Prince Khaled: Souk Okaz to be a full-fledged tourist center

September 11, 2013

Prince_Khaled

Jeddah, Sep 11: Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal announced plans to develop Souk Okaz, located in the summer resort of Taif, into a full-fledged tourist center on Tuesday, opening its doors throughout the year and not only during the holiday seasons.

He emphasized the role of Souk Okaz in promoting creativity among Saudis.

“It’s a venue for people to present their creativity and exchange their thoughts. It’s also a venue for promoting culture, literature and tourism,” he said.

Addressing a press conference at Taif University on the occasion of the launch of Souk Okaz’s activities for this year, Prince Khaled said: “It’s an opportunity to learn from others’ thoughts, knowledge and experience and a window for Saudis to showcase their culture and achievements in various fields to the world.”

Prince Khaled, himself a poet, said the word “souk” should not be misconstrued as only a venue for trade. “It’s an occasion for the exchange of thoughts and cultural dialogue.”

The governor added: “We are proud that Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah was the first world leader to promote a culture of dialogue at regional and international levels.”

He said the organizers do not want Souk Okaz to remain just a heritage show, but rather, seek to showcase the Kingdom’s present and future with the participation of public and private agencies.

He disclosed plans to set up incubators for making innovative thoughts and ideas of youth into reality.

Deputy Gov. Abdul Aziz Al-Khodairy highlighted the initiatives taken by Prince Khaled for the development of the region, including his efforts to carry out stalled development projects in various sectors and strengthen the Haj and Umrah sector by launching a campaign entitled “Haj instils worship and civilized behavior.”

Saleh Al-Nassar, supervisor of the National Strategy for Youth, said the plan was drafted after studying about 80 similar plans in other countries. It aims to protect the health of youth, fight unemployment, develop their skills and build youth welfare facilities.

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News Network
April 11,2020

Dubai, Apr 11: Saudi Arabia has reported another 382 new cases of coronavirus, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 4,033, the Ministry of Health announced on Saturday.

The ministry also confirmed five more deaths from the virus, pushing the death toll in Kingdom to 52.

A total of 35 people has made full recovery from the deadly disease, taking the tally of patients recovered to 720.

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News Network
April 5,2020

Ajman, Apr 5: A bakery worker in Ajman has been detained for spitting in the bread dough as he prepared bread at the bakery, police said.

The General Command of Ajman Police arrested the Asian worker in coordination with Ajman Municipality after investigators suggested that he intentionally spat in the dough while preparing bread at a bakery which is located in Ajman.

Lt. Col. Muhammad Mubarak Al-Ghafli, Director of Al-Jarf Al-Shamel Police Station, said a team from police had immediately gone to arrest the worker after receiving a report from the municipality confirming that the man spat in the bread dough.

Officials said a customer had filmed the Asian as he spat in the dough while preparing the bread at the bakery during the evening.

The customer then filed a complaint to the municipality with the supporting evidence of a video as the worker was doing the buzzer act.

Police said the man was taken for for psychological examination as he's being prepared to be referred to the public prosecution.

Meanwhile, the bakery has been shut down by the municipality for violating food hygiene and public health rules.

Lt. Col. Al-Ghafli has appealed to the public to report persons or any acts that could harm the health and safety of the public.

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News Network
May 18,2020

Abu Dhabi, May 18: Bollywood superstar Salman Khan has recorded a special message for Indian expats in the UAE as the country fights the coronavirus pandemic.

Khan - one of the biggest stars of Bollywood for decades - enjoys a large fan following in the Gulf, which is why Abu Dhabi roped in the actor to record a special video message for expats, urging them to cooperate with authorities in the capital and the country as they carry out sanitisation and testing programmes.

In the video, tweeted by the Abu Dhabi Media Office on Sunday night, the superstar appeals to Indians in Abu Dhabi to become heroes by staying home (stepping out for essential work/errands only), following precautionary measures and simply 'do the right thing' by getting tested if they have any Covid-19-related symptoms.

Khan, who has shot his recent super hit films (Race 3) in the capital, assured expats that Abu Dhabi authorities will not leave the community in these challenging times as it is a hospitable city who takes care of all residents.

"Following preventive measures also protects your family from the virus - so do the right thing as heroes do," Khan concludes.

The second phase of Abu Dhabi's sanitisation and testing in labour areas is underway, which started on May 16. Special testing facilities have been set up in the city for this purpose that test thousands of workers everyday.

As of May 17, UAE has confirmed over 23,000 cases along with over 8,000 recoveries and 220 deaths.

The country recently made a breakthrough in treating Covid-19 by using stem cells to help with the recovery.

The UAE leadership has thanked citizens and residents for their cooperation and assured that the country will take care of everyone in the country - with food and medicines being the red line, and that there will be no shortage of either during the crisis. Stimulus packages have been announced to help businesses stay afloat.

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