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https://www.arabnews.com/node/1915376/sport The 96-72 win sees the Kingdom progress, alongside India, to the delayed competition in Indonesia next year Saudi Arabia’s national basketball team has qualified for the delayed 2021 FIBA Asia Cup in Indonesia next year after beating Palestine 96-72 in Jeddah on Sunday night. The Kingdom finished top of the three-team final qualification group, organized by the Saudi Arabian Basketball Federation, after two wins from two games. The team will progress alongside India to the tournament finals, which has already been postponed twice and is set to take place in July 2022. On Friday, Saudi Arabia started their campaign with a comfortable 80-61 win over India, who in turn beat Palestine the following night 79-77. This meant Palestine needed a high-scoring win to qualify with Saudi Arabia, requiring a 36-point win to progress. But the Kingdom quickly established its superiority, leading 27-15 after the first quarter and 59-29 at half-time. The home team continued to dominate in the second half, and led 84-51 at the end of the third quarter. Palestine rallied in the final quarter but the final result was still a comprehensive 96-72 for the Saudis. Saudi Arabia has now confirmed its place in the tournament alongside hosts Indonesia, Lebanon, Bahrain, Iran, Kazakhstan, Jordan, Syria, the Philippines, South Korea, China, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.

https://www.arabnews.com/node/1915441/saudi-arabia The endowment is working in full swing on some watering projects, such as finding watering stations and desalination water wells in remote villages JEDDAH: Four new drinking water and wudu stations have been launched in Jeddah by the King Abdul Aziz Endowment of Ain Al-Aziziah, drawing their inspiration from the city’s historical water supply methods. Al-Bazan, which translates as water tanks, is based on Jeddah’s previous water distribution system. Tanks were distributed across the city’s old town before there was a supply network in place, making them the primary water source for the people of Jeddah. In the past, before the endowment was established, Jeddah families received their water from a man called “saggah” (water man) who sourced it from the city’s bazans and traveled around districts delivering it. “The main idea behind this project is to supply people with water and to remind them of the tremendous transformation that the city has gone through,” Sakhr Al-Asmari, head of public relations at the King Abdul Aziz Endowment of Ain Al-Aziziah, told Arab News. “The endowment targets several vital places in Jeddah to provide them with the tanks, the waterfront was one of the first and (there are) more to come soon.” The modern bazans are in different areas across the waterfront and will supply clean water for people to drink and perform wudu. They are aimed at beautifying public facilities and resemble the main pipelines from the valleys. The endowment was instrumental in providing free and clean drinking water to Jeddah residents, with its infrastructure being the primary source of water until 1979, when modern solutions based on seawater desalination became the new primary water source for Jeddah and supplied several regions in Saudi Arabia. “The endowment is working in full swing on some watering projects, such as finding watering stations and desalination water wells in remote villages throughout the region and neighboring provinces to achieve the goal of the founder King Abdul Aziz and to fulfill one of Vision 2030’s components,” Al-Asmari said.

https://www.arabnews.com/node/1915451/saudi-arabia This program has greater importance as the world deals with the pandemic’s impact on youth education LONDON: The Muslim World League and the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change have launched a new partnership to bring together their common vision to serve the future generation of youth. There are about 1.8 billion young people in the world and many of them face a myriad of challenges, such as poverty, violence, exclusion and negative perceptions. They are not getting the information they need or learning the necessary skills to thrive in an increasingly interconnected world. They also feel that they do not have a secure platform that gives them the confidence to share their opinions and make choices that affect their future and the way they live. The MWL and the TBI will work together over the next three years to deliver a global education program to equip more than 100,000 young people aged 13 to 17 in more than 18 countries around the world with critical thinking and dialogue skills. The program will work through networks of schools and education partners around the world to train more than 2,400 teachers in active listening and global communication to transfer these skills to their students. • The MWL and the TBI will work together over the next three years to deliver a global education program to equip more than 100,000 young people aged 13 to 17 in more than 18 countries around the world with critical thinking and dialogue skills. • The program will work through networks of schools and education partners around the world to train more than 2,400 teachers in active listening and global communication to transfer these skills to their students. This will contribute to building greater mutual understanding, tolerance and trust between young people and their communities and correct perceptions of religious and cultural diversity. The program will also build a broader dialogue between followers of different religions and cultures within diverse communities, utilizing young people’s empathy and understanding of those who are different from them in their daily lives, their families and their communities. This program has greater importance as the world deals with the pandemic’s impact on youth education. Learning dialogue skills is vital to building bridges of understanding and exchange, combating misinformation and building empathy among young people. The TBI is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to equip leaders and governments for a global future, by shaping debate and providing expert advice to help leaders build open, inclusive, and prosperous societies in an increasingly interconnected world.

https://www.arabnews.com/node/1915241/lifestyle DUBAI: Majeed Alzayer has been working at the rap game since 2010, and like any artist worth their salt, he’s enjoyed an uneven trajectory. Inch by inch, forwards and backwards, success and failure. Along with the notable successes — performing at Sole DXB, a first album, collabs with Syrian-Palestinian hip hop arti MohFlow, Qusai from Saudi and Dubai born singer-songwriter Hamdan Al-Abri — there has been struggle, too. But as every good rapper knows, the art lies in the journey. What attracted you to hip hop? I think because it was raw and unapologetic, which felt like who I was in real life. Musically it’s so vast, there are so many sounds, and so many ways to say things. I was a slick talker growing up so it fit me well. For a second, I can be poetic, next second I can flex on you, and the third I can make you bounce — all on the same song. Was it a conscious decision to rap in English? When I was growing up all we had was English-language hip hop, so naturally that’s what I gravitated towards. I believe most foreign hip hop artists start their careers by imitating what they are listening to then eventually grow out of it and find their own sound. For me, I stuck to English because it is authentic to me, but with time I began adding Arabic instrumentation to my music, using some Saudi slang and local stories which allows me to balance both sides. Does a Middle Eastern artist need “crossover appeal” to make it globally? This is a tricky question because it really varies. There isn’t one formula that everyone needs to follow and it just works or else everybody would “make it.” I think a few important things would be to create great music, be authentic and original, build a great team around you that understands your vision, turn yourself into a brand, figure out who your consumers are, and dominate your hometown before you think about the world. Most important of all: Luck and timing is everything. How can you get an edge? It’s about making your own opportunities. I actually founded a creative marketing agency and record label called HRMNY with my friends (musicians A’Y and Mohflow) by mistake. By mistake? Yeah, we started off marketing our own albums and events then eventually brands wanted to tag along. it made us realise that most brands wanted to talk to our market segment, so we decided to turn it into a full-time service based company. We’ve been going since 2018. How does a rapper from the Middle East gain success, then? Hip hop dominates youth culture across the world. It is literally the internet, just look at the trends, the memes, the tiktok dances, the celebrities people are obsessed with, fashion and so on. In our region, however, it feels like it’s still not fully recognized by the mainstream because they aren’t used to it, they kind of don’t know what to do with it. When you adopt an old formula and methodologies to this new era it won’t stick. At the end it boils down to the quality of music but more importantly what to do after that, which is the ecosystem which is not developed yet in our region. On this side you need to treat yourself as a label and not an artist. You literally need to be your own A&R, artist, producer, engineer, content and production team, marketing manager, tour manager, create your own events and so on. It gets tiring, this is why my company HRMNY exists.

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/1914611/middle-east Egypt released the Ever Given after protracted negotiations and an undisclosed settlement reached between the SCA and the ship’s owners and insurers ISMAILIA, Egypt: The giant container ship Ever Given, which blocked the Suez Canal for six days in March, crossed the waterway on Friday for the first time since it left Egypt after the incident. The ship, en route from the UK to China, crossed the canal among a convoy of 26 vessels sailing from the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea, the Suez Canal Authority said in a statement. Another 36 ships crossed the waterway from the south. A group of SCA senior pilots and two tugboats escorted the Ever Given throughout its journey through the canal, the authority said in a statement. Live ship tracking showed the vessel successfully negotiating the early stages of the canal on its way toward the Red Sea. The vessel, one of the world’s largest container ships, became jammed across the canal in high winds on March 23. The operation to free the ship from the canal caused a backlog that delayed the journeys of hundreds of ships, forcing some to take a much longer route around the southern tip of Africa. Once it was dislodged, the 400-meter vessel left Egypt on July 7, 106 days after becoming wedged across a southern section of the waterway. Egypt released the Ever Given after protracted negotiations and an undisclosed settlement reached between the SCA and the ship’s owners and insurers. It arrived in the Dutch port of Rotterdam on July 29 before heading to Felixstowe, England. Roughly 15 percent of world shipping traffic transits the Suez Canal, the shortest shipping route between Europe and Asia. Friday’s voyage through the canal was the Ever Given’s 22nd in the waterway. Shipping trafficking websites Marinetraffic.com and Vesselfinder.com showed the ship in the Red Sea after crossing the canal.

https://www.arabnews.com/node/1914261/sport Jeddah club will miss key Egyptian defender Ahmed Hegazi on Saturday as history beckons for Saudi side LONDON: The first major trophy of the season is up for grabs on Saturday as Al-Ittihad and Raja Casablanca meet in the delayed final of the 2020 Arab Club Champions Cup in Rabat. The location may give the Moroccan team home advantage — even if there will be no fans in the stadium — but history is on the side of Saudi Arabia whose clubs are the most successful with eight tournament triumphs, one more than Tunisia. The road to Rabat has been a long one in more ways than one. It is two years since the two teams started out in the tournament, with games delayed on more than one occasion due to the global pandemic. The quarterfinals took place in January 2020, with the semifinals concluded a year later as Al-Ittihad saw off Saudi rivals Al-Shabab, and Casablanca overcame a challenge from Ismaily of Egypt. Saudi Arabia may have won more tournaments than any other Arab nation, but the last was back in 2005 when Al-Ittihad defeated another North African opponent, CS Sfaxien of Tunisia, 4-1 over two legs — Saturday’s final is a single match — lifting the trophy in front of its fans in Jeddah. However, apart from the AFC Champions League a few months later, Al-Ittihad has yet to win another international trophy. After 16 years, it is time for that drought to end, though given the club’s recent financial issues, the prize money of $6 million also will be welcome. That sum would pay half the transfer fee of the big summer signing Igor Coronado. The Brazilian joined from Sharjah but missed the opening two games of the season as he was not registered in time. Al-Ittihad’s results have been mixed this season. A disappointing opening day defeat at the hands of Al-Fayha was followed by a 3-0 win over Al-Raed on Monday. The comfortable victory was watched by Coronado, who is eager to get started at his new club. “It was great to watch the Al-Raed game with the fans, and the Ittihad fans were one reason I joined the club. I have seen videos of them online many times,” Coronado said. “We will miss their passion in the final.” The 29-year-old added that the players will make up for it. “We will give 120 percent to win. I am delighted that I can play and I am ready.” The question is: Which Al-Ittihad will turn up? The team that struggled against Al-Fayha or the one that strolled past Al-Raed? Coronado is sure it will be the latter. “We have learned from our mistakes against Al-Fayha and we can say that the first real match was against Al-Raed,” he said. “We played the way we wanted to play, and this is the standard we want to play for the rest of the season, including the final. It won’t be easy as both teams are hungry for the trophy, but we are ready.” While Coronado is available, there is less welcome team news. Star defender Ahmed Hegazi is suspended for the game and will be missed. The Egyptian was one of the best performers in the league last season, and given the attacking talent that the Moroccans have in their ranks, Omar Hawsawi and Hegazi’s likely replacement Ziyad Al-Sahafi will have to be at their best. While Al-Ittihad were defeating Al-Raed, Casablanca were warming up with a trip to Italy to take on Roma. It ended with a 5-0 defeat against Jose Mourinho’s men and the defense had to work hard throughout. The Moroccan giants finished the league season last month as runners-up to city rival Wydad, and whether keeping sharp by heading to Rome was a good idea or not remains to be seen. Coronado’s departure from Sharjah has affected Casablanca, too, as the Emirati side has signed Ben Malango from the Moroccan team to replenish its attacking stocks. The Congolese forward scored 16 goals last season. Soufiane Rahimi managed 14 as well as 12 assists, a record that prompted UAE giants Al-Ain to swoop earlier this month. Saturday’s game will be the 25-year-old’s last for the club and he is aiming to bow out on a high. “It would be wonderful to bid farewell to Raja and the fans by winning this important title,” Rahimi said. “We know Al-Ittihad are a strong team. We are all looking forward to the game and we are ready.” Perhaps it will not be the considerable attacking talent that makes a difference but Al-Ittihad’s Moroccan defensive midfielder Karim El-Ahmadi. “There is no doubt that Raja are a great team and have experience in playing in finals and big games,” said the 36-year-old veteran. “We will have to be at our best if we are to give our fans the success they deserve.”

https://www.arabnews.com/node/1914616/books This unique illustrated handbook provides all the essential tools you need to become a better birder. Here Derek Lovitch offers a more effective way to go about identification—he calls it the “Whole Bird and More” approach—that will enable you to identify more birds, more quickly, more of the time. He demonstrates how to use geography and an understanding of habitats, ecology, and even the weather to enrich your birding experience and help you find something out of the ordinary. Lovitch shows how to track nocturnal migrants using radar, collect data for bird conservation, discover exciting rarities, develop patch lists—and much more. This is the ideal resource for intermediate and advanced birders. Whether you want to build a bigger list or simply learn more about birds, How to Be a Better Birder will take your birding skills to the next level.

https://www.arabnews.com/node/1914531/saudi-arabia Umrah pilgrims from abroad are required to present a certificate on arrival that has been validated in their home country and states they have been fully jabbed with a vaccine approved by Saudi Arabia RIYADH: Foreign pilgrims have expressed their happiness about being able to perform Umrah after a months-long hiatus due to the pandemic. The first group of fully jabbed foreign Umrah pilgrims arrived in Saudi Arabia on Aug. 15 after a temporary ban was lifted. Ishfaq Iqbal, from the US, said: “The Kingdom’s efforts to serve pilgrims and visitors are clear and tangible through the diverse services, and we’re bearing witness to the remarkable development.” Abdul Majid Al-Jazaaeri, from Algeria, commended Saudi Arabia for its services facilitating Umrah for overseas pilgrims. He praised the carts on offer to help the elderly and those with health issues to move around with ease. Umrah pilgrims from abroad are required to present a certificate on arrival that has been validated in their home country and states they have been fully jabbed with a vaccine approved by the Kingdom. Saudi Arabia has approved the Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. Umrah pilgrims from abroad are required to present a certificate on arrival that has been validated in their home country and states they have been fully jabbed with a vaccine approved by the Kingdom. Saudi Arabia has approved the Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. Pilgrims must also adhere to quarantine measures if they are coming from countries where there is a ban on direct entry to the Kingdom. The deputy minister of Hajj and Umrah, Abdulfattah bin Sulaiman Mashat, said that all Saudi Umrah companies had been preparing to serve foreign pilgrims and were dedicated to providing them with the best services, from their point of arrival until their departure.

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/1913401/middle-east Sunday’s explosion scorched crowds clamoring for petrol that army was distributing The blast killed at least 28 people in northern Lebanon AL-DAOUSEH, Lebanon: Families on Wednesday laid to rest victims of a fuel tank blast that killed at least 28 people in northern Lebanon amid anger and sorrow over the crisis-hit country’s latest tragedy. The explosion on Sunday in Al-Tleil in the Akkar region scorched crowds clamoring for petrol that the army was distributing in light of severe fuel shortages that have paralyzed a country also beset by medicine, gas and bread shortages. The victims included soldiers and Akkar residents who darted to Al-Tleil after midnight to fill gasoline in plastic containers straight from a fuel tank that exploded in circumstances that remain unclear. The tank was among supplies confiscated by the military, which has lately wrested supplies from alleged fuel hoarders across the country. The disaster came on top of an economic crisis branded by the World Bank as one of the world’s worst in modern times and follows an explosion of poorly stored fertilizer at Beirut port last summer that killed more than 200 people. Akkar, one of Lebanon’s poorest regions, buried several blast victims on Wednesday, according to an AFP correspondent. The village of Al-Daouseh held funerals for four of its dead, all of whom are from the Shraytih family. “They died for petrol — if we had fuel this would have never happened,” said Mouin Shraytih who was burying two sons — one 16 and the other 20. “Political leaders and officials should consider what it is like to have two young boys and find them burned and charred in front of your own eyes,” the man in his fifties told AFP at the funeral. Corpses from the tanker blast had been identified in and transported from hospitals hit by power and telecom outages, with even landlines disrupted. Dozens had gathered at the family’s home when a convoy of vehicles carrying the corpses arrived from a nearby hospital, an AFP correspondent said. Shots were fired into the air as residents threw rice and flowers over the coffins. Fawaz Shraytih, a relative of Mouin, was burying two brothers, both army soldiers. “What happened is because of deprivation, Akkar is a deprived region,” he said. But “all we do is pay with our blood,” he added, explaining that soldiers make up the bulk of Al-Daouseh’s male po[CENSORED]tion. There are eight soldiers among his own immediate family, he said. Nearly 80 people were injured in the blast, medics said, many with burns that further overwhelmed hospitals struggling to function without electricity. Foreign countries and UN agencies have scrambled emergency aid to help exhausted health workers cope with the new influx of serious injuries and run DNA tests to identify charred remains. A plane was due to arrive in Lebanon to evacuate severe burns victims to Turkey. Lebanon, a country of more than 6 million, is grappling with soaring poverty rates, with 78 percent of the po[CENSORED]tion living below the poverty line, according to the United Nations. The Lebanese pound has lost 90 percent of its black market value against the dollar while food prices have shot up by up to 400 percent. The country braced for higher inflation rates after central bank governor Riad Salameh said last week that the lender can no longer afford fuel subsidies. Despite the spiraling crisis, bitterly divided leaders have yet to agree on a new Cabinet a year after the previous one resigned in the wake of the Beirut blast.

https://www.arabnews.com/node/1913221/sport Changes aplenty sweep UAE Football as the 2021-22 UAE Pro League season gets underway on Thursday DUBAI: The 13th season of the UAE’s top flight club league in its professional iteration sees the competition change name from the Arabian Gulf League to the ADNOC Pro League following the signing of a record-breaking $22 million title sponsorship deal with the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company. A palpable sense of excitement surrounds the domestic football scene with fans set to return to UAE stadiums for the first time since March 2020. The league has capped attendances at 60 percent of stadium capacity, with vaccinations, PCR tests and other COVID-19-related controls required to ensure a safe return to stadia. Reigning champions Al-Jazira dominated the 2020-21 season awards in the ceremony that was held at Abu Dhabi’s Emirates Palace a few days ahead of the league’s restart. Goalkeeper Ali Khaseif was named Golden Glove winner while his club and country teammate Ali Mabkhout walked away with a pair of awards, being named the Best Emirati Player as well as Top Goalscorer. Al-Jazira’s Dutch coach Marcel Keizer completed the set by winning the Manager of The Season award after guiding the Abu Dhabi club to the third league title in their history. Determined not to rest on their laurels following a hugely impressive season, Al-Jazira retained the bulk of its title-winning side and bolstered its ranks with the addition of Brazilian winger Joao Victor from Germany’s VfL Wolfsburg. The league may have lost its 2018-19 Best Foreign Player in Igor Coronado, who swapped Sharjah for Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ittihad, but his replacement at the club was of an even higher profile as coach Abdulaziz Al-Anbari’s side secured the services of Everton playmaker Bernard and added two-time CAF Confederation Cup top scorer Ben Malango from Morocco’s Raja Casablanca. And it was not just the league’s last two champions Sharjah and Al-Jazira who were busy during the summer transfer window. The UAE’s most successful club side Al-Ain ended last season in sixth place, their lowest finish since 2013-14, and they responded to the setback with an emphatic transfer market that saw them recruit Argentinian playmaker Cristian Guanca from Saudi Arabia’s Al-Shabab and Tunisian international defender Yassine Meriah from Greek outfit Olympiacos. There was notable activity on the domestic transfers front too, with last season’s Best Foreign Player Award winner Joao Pedro swapping Al-Dhafra for Al-Wahda, having spent last season on loan at Bani Yas. Tunisian forward Firas Belarbi swapped relegated Fujairah for Ajman and Iraqi youngster Mostafa Mohammed also left Fujairah, joining Dubai-based Al-Nasr. Elsewhere, League Cup and Super Cup winners Shabab Al-Ahli boosted its squad with the capture of Iranian international midfielder Ahmed Nourollahi from Persepolis. The 28-year-old follows in the footsteps of his compatriot Ali Karimi who excelled in four seasons (2001-2005) at the club, which was then called Al-Ahl, before earning a move to European giants Bayern Munich. Nourollahi becomes the first Iranian to join an Emirati club since Mohammad Reza Khalatabari signed for Ajman in 2013. While Sharjah and Al-Wahda will have their eyes focused on their crucial AFC Champions League round of 16 clash in September, Al-Jazira, Bani Yas and Shabab Al-Ahli will begin their 2022 Champions League campaigns during the second half of the league season, leaving Al-Nasr and Al-Ain — who finished fifth and sixth respectively last time out — with the advantage of being able to focus solely on the domestic competition as they chase a return to their glory days. At the other end of the table, Fujairah-based Al-Urooba is set for its debut appearance in the top division and has summoned the services of Bahraini international midfielder Ali Madan on loan from Al-Riffa, making him the first player from the Gulf nation to play in the UAE’s Pro League. Fellow newly promoted Emirates Club from Ras Al-Khaimah will add to the variety of nationalities represented in the league with Mauritanian midfielder Abdullah El Koury on its roster.

https://www.arabnews.com/node/1912991/lifestyle DUBAI: Saudi womenswear designer Noura Sulaiman is about to see one of her creations on the big screen. Sulaiman, who is one of the very few Saudi designers to have their creations featured in a large-scale Hollywood production, was responsible for creating the white, off-the-shoulder dress worn by award-winning singer Halsey in the movie poster for her first feature film, “If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power.” The film is set to be shown at select IMAX theaters on Aug. 25 and explores the themes of pregnancy and childbirth. The film is set to be shown at select IMAX theaters on Aug. 25. Supplied The dress was selected from Sulaiman’s debut collection and handpicked by Los Angeles-based celebrity stylist Law Roach, who is responsible for the head-turning looks worn by stars such as Zendaya, Rachel Brosnahan and Priyanka Chopra, among others. The dress is crafted from ivory moiré fabric and features an off-the-shoulder neckline and cascading tulle sleeves. The 26-year-old’s decision to wear Sulaiman’s dress while she was pregnant is a “full circle” moment for the emerging Saudi designer as Sulaiman initially designed the look to wear for her own baby’s reception. However, due to po[CENSORED]r demand from clients, she decided to include the piece within her debut ready-to-wear collection, which she launched in December 2020. The dress will feature in the film alongside the designs of international fashion heavyweights such as Vivienne Westwood. Produced by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, “If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power” is described as a “disruptive film and album experience from the mind of Halsey,” according to the poster promoting the movie. The film will be accompanied by Halsey’s fourth studio album of the same name. In an Instagram post, the singer-songwriter shared more details about the album, writing: “This album is a concept album about the joys and horrors of pregnancy and childbirth. It was very important to me that the cover art conveyed the sentiment of my journey over the past few months.” “My body has belonged to the world in many different ways the past few years, and this image is my means of reclaiming my autonomy and establishing my pride and strength as a life force for my human being.” Halsey, born Ashley Nicolette Frangipane, gave birth to her first child, Ender Ridley Aydin, last month.

https://www.arabnews.com/node/1913426/saudi-arabia The archeological village of Disa, home to Nabataean tombs carved into rock formations, is thought to date back to the end of the 2nd millennium B.C. It is also believed to be the ancient city of Madyan, mentioned in the Qu’ran as the place where the Prophet Moses fled to after leaving Egypt JEDDAH: Rich with antiquities and archeological sites, Tabuk is one of Saudi Arabia’s undiscovered gems. The area is home to valleys, oases, streams, picturesque sandstone columns, and tall palm trees. It is also the site of the archeological village of Disa, where one can find Nabataean tombs, the facades of which are carved into the rock formations. These tombs can also be found at the oasis of Mugha’ir Shu’ayb, also known as Al-Bada’. This site is thought to date back to the end of the second millennium B.C. and many believe it to be the ancient city of Madyan, mentioned in the Qu’ran and held to be the place where the Prophet Moses fled to after leaving Egypt. Houses and temples are also carved into the mountains here, often with intricate design work around their entrances. The area has become very po[CENSORED]r with photography enthusiasts. These are the rare historical landmarks of Tabuk, a tourist destination po[CENSORED]r because of its historical significance, but also because of its diverse nature and its mild climate, which makes it an excellent option for a summer getaway. Indeed, Tabuk has witnessed a dramatic increase in domestic tourism over the past few years. Speaking to Arab News, brothers Khaled and Ahmed, who operate private tours to several areas of Saudi Arabia, said that Tabuk is still a mystery to many. “It’s a calm place and is the perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of the cities,” said Khaled. “From exploring the nooks and corners of the valleys to barbecues and star gazing at night, the place is wonderful. And, just think, (ancient) civilizations passed through here.”

https://www.arabnews.com/node/1911986/media Germany’s leading newspapers urged Chancellor Angela Merkel to evacuate Afghan journalists from the country as the Taliban entered the country’s capital Kabul. The open letter comes after similar appeals from UK and US media organizations were issued to their respective governments LONDON: Germany’s leading newspapers and media organizations on Sunday urged Chancellor Angela Merkel to evacuate Afghan journalists from the country as the Taliban entered the country’s capital Kabul. Various top outlets, including Der Spiegel, dpa International, Deutsche Welle and Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, drafted an open letter addressing Merkel and Foreign Minister Heiko Maas. The letter urged the German government to create an emergency visa program to provide safety for Afghan journalists who had been serving German readers and viewers for over 20 years. “This letter is a cry for help,” it said. “Our reporting, which provided the German public and politics with analysis, insights and impressions from the country, was inconceivable without the commitment and courage of the Afghan colleagues who supported us on site: The local journalists, stringers and translators.” Afghan journalists, translators, interpreters and fixers have been providing invaluable information from the ground to foreign media organizations since the 2001 US-led invasion. “The lives of these freelancers are now acutely at risk,” the letter continued. “According to international human rights organizations, there is hardly a country in the world in which journalists are now as vulnerable as in Afghanistan. We hereby call on you to set up an emergency visa program for Afghan workers of German media companies.” The open letter comes after similar appeals from UK and US media organizations were issued to their respective governments. Last week, the Committee to Protect Journalists drafted joint letters with numerous US media outlets to pressure Washington to provide humanitarian assistance and emergency visas to Afghans they have worked with. After numerous appeals, the US State Department issued a decision to include Afghan journalists in its Refugee Admissions Program. Similarly, Britain’s leading newspapers appealed to Prime Minister Boris Johnson to provide protection to media workers in Afghanistan under threat from the Taliban. Foreign secretary Dominic Raab said that Afghan journalists who worked for the British media would be considered for relocation to the UK if they come under “imminent threat.” The Taliban announced it entered Kabul on Sunday, which, experts say, will pose a threat to many Afghan journalists, particularly those known to have worked with Western outlets.

https://www.arabnews.com/node/1911981/sport Saudi’s National Paralympic Committee President Abdulaziz Al-Mugairin says targets have changed from participation to winning The Saudi National Paralympic Committee (NPC) on Sunday held a presentation ceremony in Riyadh for the athletes who will be representing the Kingdom at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games to be held in the Japanese capital from Aug. 24 until Sept. 5. Among the confirmed athletes for the Saudi team heading to Tokyo are Abdulrahman Al-Qurashi, Fahad Al-Junaidel, Ali Al-Nakhli, Hassan Doshi, Sarah Al-Jumaah, and Al-Hanouf Abu Hamed in athletics, while Maryam Al-Muraisel will compete in table tennis and Ahmed Al-Sharbatly in the equestrian event. Ahmad bin Abdulaziz Al-Mugairin, president of the NPC, told Sports 24 TV: “In the past, there was only participation from the said athletes. Now our targets have changed. Now it’s about achievement.” He added: “We have athletes Ali Al-Nakhli and Ahmed Al-Sharbatly, and for the first time we have female Saudi athletes, such as Sarah Al-Jumaah and Maryam Al-Muraisel, all who have hopes of winning medals. The targets now are to achieve results and to get on the podiums.” He highlighted the importance of Saudi’s Vision 2030 in the changing sporting landscape in the Kingdom, especially for athletes with special needs. “There is no doubt we are living through an age of transformation thanks to King Salman,” Al-Mugairin said, adding: “We are living through the golden days of the Vision and we hope your joy will be complete in 2030. And thanks to the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, there has been unlimited support in all fields.” The athletes, many of whom have only just returned from preparation camps abroad, said they are ready to compete for medals. “Our aim is to be among the leading positions, my ambition is to win a gold medal,” said Al-Qurashi. He added that while there are generous financial prizes at stake for gold winners, they pale in comparison to the joy of winning itself. “It’s true that it’s worth a lot, but it is not as important as the happiness I can bring to my nation with this medal,” he said. “We have done immense work over the last three months, whether it’s been through training with the technical staff or on the logistics side. God willing we will put on performances worthy of our country.” Al-Junaidel echoed Al-Qurashi’s words, saying winning will be the aim in Tokyo. “The qualification did not come easy,” he said. “But we’ve qualified and we have a good number of athletes. Hopefully our participation isn’t just to make up the numbers but to compete as well. We hope to achieve all our ambitions. Al-Junaidel also thanked the country’s leadership for their support of Paralympic sports, and said the athletes are ready for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games despite the challenges of the last year. “The pandemic disrupted preparation a little,” he said, adding: “At some point we were training at home, we didn’t stop at any point. Then we gradually returned to full training and this year has seen training camps throughout.”

https://www.arabnews.com/node/1912281/books During the late 19th century, opium was integral to European colonial rule in Southeast Asia. The taxation of opium was a major source of revenue for British and French colonizers, who also derived moral authority from imposing a tax on a peculiar vice of their non-European subjects. Yet between the 1890s and the 1940s, colonial states began to ban opium, upsetting the very foundations of overseas rule—how did this happen? Empires of Vice traces the history of this dramatic reversal, revealing the colonial legacies that set the stage for the region’s drug problems today. Diana Kim challenges the conventional wisdom about opium prohibition—that it came about because doctors awoke to the dangers of drug addiction or that it was a response to moral crusaders—uncovering a more complex story deep within the colonial bureaucracy. Drawing on a wealth of archival evidence across Southeast Asia and Europe, she shows how prohibition was made possible by the pivotal contributions of seemingly weak bureaucratic officials. Comparing British and French experiences across today’s Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, and Vietnam, Kim examines how the everyday work of local administrators delegitimized the taxing of opium, which in turn made major anti-opium reforms possible.

https://www.arabnews.com/node/1912266/saudi-arabia Saudi Arabia has key role in carbon-friendly future, energy research shows RIYADH: Hydrogen is morphing from a niche power source into a potential front-runner in the green energy revolution — and research shows that Saudi Arabia can become one of the world’s largest suppliers of the gas. Many experts agree that “green” hydrogen, a carbon-friendly nontoxic gas produced using renewable energy, can play a significant role in achieving a green gas-neutral economy by 2050, helping to combat global warming. New research by the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC) shows that Saudi Arabia has the resources to become a leader in the nascent “clean hydrogen” market. According to the International Renewable Energy Agency, the current cost of producing a kilogram of the gas is a little under $5. With an abundance of sunlight, the Kingdom has a competitive advantage in a global commodity market for clean hydrogen that is expected to reach $11 trillion over the next 30 years, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF). KSA has the skills, infrastructure and resources to produce blue and green hydrogen on a large scale. Frederik Braun, Researcher at KAPSARC KAPSARC is working with the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) to explore opportunities for Saudi Arabia in clean hydrogen development. Research efforts include large-scale technology deployment, demand markets, infrastructure usage and resource requirements. Frederik Braun, Researcher at KAPSARC The center is conducting a research project on the challenges and opportunities for Saudi Arabia in the future global hydrogen market. As part of this work, Dr. Jan Frederik Braun, a researcher in the climate and environment program, and Rami Shabaneh, a senior research associate in the markets and industrial development program, recently published a commentary that explores the future of clean hydrogen within and beyond the Kingdom. Braun told Arab News that hydrogen can help to “decarbonize” segments of the energy value chain, such as industrial process heating, heavy-duty and long-haul road transport, aviation and shipping. “Transport is the third-largest CO2-emitting sector in the Kingdom. Hydrogen produced from renewables-based electricity or natural gas is well-suited to decarbonize parts of the transport sector where fuel cell electric vehicles outperform battery electric vehicles, for example, in terms of shorter charging requirements. This applies to heavy-duty and long-distance transport vehicles like trucks and buses as well as high utilization light-duty vehicles like taxis,” he said. “In this context, NEOM recently announced a joint venture with Hyzon Motors and Modern Group Plan to supply 10,000 locally built, zero-emission commercial trucks for the GCC markets, of which Saudi Arabia is by far the largest,” he added. Shabaneh said that estimates of the future role of hydrogen depended on decarbonization policies. BNEF estimates hydrogen could contribute up to 24 percent of total energy demand if global warming is limited to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. By comparison, the Hydrogen Council estimates the gas will make up 18 percent of energy demand if global warming reaches 2 C by 2050. Meanwhile, BP estimates hydrogen to account for 7 percent and 16 percent of total final energy consumption in their rapid and net zero scenarios, respectively. “It would require comprehensive decarbonization measures, production cost reductions, and scaling up infrastructure and demand for hydrogen to play a significant role as a fuel,” Shabaneh added. Research efforts are being stepped up to explore how countries such as Saudi Arabia can increase production of clean hydrogen and create comparatively “low-cost, low-risk” markets for CO2-intensive sectors, such as transport. KAPSARC and KAUST, in cooperation with leading researchers around the world, are looking beyond the Kingdom to analyze how potential importing countries and regions, such as Japan and the EU, are achieving their hydrogen ambitions and what opportunities these hold for Saudi Arabia. Braun underlined the importance of strategic partnerships with significant importers, such as Germany, in producing, processing, applying and transporting clean hydrogen, including implementing mega-projects such as NEOM. Saudi Arabia is developing policies and regulatory instruments to drive technologies in hydrogen development to commercial readiness. “The Kingdom’s hydrogen ambitions could benefit immensely from scaling up production, cooperation, demand and infrastructure through clean hydrogen ‘hubs’ across the GCC. Saudi Arabia has the skills, infrastructure and resources to produce blue and green hydrogen on a large scale,” Braun said. “Hydrogen is one of many solutions to decarbonize and not the only solution. The scale for local use cases and exports will depend on the economics and the pace of development of the hydrogen economy in regions beyond the Middle East, especially in Europe, North America and Asia.” “In this way, Saudi Arabia and the other Gulf countries can build economies of scale and pool human, capital and technical resources cost-efficiently,” he added.

https://www.arabnews.com/node/1911321/media The man was taken to a nearby hospital, where he is in serious condition, LAPD Officer Mike Lopez said LOS ANGELES: A man was stabbed and a reporter was attacked Saturday at a protest against vaccine mandates on the south lawn of Los Angeles’ City Hall after a fight broke out between the protesters and counterprotesters, the Los Angeles Police Department and local media said. About 2 p.m., a group of people holding American flags and signs calling for “medical freedom” arrived at City Hall around 2 p.m. for the rally, the Los Angeles Times reported. Counterprotesters gathered nearby. About half an hour later, a fight broke out between the protesters and counterprotesters, the Times reported. The LAPD said on its Twitter account that it is “aware of 1 male that was stabbed & is being treated by LAFD,” referring to the Los Angeles Fire Department. The man was taken to a nearby hospital, where he is in serious condition, LAPD Officer Mike Lopez said. “No arrests have been made but investigation is on going,” the department tweeted. Counterprotesters could be seen spraying mace while members of the anti-vaccine rally screamed death threats, the Times reported. KPCC radio reporter Frank Stolze was seen walking out of the park near City Hall being screamed at by anti-mask protesters, the Times reported. One man was seen kicking him. Stolze told a police officer he had been assaulted while trying to conduct an interview, the Times reported.