Riyadh Season Draws 5 Million Visitors in Less Than a Month

Photo by SPA
Photo by SPA
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Riyadh Season Draws 5 Million Visitors in Less Than a Month

Photo by SPA
Photo by SPA

The number of visitors to Riyadh Season has exceeded 5 million since its launch on October 28, indicating a significant acceleration in the widespread interest in the Season's zones, diverse events, and its unique experiences.
The Riyadh Season stands out with its increasing entertainment momentum and the rising number of visits since its very beginning under the theme "Big Time."

Starting with its opening featuring "The Battle of the Baddest," attended by large numbers of visitors and renowned personalities from around the world, the event marked a unique milestone in the region, SPA reported.

The Season's visits are expected to double in the coming periods, given the increasing activities day by day. The Season organizes several exhibitions, festivals, and boxing matches, in addition to various exhibitions, festivals, and diverse events.
Riyadh Season marks its fourth edition under the theme "Big Time," featuring a diverse array of global entertainment options and experiences.



Volcano in Philippines Spews Ash Over a Mile into the Sky 

Kanlaon is one of 24 active volcanoes in the Philippines. (AFP)
Kanlaon is one of 24 active volcanoes in the Philippines. (AFP)
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Volcano in Philippines Spews Ash Over a Mile into the Sky 

Kanlaon is one of 24 active volcanoes in the Philippines. (AFP)
Kanlaon is one of 24 active volcanoes in the Philippines. (AFP)

A volcano in the central Philippines erupted early Tuesday morning, sending a massive grey plume of ash up about three kilometers (1.8 miles) into the sky and launching ballistic projectiles.

Kanlaon Volcano, one of 24 active volcanoes in the Southeast Asian nation, has had several eruptions in the past century -- the most recent of which happened last month.

A level three alert -- out of a scale of five -- put in place during an eruption in December remained unchanged Tuesday, as officials highlighted an existing six-kilometer (four-mile) evacuation radius.

"A moderately explosive eruption occurred at the summit crater of Kanlaon Volcano at 2:55 am today (1855 GMT Monday)," the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said in a statement, adding that it lasted five minutes.

"The eruption generated a greyish voluminous plume that rose approximately 3 kilometers above the vent before drifting to the general west," it said.

"Large ballistic fragments were also observed to have been thrown around the crater within a few hundred meters and caused burning of vegetation near the volcano summit."

Stating the continued level three alert, the agency warned there were "increased chances of short-lived moderately explosive eruptions that could generate life-threatening volcanic hazards."

In August 1996, Kanlaon Volcano erupted, sending a spray of heated rocks that killed three hikers who were near the summit at the time.

The Philippines is on the seismically active region of the Pacific known as the "Ring of Fire," where more than half the world's volcanoes are located.

The most powerful volcanic explosion in the Philippines in recent years was the 1991 eruption of Pinatubo, about 100 kilometers (62 miles) from Manila, which killed more than 800 people.