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Arab News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Arab News
Saudi stars promote new film 'Al-Gaid' by Telfaz11
DUBAI: Saudi actress Maria Bahrawi took to social media to promote studio Telfaz11's latest film, 'Al-Gaid.' For the latest updates, follow us on Instagram @ The 18-year-old actress shared a post about the new film on Instagram Stories, featuring several stills from the movie. The film is directed by Hussam Al-Halwa and written by Ahmed Al-Haqil. A post shared by Telfaz11 (@telfaz11) Starring Yaqoub Al-Farhan, Saad Al-Shatti, Khaled Abdel Aziz and Ibtisam Ahmed, the film is set against the backdrop of the 19th-century northern Arabian desert in winter. It was penned by Saudi novelist Ahmed Al-Hokail and blends the revenge genre with Bedouin soap opera tropes, according to Variety. The film '(crafts) a unique narrative tailored for an Arab audience,' according to a Telfaz11 statement. 'Rooted in an authentic Saudi perspective, 'Al-Gaid' aims to revolutionize the landscape of Saudi epic films,' the statement added. Telfaz11 is a homegrown creative and media studio that has been behind successful Saudi projects like 'Sattar,' which became the highest-grossing Saudi movie in the first three months of its release, and 'Mandoob,' which beat 'Wonka' from Warner Bros. on its opening weekend in Saudi Arabia in 2023. Although she does not star in the film, Bahrawi is one of many Saudi stars whipping up excitement over 'Al-Gaid,' with the likes of actress Mila Al-Zahrani and creative director Ahmed Al-Kaabi taking to her comments section to discuss the new movie. No stranger to success herself, Bahrawi starred in 'Norah,' the debut feature of Saudi filmmaker Tawfik Al-Zaidi, which screened in the Cannes Film Festival's Un Certain Regard section in 2024. The film received the Special Mention accolade at the event. The movie, shot entirely in AlUla, is set in 1990s Saudi Arabia when the professional pursuit of all art, including painting, was frowned upon. Besides Bahrawi, the movie also stars Yaqoub Al-Farhan and Abdullah Al-Satian. It follows the story of Norah and failed artist Nader as they encourage each other to realize their creative potential in rural Saudi Arabia. The movie was backed by the Red Sea Fund — one of the Red Sea Film Foundation's programs — and was filmed with an all-Saudi cast and a 40 percent Saudi crew. 'I'm living the dream. Inshallah, I'll reach bigger and higher goals. I have all the opportunities in the world, now it's up to me to take them,' Bahrawi previously told Arab News while discussing the film
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Archaeologists Found a 5,000-Year-Old Walled Oasis Hidden in the Desert
Here's what you'll learn when you read this story: Researchers confirmed a total of six different fortified walls surrounding a network of oases in the northwest Arabian Desert. The oldest wall is upwards of 5,000 years old, with some new finds dating back 4,000 years. Experts claim the walls show community structure, not just a defensive mindset. Researchers discovered that an Arabian Desert oases environment had a full network of walled fortifications over 4,000 years ago, not only showing off defensive insight, but also socioeconomic development of an expansive Arabian Peninsula civilization. A new study published in Antiquity confirmed four new walled oases coming as part of a network that now boasts six confirmed walled oases structures in the northwest Arabian complex. 'The recent identification of a walled oases complex in northwest Saudi Arabia signals a radical shift in our understanding of the socioeconomic evolution of this vast, largely unexplored region,' the study authors wrote. Get the Issue Get the Issue Get the Issue Get the Issue Get the Issue Get the Issue Get the IssueGet the Issue Get the Issue A walled oasis protected not only the critical water source, but settlements within, likely full of goats and sheep, as well as crops of grains, fruit trees, and even date palms. 'Outer walls, serving as a display of power as well as a means of protection,' the authors wrote, 'required substantial investments form local populations not only for their initial construction but also for maintenance and modification over time.' Archaeologists already were aware of walled structures at Tayma and Qurayyah, but the experts confirmed four more—first Khaybar in 2024, and now Dumat al-Jandal, Hait, and Huwayyit. The team used satellite imagery and then field visits to understand more about the newly confirmed walled structures. With some of the fortifications as old at 5,000 years—and some of the newly confirmed structures roughly 4,000-years-old—the network surrounds at least 10 oases. The experts believe the extensive nature of the walls show that it wasn't nomads dominating the area, instead settled communities looking to take ownership of the vital wells of water to keep humans and livestock alive, all while developing an agricultural system that featured cereals, fruits, and dates. The mudbrick walls didn't just provide protection. 'The walled oasis is not just defensive,' the authors wrote. 'It represents a model of socioeconomic development that marks the takeover of a rural landscape by a political entity.' Some of the newest mudbrick fortifications still stretch up to five miles in length and over six feet in thickness. The 2025 study comes on the heels of the same research team highlighting the confirmation in a 2024 study of the Khaybar Oases via the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, according to a statement from French National Centre for Scientific Research. When confirmed, it was considered one of the two largest in Saudi Arabia. At points, this nine-mile walled section was over 16 feet tall and between 5.6 and 7.9 feet thick. Preserved at a little less than half of its original length, researchers believe it enclosed a rural and sedentary territory from about 2250 to 1950 B.C. 'While the study confirms that the Khaybar Oasis clearly belonged to a network of walled oases in northwestern Arabia, the discovery of this rampart also raises questions regarding why it was built as well as the nature of the populations that built it,' the team wrote in 2024, 'in particular their relations with populations outside the oasis.' The research team wrote in the new study that the continual finds of fortified oases settlements show the desert civilization was more complex than originally anticipated and varied greatly from one community to the next. Get the Guide Get the Guide Get the Guide Get the Guide Get the Guide Get the Guide Get the Guide You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?
Telegraph
04-06-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
Saudi Arabia revamps safety plans for Hajj in bid to prevent deaths
Saudi Arabia has revamped its safety plans for the annual Hajj pilgrimage, hoping technology and tighter controls will help avoid a repeat of last year, when 1,301 people died in extreme heat. Some 1.4 million people arrived in the Kingdom to complete the sacred five-day journey around Islam's holiest sites, which began on Wednesday. The gathering of so many people in the Arabian desert presents a formidable challenge. Temperatures are again forecast to hit 50 degrees during the pilgrimage, and by Monday 44 cases of heat stroke had already been reported in Mecca. As well as the heat, there is also the threat of outbreaks of infectious diseases including Mers (Middle East respiratory syndrome), nine cases of which have been reported in the country in recent weeks. Saudi Arabia's annual Hajj preparations ranks among the most complex public health operations, but will the revamped plans be enough to prevent another disaster? Threat of disease With such large numbers of people coming together, Hajj can be a breeding ground for diseases including respiratory infections, meningitis and even cholera. Many worshippers come back with a 'hajj cough' contracted from fellow pilgrims. While the days of tens of thousands of pilgrims dying of cholera are long gone, there have been numerous outbreaks of meningitis in Mecca and it remains a threat this year. In 2004, polio was carried into Hajj by pilgrims from northern Nigeria. In a bid to halt the spread of Covid-19, authorities closed Hajj to foreign travellers for the first time in modern history in 2020. Only Saudis and a limited number of expats living in the Kingdom were allowed to attend. This year, the Saudi authorities also have to contend with the threat of Mers, a much deadlier cousin of Covid spread primarily by camels which appears to be spiking in Saudi Arabia at the moment. Two deaths have been reported since March, prompting numerous national health agencies to issue warnings and guidance for travellers. To keep the virus out, camels have been banned from entering Mecca and the holy sites, even for slaughter, since 2015. Pilgrims must also present vaccine certificates for quadruple meningitis, polio and yellow fever before entering the country during Hajj season. An official from Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Health source The Telegraph that the Kingdom is 'more than ready' to deal with a potential disease outbreak. Extreme heat But perhaps the most significant threat to worshippers is the searing heat. The authorities have planted 20,000 trees to create shade and cool the air, installed 400 water coolers, and thousands of misting fans at key points along the pilgrimage route, which runs from the city of Mina through a series of holy sites to Mecca. One of the world's largest cooling systems is used to keep temperatures in Mecca's Grand Mosque between 22 and 24 degrees. Roads on the pilgrimage route have been paved with reflective white material to reduce heat absorption. These so-called 'white roads' include a new four kilometre pathway leading to Mount Arafat, or the Mountain of Mercy, where pilgrims traditionally assemble on the second day of Hajj to pray and recite the Koran for hours. An official Hajj safety kit emphasises the importance of light-coloured clothing and umbrellas and has details on how to treat symptoms of dehydration and exhaustion. Saudi authorities have asked pilgrims to remain in their tents between 10am and 4pm during the 'Day of Arafat' on Thursday. There is little to no shade on the 230-ft hill on the outskirts of Mecca. 'You don't have to be outside your tent during [the climb of] Arafat. You don't have to climb the mountain,' Abdullah Asiri, Saudi's deputy minister for population health, told AFP, adding that there was no religious obligation to do so. A total of 50,000 healthcare workers have been mobilised, up 25 per cent from last year, as well as 7,500 paramedics. These health workers are spread between 71 emergency points and 15 field hospitals, each with a capacity of more than 1,200 beds. Last year, medical staff treated nearly 2,800 pilgrims for heat stroke and other related conditions, said the health ministry. They said they are expecting a higher volume of patients this year. Technology The Saudi authorities are keen to publicise high-tech ways of keeping pilgrims safe. Drones are being deployed for the first time across the holy sites, Saudi Arabia's Civil Defence said on Sunday. One fleet of drones will be used to monitor the large crowds, using AI to monitor video for signs of an impending crush. In 2015, a stampede during the 'stoning the devil' ritual in Mina killed around 2,300 people. A new 'falcon' drone, enhanced with AI and thermal cameras, will also be used to identify and extinguish fires. In one of the most significant policy changes in recent years, Saudi Arabia has also banned children under 12, who have proved vulnerable in crowd situations, from attending this year's Hajj. Hundreds of large-scale simulations and drills have been conducted, including training on how to cope with mass casualty events, fires and hospital evacuations. To further minimise the time pilgrims spend outside, hourly high-speed electric trains will also run from the main King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah to Mecca. Pilgrims have also been given a smart bracelet, known as Nusk. The device monitors people's heart rate and blood oxygen levels in real time and sends automatic alerts to the authorities if abnormalities are detected. Tighter controls Extortionate prices – the cost of an official Hajj permit ranges from $2,000 (£1,480) to $18,000 (£13,300) excluding flights – means that many pilgrims arrive in Mecca on personal visit visas instead. But arriving without a permit means being unable to access facilities like air-conditioned tents, transportation and rehydration centres. Many of those who died during the pilgrimage last year are thought to have been unregistered attendees. Heat stress caused many of the deaths, which Human Rights Watch (HRW) called a 'completely preventable event'. In response to criticism, organisers have cracked down on unregistered worshippers. Saudi Arabia suspended issuing short-term visas to 14 countries including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Egypt and Nigeria in April. Pilgrims caught without official Hajj documentation now face a $5,000 fine – twice as high as last year – and a 10-year entry ban. Saudi security officials say they have already stopped nearly 270,000 people from entering Mecca without permits and stripped licences from 400 companies offering unofficial Hajj packages.
