for more than 13.5 million Swiss francs ($17.3 million) on Wednesday, Christie’s said, calling it a record price for a stone of its kind sold at auction.

The “Ocean Dream,” the standout offer at the auction house's Geneva sale of jewelry, was found in Central Africa in the 1990s. The price easily topped the presale estimate to fetch 7-10 million francs (around $9-13 million), The Associated Press reported.

Rahul Kadakia, president of Christie's Asia Pacific, said that an unspecified private client was the buyer, and the stone took about 20 minutes to sell — an indication that interest was high.

The price was more than double that of the roughly $8.5 million that the gem, which was featured among rare colored diamonds at the Smithsonian Splendour of Diamonds Exhibition in 2003, sold for at Christie's in 2014.

“A stellar result worthy of the world’s rarest blue-green diamond,” Tobias Kormind, managing director of online jeweler 77 Diamonds, said in a statement.

On Tuesday, a 6-carat fancy vivid blue diamond at a Geneva auction at Sotheby's didn't sell.

The auction house said that the rare stone unearthed from South Africa’s famed Cullinan mine had come in with a presale estimate of 7.2 million to 9.6 million francs ($9.2 million to $12.3 million).

“Although the diamond didn’t find a buyer during the auction, we are now in conversations with several interested parties and are confident that it will find a new home soon,” Sotheby’s said in a statement.

Both houses say collectors are increasingly drawn to rare, colored diamonds, which make up only a fraction of all the diamonds mined around the world.

Varieties

Red Sea Destination Announces Opening of Global Resort on Shura Island

The resort offers a comprehensive wellness retreat experience through 180 upscale rooms, suites, and villas - SPA
The resort offers a comprehensive wellness retreat experience through 180 upscale rooms, suites, and villas - SPA
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Red Sea Destination Announces Opening of Global Resort on Shura Island

The resort offers a comprehensive wellness retreat experience through 180 upscale rooms, suites, and villas - SPA
The resort offers a comprehensive wellness retreat experience through 180 upscale rooms, suites, and villas - SPA

Red Sea Global announced that Miraval The Red Sea will begin welcoming guests starting May 15. The launch marks the first international expansion of the luxury “Miraval” brand outside the United States, reinforcing the status of the Red Sea destination as a leading global tourism hub, especially after occupancy rates across the destination reached 82% during the final days of Ramadan, SPA reported.

The resort offers a comprehensive wellness retreat experience through 180 upscale rooms, suites, and villas.

CEO of Red Sea Global John Pagano stated that attracting a prestigious brand such as “Miraval” reflects the strong global confidence in the Kingdom’s tourism offerings.

He noted that the momentum witnessed by the destination has been clearly reflected in strong occupancy rates and early bookings for the Eid season.

Resort guests will enjoy a variety of activities and culinary experiences inspired by locally sourced ingredients.

Varieties

Czech Police Seek Thief who Stole Saint's Skull

Police officers patrol the Czech-Slovak green border near Stary Hrozenkov, Czech Republic, September 29, 2022. REUTERS/Radovan Stoklasa
Police officers patrol the Czech-Slovak green border near Stary Hrozenkov, Czech Republic, September 29, 2022. REUTERS/Radovan Stoklasa
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Czech Police Seek Thief who Stole Saint's Skull

Police officers patrol the Czech-Slovak green border near Stary Hrozenkov, Czech Republic, September 29, 2022. REUTERS/Radovan Stoklasa
Police officers patrol the Czech-Slovak green border near Stary Hrozenkov, Czech Republic, September 29, 2022. REUTERS/Radovan Stoklasa

An unidentified thief stole the skull of Czech saint Zdislava of Lemberk from a glass shrine in a northern Czech church, causing "incalculable" historic damage, police said late on Tuesday.

St Zdislava of Lemberk (estimated 1220-1252), a noblewoman known for her merciful and charitable deeds, was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1995.

The theft in the basilica of St Lawrence and St Zdislava in the northern town of Jablonne v Podjestedi was committed after 1600 GMT, said police spokeswoman Dagmar Sochorova.

"An unknown culprit broke a shrine in which the skull was stored and ran away from the site," AFP quoted her as saying.

Police published "low quality footage" depicting the culprit clad "probably" in black and wearing "probably" white shoes, and asked the public for help.

"The value of the stolen skull is currently being investigated. However, its historic value is obviously incalculable," Sochorova added.

Prague Archbishop Stanislav Pribyl, who also heads the Litomerice diocese in charge of the Jablonne church, said the news was "devastating".

Placed on an altar in a side chapel, the skull "was the subject of adoration for pilgrims travelling to Jablonne where Zdislava lived and worked more than 750 years ago," he said.

"I can't believe that someone commits a daylight robbery to steal from a church a relic whose value is above all historic," added Pribyl, who was named Prague archbishop in February.