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Saudi General Entertainment Authority Head Launches ‘City Hub' Project in 7 Cities

The "City Hub" project spans over 20,000 square meters in each city. Photo: GEA
The "City Hub" project spans over 20,000 square meters in each city. Photo: GEA
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Saudi General Entertainment Authority Head Launches ‘City Hub' Project in 7 Cities

The "City Hub" project spans over 20,000 square meters in each city. Photo: GEA
The "City Hub" project spans over 20,000 square meters in each city. Photo: GEA

Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi General Entertainment Authority (GEA), Turki Alalshikh, launched on Sunday the "City Hub" project, which will travel across seven cities during 2025, staying for 14 days in each city.
The project aims to enhance the quality of life for citizens and residents by geographically distributing entertainment activities across various regions of the Kingdom.
The first stop will be in Jazan on January 23, followed by Al-Khobar, Buraydah, Hail, Al-Baha, Taif, and finally Tabuk in August.
The "City Hub" project spans over 20,000 square meters in each city and features a variety of entertainment zones catering to all tastes and age groups.
The project also includes a diverse market and a selection of local and international restaurants, offering rich options to cater to all tastes and providing visitors with a comprehensive experience that combines shopping and gourmet dining.
The project is expected to create thousands of direct and indirect job opportunities, in addition to supporting investments in emerging areas, making it a valuable addition to the entertainment landscape in the Kingdom and enhancing efforts to achieve the goals of the Saudi Vision 2030.

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US Moves to Protect All Species of Pangolin, World’s Most Trafficked Mammal

A Malaysian pangolin walks past cages containing 45 others as a wildlife officer watches in Kuala Lumpur August 8, 2002. (Reuters)
A Malaysian pangolin walks past cages containing 45 others as a wildlife officer watches in Kuala Lumpur August 8, 2002. (Reuters)
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US Moves to Protect All Species of Pangolin, World’s Most Trafficked Mammal

A Malaysian pangolin walks past cages containing 45 others as a wildlife officer watches in Kuala Lumpur August 8, 2002. (Reuters)
A Malaysian pangolin walks past cages containing 45 others as a wildlife officer watches in Kuala Lumpur August 8, 2002. (Reuters)

The United States on Monday moved to extend federal protections to all species of pangolins -- a step that would tighten trade restrictions and highlight the urgent conservation plight of the world's only scaly mammals.

Found in the forests, woodlands, and savannas of Africa and Asia, pangolins are small, nocturnal creatures known for their distinctive appearance, slow and peaceful demeanor, and habit of curling into a ball when threatened.

Often likened to a walking pinecone, they use long, sticky tongues to feast on ants and termites, give birth to a single pup each year -- and are the most heavily trafficked mammals on Earth. Their keratin scales are coveted in traditional medicine, and their meat is also considered a delicacy in some regions.

Despite steep population declines driven by poaching, habitat loss, and inbreeding, only one species -- Temminck's pangolin of Africa -- is currently protected under the US Endangered Species Act. Monday's proposal by the US Fish and Wildlife Service would extend that status to all eight known species.

In a statement, the agency said it intends to list the four Asian species -- Chinese, Indian, Sunda, and Philippine -- as well as the three other African species: white-bellied, black-bellied, and giant pangolins.

"I'm delighted the United States is doing its part to save these adorably odd creatures," said Sarah Uhlemann, international program director at the Center for Biological Diversity.

"Pangolins are on the razor's edge of extinction, and we need to completely shut down any US market for their scales. There's no good reason for anybody to ingest any part of a pangolin."

Pangolins are currently protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which prohibits international trade for commercial purposes and allows it only under exceptional circumstances.

Still, the illegal trade persists.

In April, Nigerian authorities seized nearly four tons of trafficked pangolin scales, representing the slaughter of some 2,000 animals. In November 2024, Indonesian officials intercepted another 1.2 tons.

US demand remains a factor. Between 2016 and 2020, border officials intercepted 76 shipments of pangolin parts, including scales and products marketed for traditional medicine, according to public data.