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Riyadh to Celebrate Saudi Arabia's Hosting of FIFA World Cup 2034 with Community Events

Riyadh will hold a series of community events across the capital to celebrate Saudi Arabia's successful bid to host the FIFA World Cup 2034. (SPA)
Riyadh will hold a series of community events across the capital to celebrate Saudi Arabia's successful bid to host the FIFA World Cup 2034. (SPA)
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Riyadh to Celebrate Saudi Arabia's Hosting of FIFA World Cup 2034 with Community Events

Riyadh will hold a series of community events across the capital to celebrate Saudi Arabia's successful bid to host the FIFA World Cup 2034. (SPA)
Riyadh will hold a series of community events across the capital to celebrate Saudi Arabia's successful bid to host the FIFA World Cup 2034. (SPA)

The Riyadh Municipality announced on Wednesday plans to celebrate Saudi Arabia's successful bid to host the FIFA World Cup 2034 with a series of community events across the capital.

The festivities align with Saudi Vision 2030 and support the Kingdom's national football strategy, showcasing Riyadh's readiness to host major international events while boosting quality of life and fostering community engagement.

The celebrations will take place in four prominent locations: Al-Multaqa Park, Al-Wadi Park in the Al-Ulaysha district, Badr Park in the Dirab district, and Prince Abdulaziz bin Ayyaf Park.

Event highlights will include large-scale World Cup replicas, giant screens broadcasting celebratory moments and traditional folkloric performances, such as the Saudi Ardah. Commemorative souvenirs will also be handed out to visitors.

The activities reflect the municipality's strategic focus on positioning Riyadh as a global urban hub and a center for celebrating national milestones. The initiative underscores Saudi Arabia's ambitious vision for a thriving future, both locally and internationally, further cementing Riyadh's reputation as a prosperous and forward-looking city.

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Pope Leo to Escape Rome’s Summer Heat with July Stay at Castel Gandolfo

Pope Leo XIV meets the members of the Rome's local church in the Paul VI hall at the Vatican, Thursday, June 12, 2025. (AP)
Pope Leo XIV meets the members of the Rome's local church in the Paul VI hall at the Vatican, Thursday, June 12, 2025. (AP)
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Pope Leo to Escape Rome’s Summer Heat with July Stay at Castel Gandolfo

Pope Leo XIV meets the members of the Rome's local church in the Paul VI hall at the Vatican, Thursday, June 12, 2025. (AP)
Pope Leo XIV meets the members of the Rome's local church in the Paul VI hall at the Vatican, Thursday, June 12, 2025. (AP)

As temperatures in Rome swelter this month, reaching more than 35 degrees Celsius (95°F) under the hot Mediterranean sun, Pope Leo has decided to leave town.

The pontiff will spend July 6 to 20 about an hour's drive south in Castel Gandolfo, a small hamlet on Lake Albano, the Vatican said on Tuesday.

Leo, elected pope on May 8 to replace the late Pope Francis, will also return to the lakeshore for at least one weekend in August, it said.

All of Leo's public and private audiences have been suspended from July 2 through July 23, the Vatican said, as was usual under Francis, to allow the pontiff a period of rest. They will restart on July 30.

By going to Castel Gandolfo, Leo is restarting a summer tradition that was broken by Francis.

Dozens of popes over centuries have spent the summer months at Lake Albano, where temperatures are usually about ten degrees cooler than Rome, but Francis preferred to stay in his air-conditioned Vatican residence.

The Vatican has owned a papal palace and surrounding grounds in Castel Gandolfo since 1596. Spanning 55 hectares, the property includes official apartments, elaborate Renaissance-style gardens, a forest and a working dairy farm.

Francis, who shunned most of the trappings of the papacy, had the official papal palace turned into a museum.

Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni told Reuters the pope would not stay at the palace, which will remain a museum, and will instead stay on another Vatican property.

Leo will return to Castel Gandolfo for the weekend of August 15 to 17.