Latest news with #SceneTraveller
CairoScene
3 days ago
- Business
- CairoScene
Emirates Resumes Flights to Damascus After 12-Year Hiatus
Starting July 16th, flights to Syria's capital will be re-enabled by UAE airline Emirates. Emirates is set to restart flights to Damascus on July 16th, marking its return to Syria's capital for the first time since suspending operations in 2012. Initially offering three weekly flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Sundays, the airline will add a Saturday flight from August 2nd before moving to daily service starting October 26th. Flights will depart Dubai at 12:00 and return from Damascus at 16:30, operated by a Boeing 777-200LR. 'Re-establishing air travel and connectivity is good news for our customers that make up the expansive Syrian diaspora across the Americas, Europe and the GCC, who are eager to fly back home and reconnect to their roots, and leverage their knowledge, skills, expertise and resources in ongoing development efforts,' His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, tells SceneTraveller. The airline's codeshare with flydubai will enhance connectivity, while officials expect the flights to further boost bilateral ties and the growing USD 680 million trade relationship between the UAE and Syria.
Leaders
3 days ago
- Leaders
Spanish Muslims Make Hajj Journey on Horseback
The journey started when Hernández, a Spanish convert to Islam, formed a close connection with Harkassi during a 10-month academic project in London, where they translated a 10th-century manuscript on falconry. By the end of their scholarly endeavor, a deep brotherhood had emerged. Born into Catholicism, Hernández shared that he had once vowed to Allah that if he ever undertook the Hajj pilgrimage, he would do so on horseback. 'Through all the pressure and challenges, we realized we made a great team,' Harkassi told SceneTraveller . 'So I said, I'm with you. Let's do it.' That vow became a mission. Preparing for this journey took four years of rigorous training. From Portugal's blistering summers to Spain's icy winters, they pushed their limits alongside their Aseel mares—horses known for their endurance. 'Training was ten times harder than the journey itself,' Harkassi admits. 'We tested everything—our horses, our equipment, even our resolve.' Spanish Muslim Their route traces the historical path of Omar Patón, a Spanish Muslim who made the pilgrimage to Makkah over 500 years ago, traveling through Alexandria, Damascus, and Jerusalem. Initially, they intended to follow his footsteps via North Africa, but regional instability and border restrictions forced them to chart a new course through Europe. Their journey began at the Almonaster Mosque in southern Spain and took them through France, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, and Serbia. The road has not been easy. In Bosnia, their horses disappeared for three days after straying into a former minefield—eerie remnants of the Balkan War. 'It felt like something out of a movie,' they recalled. Bureaucratic red tape, like delays at the Serbian border, added further obstacles. Yet they were met with unexpected kindness along the way. Equestrian clubs, mosques, and even non-Muslims offered help. 'We met atheists, fascists, people with all kinds of misconceptions about Islam,' said Harkassi. 'But once they saw we were riding not for fame or money, but for faith, it changed them.' The heart of their journey is their team. Tarek Rodríguez, who joined just before departure, has become a vital rider. Bouchaib Jadil drives their support vehicle, managing supplies and horse care. Meanwhile, influencer Abdelrahman Al Mutiri is documenting their story, sharing it with thousands online. Now, with Saudi Arabia in sight, their dream is nearing reality. Eight months of hardship—through cold, hunger, and exhaustion—are culminating in this final stretch. But for Harkassi, the meaning of Hajj lies in the journey itself. 'The path is the pilgrimage,' he says. 'The land, the people, the stories—these are the blessings you miss when you fly.' This experience has changed them. 'We left with khawf wa raja' —hope and fear,' Harkassi reflects. 'Now, we've lived what it means to trust Allah completely. We don't just believe it—we know it.' Soon, they will lay eyes on the Kaaba for the first time. After everything they've endured, that moment will mean everything. 'Eight months on horseback,' Harkassi says. 'Seeing the Kaaba will be overwhelming. A dream fulfilled. Every hardship—worth it.' Related Topics: Saudi Interior Min.: Tourism Companies Deceive Pilgrims, Encourage Hajj Violations Riyadh Global Health Exhibition to Bring Together Int'nal Healthcare Experts Intensive Preparations for Smooth, Safe Hajj Season: Mecca Deputy Governor New Chapter Unfolded: Saudi Arabia Launches Electronic Intensive Care Unit Short link : Post Views: 55
CairoScene
30-05-2025
- CairoScene
This Group of Spanish Muslims Is Performing Hajj on Horseback
This Group of Spanish Muslims Is Performing Hajj on Horseback For eight months, they have guided their horses across continents along the ancient Andalusian route to Makkah, a path not trodden for centuries. The rhythmic clatter of hooves on ancient paths carries prayers and promises—echoes of a route long forgotten, now revived. It all started when three Spanish Muslims—Abdelkader Harkassi, Abdallah Hernández, and Tarek Rodríguez—set out to guide their horses across continents along the ancient Andalusian route to Makkah, a path not trodden for centuries. The journey began when Hernández, a Spanish convert, forged a bond with Harkassi during a 10-month academic project in London translating a 10th-century manuscript on falconry. By the end of their scholarly mission, a brotherhood had formed. Hernández, who was born Catholic, confided that he had once made a promise to Allah: that if he ever performed Hajj, it would be on horseback. 'Through pressure and challenges, we realised—we're a great team,' Harkassi shares with SceneTraveller. 'So, I told him I'm with you. Let's make it happen.' With that, a promise turned into purpose. Four years of grueling preparation tested their limits. Across Portugal's sweltering heatwaves and Spain's winter frost, they refined their endurance with Aseel mares—horses bred for long-distance resilience. 'Training was ten times harder than the journey,' Harkassi recalls. 'We tested everything: the horses, our gear, and our will.' Their route retraces the footsteps of Spanish Muslim Omar Patón, who travelled to Makkah by land over 500 years ago, passing through Alexandria, Damascus, and Jerusalem. Inspired by his journey, the modern-day group originally planned to follow a similar path through North Africa—but political borders and regional conflicts redirected them through Europe. And so, they started their journey from Almonaster Mosque in the south of Spain and continued through France, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, and Serbia. The road has not spared them its trials. In Bosnia, their horses went missing for three days after wandering into a minefield—haunting remnants of the Balkan War. 'It felt surreal—like a scene from a movie.' Bureaucratic barriers, like those faced at the Serbian border, added to their challenges. Yet, generosity lit their path—equestrian communities, mosques, and strangers of all faiths opened their doors. 'We've met atheists, fascists, people with misconceptions about Islam—but when they saw we rode for faith, not fame or money, it changed their perspective.' The heart of their expedition lies in their team. Tarek Rodríguez, who joined at the last minute, became their steadfast companion in the saddle. Bouchaib Jadil, their vital support driver, carries their supplies and ensures the horses' well-being. Documenting it all is influencer Abdelrahman Al Mutiri, who's making sure their story reaches thousands around the world. With Saudi Arabia now on the horizon, the dream of seeing the Kaaba grows stronger. Eight months of riding through hardship, hunger, and cold, leading to this final stretch. For Harkassi, the essence of Hajj isn't just about reaching Makkah but in every mile, every soul, and every trial that brought them there. 'The path is the pilgrimage,' he reflects. 'The land, the faces, the stories—these are the blessings you miss when you fly.' The journey has already reshaped him. 'We left with خوف و رجاء—hope and fear,' he says. 'The journey has shown us that everything is possible for Allah. We all say it, we try to believe it—but now we've lived it. We know it.' Arriving in Makkah means the world to them, after all the challenges that the road threw at them, it'll make this journey worth it all. 'After eight months of riding, seeing the Kaaba for the first time will definitely be overwhelming. It'll be a dream made real—after all the hardship, it'll be worth every step.'
CairoScene
20-05-2025
- CairoScene
Omar Nok's Next Journey: Around the World Without a Plane
Speaking exclusively to SceneTraveller, Nok reveals the details of his next flightless trip—and it's shaping up to be his most daring yet. On February 8th, 2024, Egyptian adventurer and certified thrill-seeker Omar Nok dropped a bombshell: he was about to embark on his biggest, boldest journey yet—a flight-free trek across two continents and hundreds of cities, starting in Cairo and ending all the way in Japan. For nearly ten months, Nok took the world along for the ride, sharing daily vlogs of his modern-day odyssey on Instagram—posts that felt like passports to the unexpected. From hidden alleyways to remote villages, from chance encounters to those 'only in the movies' moments, over 728,000 followers watched in awe as this 'crazy Egyptian' rewrote what it means to travel. Then, on November 20th, 2024, after months of never boarding a plane, Nok finally took flight—straight out of Japan—closing a chapter that captured hearts and screens worldwide. But, as one would expect from a daredevil of Nok's calibre, he wasn't close to being done. Japan was followed by India, where Nok debuted a series of him crossing the sub-continent—again without flying. It was then that I reached out to him, both as a curious journalist and as a semi-obsessed fan who just so happened to have his number. I began to inquire about his trip to India; an adventure that I, someone who often postpones dinner due to an inability to get up and walk to the kitchen, deemed revolutionary. That's when Omar Nok, in true Omar Nok fashion, casually blew my mind. 'India? That was just the warm-up,' he told me, his tone ever-casual. 'The real adventure is coming. Bigger. Wilder. More dangerous. And yes—my last hurrah.' The bonafide adrenaline junkie expressed his desire to take a few steps back and settle down—but not before going out with a bang. Immediately, I began throwing out wild guesses—Russia to Antarctica, Cape Town to South America—but he just laughed. 'People aren't thinking big enough,' he said. 'This time, I'm heading west. All the way west. And I'll keep going until I end up right back in Egypt.' Hold up. Egypt to Egypt? By way of what? The Sahara? The Atlantic? The Pacific? His answer was a simple, 'Yes.' The plan? Start in late 2025. No flights. No fixed routes. Possibly no destination at all. This time, the unknowns are even greater. He might not find a boat. Or he might end up somewhere completely off-track. Unlike Egypt to Japan, where he'd mapped out several paths, this one's a zigzag from the Southern to Northern Hemisphere and back again. I couldn't quite fathom the scale of it—let alone what keeps him dreaming bigger and bigger still. Turns out, it's all about the people. 'There was so much I didn't know about the world that I learnt on the way from Egypt to Japan—I saw the best of humanity. It's that faith that fuels me now.' And so, another impossible journey is in the works. But if anyone can pull it off, it's Nok—the man who made strangers feel like companions and movement feel like magic. Because for him, this isn't just a trip. It's a full-circle act of wonder. Starting in Egypt, and daring to return, with a world of stories in between.
CairoScene
27-04-2025
- Entertainment
- CairoScene
Travel Photographer Rana Khadra Collects Stories Not Stamps
Travel Photographer Rana Khadra Collects Stories Not Stamps Lebanese-Omani photographer Rana Khadra captures the raw beauty of everyday life through portrait photography, blending cultures and stories with each emotive shot. We are all, in our own ways, seekers of light. In the souks of Marrakech, sunlight filters through woven reed roofs, turning spice stalls into pools of gold. Along Beirut's corniche, dusk melts into the Mediterranean, turning water into liquid mercury. Here, shadows aren't voids—they're stories waiting to be told. Across generations, storytellers in the Arab world have understood this, using light and shadow to carve narratives into stone, fabric, and memory. But what if light isn't just a language—it's a mirror? For Rana Khadra, it reflects the unspoken. Khadra doesn't chase postcard-perfect vistas. Instead, she hunts for the unscripted moments where light collides with humanity. A Lebanese-Omani travel photographer, color designer, and self-proclaimed 'corporate hippy,' Khadra has spent the past 15 years collecting stories the way others collect stamps. If she were a Pantone shade, she'd be Wanderlust Gold: equal parts curiosity, warmth, and a refusal to see the world in anything less than full-spectrum technicolor. Born in Oman, shaped by Beirut's resilience, and polished by Dubai's glittering chaos, she's the kind of person who crashes weddings in Cairo for 'research' and considers heartbreak a creative superpower. Rana's photography—a hobby-turned-exhibition staple—is less about staged perfection than it is about 'raw, unpolished humanity'. She wanders the streets from Mumbai to Marrakech, camera in hand, hunting for moments others might overlook: a Baghdad poet mid-verse, hand pressed to his forehead like a living sculpture. Her toolkit? A camera, compulsive curiosity, and a refusal to judge. 'People live differently because that's their life. Their education, environment—it's all different. I want to learn from it, not fear it,' Khadra tells SceneTraveller. 'I've always been drawn to capturing the essence of a person, the unspoken story behind their face.' Her approach is one of quiet curiosity—no preconceived plans, no forced compositions. 'I don't plan shoots. I follow energy—mine, theirs, the city's.' Her secret? Asking permission. 'You get so much more from someone once you've given them respect. They feel safe. Then… you get the real emotions.' Khadra's photography is also deeply shaped by her expertise in colour design, a field she balances alongside her artistic pursuits. 'When I look at a scene, I'm subconsciously thinking about both the people and the colours around them. The way people wear what they see, and how their surroundings shape their choices—it all feeds into my work,' she explains. With a background in colour forecasting, she understands the emotional power hues hold, whether in her designs or portraits. Her dual Omani-Lebanese heritage isn't just a footnote—it's her lens, fueling her mission to reshape perceptions of the Arab world. Her latest exhibition, '3ala Rasi' (On My Head), challenges stereotypes. A visual ode to Arab identity, the series—turbans, hijabs, fruit baskets balanced on brows—is a love letter to the quiet poetry of everyday life. 'Our culture is powerful but misunderstood. I want to show the 'why' behind how we live.' As a photographer, Khadra doesn't shy away from the imperfections of life; in fact, she embraces them. 'My work is about showing life as it is, not as we want it to be.' This philosophy runs through her work, her life, and her creative process. And in a world that often seems fixated on perfection and materialism, her photography reminds us that the true beauty lies in the real, the imperfect, and the unspoken. With 49 countries behind her (and counting), Khadra doesn't travel to tick boxes. Instead, she collects stories, mismatched fridge magnets, and memories. Her favorite adventure? Crashing a wedding. 'In Egypt, I stumbled into a farah sha'bi. Weddings reveal everything—food, traditions, joy.' For someone who picked up a camera before Instagram, Khadra is surprisingly unbothered by the social media era. 'Social media democratized art. Everyone's a critic, but everyone's also a creator. Just stay true to your voice.' Her advice to aspiring artists? 'Start before you're ready. Let your art be a journey, not a final project. And for God's sake, live—it's all material.' As dusk stains Dubai's skyline in shades of apricot, Khadra muses on legacy. 'Success? If even one person sees the world differently because of my work.' For most, a suitcase is a symbol of escape, adventure, or the challenge of packing light. But for Rana Khadra, it holds something deeper—fragments of lives, faces, and moments collected across continents. Through her lens, fleeting stories become timeless.
