Latest news with #Riad
Associated Press
14-04-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
RIAD Corp. reveals AI-powered hotel group booking platform Ria at ITB Berlin 2025
BERLIN, April 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Riad Corporation, a leading AI-powered travel technology company, successfully launched its flagship product, RIA 1.0, at ITB Berlin 2025, one of the world's largest travel trade shows. The company attracted over 300 visitors to its booth and secured 150 enterprise client sign-ups during the three-day event, marking a major milestone for its global expansion. RIA 1.0 is an advanced AI platform that fully automates group hotel reservations, tailored for travel agencies and corporate clients handling complex requirements. Unlike traditional systems, RIA enables both direct bookings and customized group requests, processed entirely by AI without manual work. The platform simplifies large-scale, multi-hotel bookings — tasks that usually take days — completing them in minutes. During ITB Berlin, Riad Corporation presented live demonstrations showing how RIA's AI engine handles diverse, high-volume booking scenarios. Attendees praised its intuitive interface, seamless integration, and real-time responses to specific client needs, including corporate events, MICE bookings, and incentive groups. Mike Lee, CEO of Riad Corporation, commented, 'Meeting so many global partners at ITB Berlin was truly meaningful, and we are proud to showcase our technology to the world,' adding, 'We will continue to focus on R&D to deliver stronger innovations and achieve greater success globally.' In addition, Riad Corporation announced plans to launch AI-based group flight booking services later this year, transforming RIA into a comprehensive group travel platform covering both hotels and flights. RIA has already gained momentum in Southeast Asia, with over 800 enterprise clients, and aims to reach 2,000 clients by the end of 2025. Riad Corporation's strong debut at ITB Berlin reflects rising demand for AI-driven solutions in travel. As group travel grows more complex, RIA 1.0 is positioned to lead the market with unmatched speed, accuracy, and automation. For more information about Riad's solution RIA, visit ' '. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE RIAD CORPORATION INC.
The Independent
04-03-2025
- General
- The Independent
Refugee family ‘saved' by Pope Francis unite in prayer for ailing 88-year-old's health
As the sun set on Sunday evening, marking the end of the day's Ramadan fast, Hasan Zaheda and his son played basketball in the small courtyard of their basement apartment on the outskirts of Rome. The Syrian refugee family is rebuilding their lives in the city after fleeing Damascus at the height of the civil war with only a few possessions. Though they have no photos from their homeland, they keep a framed photo of their young son, Riad, meeting Pope Francis in pride of place in their home. The pontiff brought them and two other Muslim families to Italy from a refugee camp on the Greek island of Lesbos nearly a decade ago. "He's a gift from paradise," Mr Zaheda said, smiling. " Pope Francis, a gift from our God, that God sent us to save us." As the Zahedas began observing Ramadan, Pope Francis, 88, was in his third week of treatment for pneumonia in a Rome hospital. The family said they are praying for him day and night. "We look for his health bulletin every day," said Nour Essa, Riad's mother, recalling their meeting with the pontiff in Lesbos. "What shocked me the most is that the father of the church was a modest man, who didn't have prejudices, open toward other ethnicities and religion." The family remembers the kindness Francis showed Riad as he patted the boy's head while walking down the aisle of the papal plane, a highly visible moment of advocacy for migrants that has defined much of Francis' papacy. But 'miraculous' as it appeared to them, it was only the beginning of a new life in Italy to which they're still adjusting. In 2015, biologist Ms Essa and architect Mr Zaheda made the life-altering decision to leave Syria after Ms Essa was drafted into the military. To finance their escape, they sold their house and paid a smuggler, enduring a harrowing journey through the desert, including a 10-hour truck ride. Navigating through ISIS-controlled territory, they eventually reached Turkey. After three unsuccessful attempts to cross by boat to the Greek islands, they arrived in Lesbos in early 2016. "I always thank God that my son was so small, and that he has no memory of all these things," Ms Essa said, while their son Riad watched a Syrian soap opera with his grandfather, who had fled Syria a year later. The walls of their living room are adorned with Mr Zaheda's paintings, depicting white faces against black and red, reflecting the vivid memories of the parents. After spending over a month in a Lesbos camp, the family was approached by Daniela Pompei, head of migration and integration for the Catholic charity Sant'Egidio. Pompei was seeking families with the necessary paperwork for Pope Francis to bring back to Rome. They accepted immediately. With Vatican funds, the charity has since brought over 300 refugees from Greece and 150 from Cyprus in 2021, following another papal trip. Sant'Egidio's goal was to spare migrants longer journeys by sea across different routes in the Mediterranean, which have killed tens of thousands of asylum-seekers willing to 'die for hope' over the years, Ms Pompei said. But the real test has been integration, from processing their asylum cases to learning Italian to school and job placement. Initiatives like the pope's make all the difference because they signal to the refugees that their new communities are willing to welcome them, despite faith differences. 'The pope has long appealed to open parishes, to welcome at least one family in each parish, to push us Catholics too to counter what he called, with a very strong term in Lampedusa, 'the globalisation of indifference,'' Ms Pompei said. In the characteristic Roman accent they've acquired, the Zaheda parents told of their challenges – having to reenroll in university so their degrees can be recognised, helping their families come to Europe, taking care of their son. Working or studying 12 hours a day, they rarely have time to socialise with other Syrian families and the migrants who comprise most of their neighbors in the modest brick-faced apartment buildings as well as most of Riad's classmates. His best friend is from Ecuador, and Riad plans to study Spanish in middle school. He's joined a local basketball team, and pictures from the court line his bedroom, where a large Syrian flag hangs by his bunkbed. He likes to read The Little Prince in English, but his Arabic is tentative, even though he spends most afternoons with his grandfather, who loves to sketch local churches. For Sunday's iftar – the meal breaking the day's fast – the family topped a little table with yogurt-and-chickpea tisiyeh salad and take-out pizza in typical Roman flavors like zucchini flowers and anchovies. As Riad packed his backpack for the school week, his parents said their future hinges on the little boy – for whom they will likely stay in Italy, instead of joining relatives in France or returning to a Syria they probably couldn't recognise. 'I always wish that he can build his future, that he can build a position as the son of an undocumented migrant who arrived in Italy and who wanted to leave his mark in a new country,' Mr Zaheda said.
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Syrian refugee family that Pope Francis brought to Rome prays for him as they build new life
ROME (AP) — Just before breaking the Ramadan fast on Sunday evening, Hasan Zaheda played basketball with his son in the tiny courtyard of the basement-level apartment on Rome's outskirts where the refugee family is rebuilding their lives. They have no pictures from their native Syria – they fled Damascus at the height of the civil war with only one change of clothes, diapers and milk for their toddler. But there is a framed photo of little Riad meeting Pope Francis, who brought them and two other Muslim families back with him to Italy from refugee camps in the Greek island of Lesbos almost a decade ago. 'He's a gift from paradise,' Zaheda said Sunday, chuckling. 'Pope Francis, a gift from our God, that God sent us to save us.' See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. As the Zahedas began to observe the holy month of Ramadan, Francis, 88, entered his third week of battling pneumonia in a hospital not far away. The least they can do, the family said, is to be close to him in prayer night and day. 'We look for his health bulletin every day,' said the mother, Nour Essa, 39, after recalling meeting the pontiff suddenly in Lesbos. 'What shocked me the most is that the father of the church was a modest man, who didn't have prejudices, open toward other ethnicities and religion.' The family journeyed on the pope's plane – one of the most visible moments of advocacy for migrants that marked Francis' papacy. The Zahedas remember how kindly Francis patted Riad's head as he passed down the aisle to speak with journalists. But 'miraculous' as it appeared to them, it was only the beginning of a new life in Italy to which they're still adjusting. Essa, a biologist, and Zaheda, an architect who worked as a civil servant in Damascus, decided to leave Syria in 2015 after he was drafted into the military. They sold their house to pay for a smuggler, walking through the night trying not to make a sound in the desert and at one point riding for ten hours in different trucks. After scrambling to get through ISIS-controlled territory, they made it into Turkey and then had three failed attempts to reach the Greek islands by boat before arriving in Lesbos in early 2016. 'I always thank God that my son was so small, and that he has no memory of all these things,' Essa said as Riad watched a Syrian soap opera in the cramped living room with his grandfather, who fled about a year after them. On the walls, Hasan's haunting paintings of white faces against swirling black and red tell of the parents' all-too-vivid memories. After more than one month in a Lesbos camp, the family was approached for an interview by a stranger – Daniela Pompei, the head of migration and integration for the Catholic charity Sant'Egidio. She had been tasked with finding families with appropriate paperwork that Francis could bring back to Rome with him, and asked them to make a decision on the spot. They accepted, and the charity, with Vatican funds, eventually brought more than 300 refugees from Greece and 150 from another papal trip to Cyprus in 2021. Sant'Egidio's goal was to spare migrants longer journeys by sea across different routes in the Mediterranean, which have killed tens of thousands of asylum-seekers willing to 'die for hope' over the years, Pompei said. But the real test has been integration, from processing their asylum cases to learning Italian to school and job placement. Initiatives like the pope's make all the difference because they signal to the refugees that their new communities are willing to welcome them, despite faith differences. 'The pope has long appealed to open parishes, to welcome at least one family in each parish, to push us Catholics too to counter what he called, with a very strong term in Lampedusa, 'the globalization of indifference,'' Pompei said. In the characteristic Roman accent they've acquired, the Zaheda parents told of their challenges – having to reenroll in university so their degrees can be recognized, helping their families come to Europe, taking care of their son. Working or studying 12 hours a day, they rarely have time to socialize with other Syrian families and the migrants who comprise most of their neighbors in the modest brick-faced apartment buildings as well as most of Riad's classmates. His best friend is from Ecuador, and Riad plans to study Spanish in middle school. He's joined a local basketball team, and pictures from the court line his bedroom, where a large Syrian flag hangs by his bunkbed. He likes to read The Little Prince in English, but his Arabic is tentative, even though he spends most afternoons with his grandfather, who loves to sketch local churches. For Sunday's iftar – the meal breaking the day's fast – the family topped a little table with yogurt-and-chickpea tisiyeh salad and take-out pizza in typical Roman flavors like zucchini flowers and anchovies. As Riad packed his backpack for the school week, his parents said their future hinges on the little boy – for whom they will likely stay in Italy, instead of joining relatives in France or returning to a Syria they probably couldn't recognize. 'I always wish that he can build his future, that he can build a position as the son of an undocumented migrant who arrived in Italy and who wanted to leave his mark in a new country,' Zaheda said. ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
The Hill
04-03-2025
- General
- The Hill
Syrian refugee family that Pope Francis brought to Rome prays for him as they build new life
ROME (AP) — Just before breaking the Ramadan fast on Sunday evening, Hasan Zaheda played basketball with his son in the tiny courtyard of the basement-level apartment on Rome's outskirts where the refugee family is rebuilding their lives. They have no pictures from their native Syria – they fled Damascus at the height of the civil war with only one change of clothes, diapers and milk for their toddler. But there is a framed photo of little Riad meeting Pope Francis, who brought them and two other Muslim families back with him to Italy from refugee camps in the Greek island of Lesbos almost a decade ago. 'He's a gift from paradise,' Zaheda said Sunday, chuckling. 'Pope Francis, a gift from our God, that God sent us to save us.' As the Zahedas began to observe the holy month of Ramadan, Francis, 88, entered his third week of battling pneumonia in a hospital not far away. The least they can do, the family said, is to be close to him in prayer night and day. 'We look for his health bulletin every day,' said the mother, Nour Essa, 39, after recalling meeting the pontiff suddenly in Lesbos. 'What shocked me the most is that the father of the church was a modest man, who didn't have prejudices, open toward other ethnicities and religion.' The family journeyed on the pope's plane – one of the most visible moments of advocacy for migrants that marked Francis' papacy. The Zahedas remember how kindly Francis patted Riad's head as he passed down the aisle to speak with journalists. But 'miraculous' as it appeared to them, it was only the beginning of a new life in Italy to which they're still adjusting. Essa, a biologist, and Zaheda, an architect who worked as a civil servant in Damascus, decided to leave Syria in 2015 after he was drafted into the military. They sold their house to pay for a smuggler, walking through the night trying not to make a sound in the desert and at one point riding for ten hours in different trucks. After scrambling to get through ISIS-controlled territory, they made it into Turkey and then had three failed attempts to reach the Greek islands by boat before arriving in Lesbos in early 2016. 'I always thank God that my son was so small, and that he has no memory of all these things,' Essa said as Riad watched a Syrian soap opera in the cramped living room with his grandfather, who fled about a year after them. On the walls, Hasan's haunting paintings of white faces against swirling black and red tell of the parents' all-too-vivid memories. After more than one month in a Lesbos camp, the family was approached for an interview by a stranger – Daniela Pompei, the head of migration and integration for the Catholic charity Sant'Egidio. She had been tasked with finding families with appropriate paperwork that Francis could bring back to Rome with him, and asked them to make a decision on the spot. They accepted, and the charity, with Vatican funds, eventually brought more than 300 refugees from Greece and 150 from another papal trip to Cyprus in 2021. Sant'Egidio's goal was to spare migrants longer journeys by sea across different routes in the Mediterranean, which have killed tens of thousands of asylum-seekers willing to 'die for hope' over the years, Pompei said. But the real test has been integration, from processing their asylum cases to learning Italian to school and job placement. Initiatives like the pope's make all the difference because they signal to the refugees that their new communities are willing to welcome them, despite faith differences. 'The pope has long appealed to open parishes, to welcome at least one family in each parish, to push us Catholics too to counter what he called, with a very strong term in Lampedusa, 'the globalization of indifference,'' Pompei said. In the characteristic Roman accent they've acquired, the Zaheda parents told of their challenges – having to reenroll in university so their degrees can be recognized, helping their families come to Europe, taking care of their son. Working or studying 12 hours a day, they rarely have time to socialize with other Syrian families and the migrants who comprise most of their neighbors in the modest brick-faced apartment buildings as well as most of Riad's classmates. His best friend is from Ecuador, and Riad plans to study Spanish in middle school. He's joined a local basketball team, and pictures from the court line his bedroom, where a large Syrian flag hangs by his bunkbed. He likes to read The Little Prince in English, but his Arabic is tentative, even though he spends most afternoons with his grandfather, who loves to sketch local churches. For Sunday's iftar – the meal breaking the day's fast – the family topped a little table with yogurt-and-chickpea tisiyeh salad and take-out pizza in typical Roman flavors like zucchini flowers and anchovies. As Riad packed his backpack for the school week, his parents said their future hinges on the little boy – for whom they will likely stay in Italy, instead of joining relatives in France or returning to a Syria they probably couldn't recognize. 'I always wish that he can build his future, that he can build a position as the son of an undocumented migrant who arrived in Italy and who wanted to leave his mark in a new country,' Zaheda said. ___
Washington Post
04-03-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Syrian refugee family that Pope Francis brought to Rome prays for him as they build new life
ROME — Just before breaking the Ramadan fast on Sunday evening, Hasan Zaheda played basketball with his son in the tiny courtyard of the basement-level apartment on Rome's outskirts where the refugee family is rebuilding their lives. They have no pictures from their native Syria – they fled Damascus at the height of the civil war with only one change of clothes, diapers and milk for their toddler. But there is a framed photo of little Riad meeting Pope Francis, who brought them and two other Muslim families back with him to Italy from refugee camps in the Greek island of Lesbos almost a decade ago.
