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RIYADH: Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed Elkhereiji received US Ambassador to the Kingdom Michael Ratney in Riyadh on Tuesday.
During the meeting, the two sides discussed bilateral relations, ways of enhancing them and other issues of common concern, the Foreign Ministry reported on X. They also reviewed regional and international developments.
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Riyadh: The Arab world鈥檚 roots in detailed storytelling means that the region is well suited to making movies, according to Hussein Fakhri, chief commercial officer and executive producer for Katara Studios, and the latest guest on The Mayman Show.
Founded in 2018, the Doha-based production powerhouse is behind regionally iconic projects such as the fantasy short film 鈥淭he Lost Chapter of Kelileh & Demneh鈥 and the ceremonies for the 2022 FIFA Arab Cup.
鈥淪torytelling, I think, is in our DNA, as Arabs generally, right? We come from a long line of storytellers; it is really part of who we are,鈥 Fakhri said. 鈥淔or me, the sort of career advancement was very much evolutionary, organic, as I come from an advertising and marketing background.鈥
Before entering the world of filmmaking and immersive storytelling, Hussein started out in Dublin, Ireland, pioneering digital advertising in a market far from his cultural roots. Hussein left the marketing agency life and now leads Katara鈥檚 mission to produce bold, meaningful stories that resonate with a global audience with an unapologetically Arab perspective.
鈥淚 had my own advertising agency, and we had so much work that I had to found a film production company to be able to shoot our TV commercials,鈥 Fakhri said. 鈥淚 would hire filmmakers, and we started doing short films, more brand films and documentaries, and that just sort of evolved. I just love the craft, although I鈥檓 not a filmmaker myself, but I just love the business of it.鈥
Part of the work was instrumental in what eventually evolved into Katara Studios, founded by a group of talented filmmakers, he said. 鈥淲atching them work and watching the kind of stuff that they do 鈥 just the love for it grew, to be honest.鈥
The need for premium Arabic content that resonates with a global audience is the main driver for what Katara does creatively, he said.
鈥淲e have a huge audience. We have 500 million Arabic speakers. And we have very little premium content for them. There was a gap there that was spotted and an opportunity to be able to create premium content for this primary audience.鈥
The demand for premium Arabic content and the interest in Arabic culture made for a great recipe for success, he said.
鈥淲e also have a lot of people around the world that are very interested in our culture, are very interested in our part of the world. And I don鈥檛 think we鈥檝e given them enough content to engage with us, and that鈥檚 what we are trying to do, ultimately.鈥
With a culture as rich and layered as the Arab world鈥檚, authenticity is not simply a goal 鈥 it is a responsibility for Katara Studios projects, he said, as they aim to bring stories to life with depth, accuracy, and heart, even when they are infused with other styles of filmmaking.
Katara Studios is producing a fantasy Bedouin Western, and according to Fakhri, a balance for this genre experimentation and cultural authenticity is critical to telling a good story and being innovative without losing its Arab essence.
Asked how Bedouin storytelling could be showcased with this approach to experimental filmmaking, Fakhri said: 鈥淵ou know, I鈥檓 so glad you brought up that word because authenticity is the foundation for everything that we try to do. Genuinely, it has to be authentic. Because if it is not authentic 鈥 if you鈥檙e trying to please an audience just by throwing stuff in there 鈥 it shows every time.鈥
Authenticity required cultural integrity 鈥 such as maintaining dialect, accents, costumes and other small and important details in the presentation 鈥 and this would then reflect very positively to the film, he said.
鈥淵ou get every element of it right; it really comes through in the final product. So, we鈥檙e very careful to try to be as authentic as possible. And I think we鈥檝e done that with this project,鈥 Fakhri said.
RIYADH: King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre in Riyadh recently performed a rare Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty on a patient who had previously undergone a kidney transplant.
In a statement, KFSHRC said the operation was considered 鈥渢he first of its kind in the region.鈥
It required 鈥渕eticulous management of immunosuppressive medications and the prevention of any complications that could jeopardize the transplanted organ.
鈥淭his procedure marks a significant advancement in providing safe treatment solutions for transplant recipients, to improve their graft survival and quality of life.鈥
The ESG procedure differs from surgical sleeve gastrectomy in that it requires no abdominal incisions, which is important for transplant patients.
Instead, it uses an endoscope inserted through the mouth to suture the stomach internally, effectively reducing its volume and enabling the patient to lose weight and improve overall health.
The procedure was performed by a multidisciplinary team of experts led by Dr. Ehab Abufarhaneh, consultant in adult transplant gastroenterology and hepatology.
Abufarhaneh told Arab News: 鈥淧erforming endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty on a kidney transplant patient is exceptionally rare and complex due to the need to protect the transplanted organ while carefully managing immunosuppressive therapy.鈥
鈥淭his procedure provides a safe therapeutic option for transplant recipients, addressing a critical medical challenge and helping preserve graft function through a minimally invasive approach tailored to their condition,鈥 Abufarhaneh added.
The team included gastroenterologists, various transplant surgeons, anesthesiologists, and nursing staff.
In the statement, the hospital said it was 鈥渁dopting innovative techniques tailored to the unique needs of transplant patients and developing treatment protocols that address post-transplant challenges.鈥
The facility 鈥渞einforces its position as a regional referral hub for cases beyond the scope of conventional treatment pathways,鈥 and as a leading healthcare provider in the region.
It was fulfilling its vision of being the optimal choice for patients supported by an integrated ecosystem of education, research, and clinical excellence that aligns with Saudi Vision 2030, the hospital stated.
The hospital has been ranked by Brand Financing 2025 as first in the Middle East and North Africa, and 15th globally on the list of the world鈥檚 top 250 Academic Medical Centers for the third consecutive year.
Additionally, it was included in the World鈥檚 Best Smart Hospitals list for 2025 by Newsweek magazine.
RIYADH: The Hajj and Mutamer鈥檚 Gift Charitable Association (Hadiyah), based in Makkah, has launched the 鈥淟et Them Witness the Benefits鈥 to offer enriching experiences to pilgrims after completion of the Hajj rituals, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The program aims to build bridges of cultural and humanitarian engagement between pilgrims and Saudi society by hosting pilgrims in Saudi homes, where they experience traditional hospitality and learn about the Kingdom鈥檚 values, customs and traditions, fostering a sense of closeness and belonging.
The chairman of Hadiyah, Hatem Al-Marzouki, said that the program is one of several initiatives designed to create a lasting positive effect after Hajj by strengthening cultural and humanitarian ties between pilgrims and Saudi society.
鈥淗adiyah鈥檚 services go beyond hospitality, offering a comprehensive and unforgettable experience that reflects the human values of the Saudi people,鈥 he said.
Al-Marzouki said the program is part of an integrated system of high-quality initiatives aligned with the aspirations of Saudi leadership.
According to SPA, these initiatives aim to enhance the pilgrims鈥 experience and strengthen the Kingdom鈥檚 image as a global center for serving and caring for pilgrims, culturally and humanely.
RIYADH: A total of 420,070 workers from the public and private sectors, including security services, worked to serve 1,673,230 pilgrims during this year鈥檚 Hajj, the General Authority for Statistics has reported.
Of the number, 92 percent were male and 8 percent female, GASTAT said in its Hajj Statistics Publication carried by the Saudi Press Agency recently.
The publication said there were 34,540 male and female volunteers at the holy sites, contributing a total of 2,134,398 volunteer hours during the Hajj season.
It also stated that 314,337 male and female pilgrims from eight countries benefited from the Makkah Route Initiative this year, representing 20.9 percent of all pilgrims.
This initiative, launched during the 2017 Hajj season, aims to streamline travel procedures for pilgrims.
GASTAT announced earlier that of this year鈥檚 1,673,230 registered pilgrims, 1,506,576 arrived from abroad through various entry points. There were 166,654 citizens and residents who performed Hajj this year.
This year there were 877,841 male and 795,389 female pilgrims, the authority stated.
GASTAT said the statistics are based on records provided by the Ministry of Interior.
MAKKAH: A total of 1.87 million passengers used the Mashaer Metro Train to travel between Makkah鈥檚 holy sites during this year鈥檚 Hajj, according to 海角直播 Railways.
From Dhul Hijjah 7 (June 3) until the end of the Days of Tashreeq (June 9), there were 2,154 trips between the stations of Mina, Muzdalifah and Arafat, the railway agency said in a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency.
The operational plan for the Mashaer transport system during Hajj 2025 had five main phases, with the first one from June 3 to 4 transporting over 27,000 passengers across all stations.
The second phase moved 282,000 pilgrims from Mina to Arafat, the third transported 294,000 from Arafat to Muzdalifah, and the fourth moved over 349,000 from Muzdalifah to Mina.
鈥淭he final phase, which lasted until sunset on the last day of Tashreeq, recorded the movement of over 920,000 passengers to and from Mina 3 (Jamarat) station,鈥 the SPA said.
海角直播 Railways CEO Bashar AlMalik attributed the successful completion of the operational plan to extensive preparatory work, including simulation exercises and trial runs by the agency in coordination with operational and security agencies.
Also known as the Al-Mashaer Al-Mugaddasah Metro, or The Sacred Sites Train Line, it consists of nine stations across the holy sites, connected by an 18-km double-track railway. It can accommodate 72,000 passengers per hour in one direction.
Traveling at 80 km per hour, the train can move passengers from Mina to Arafat in just 20 minutes, giving pilgrims ease and comfort and allowing them to concentrate on their Hajj rituals.
Opened in 2010, the line is used exclusively as a shuttle train for pilgrims between holy sites in Makkah, Mina, Mount Arafat and Muzdalifah.
With a fleet of 17 eco-friendly electric trains, each capable of carrying 3,000 passengers, the metro system has reduced traffic congestion and carbon emissions by replacing about 50,000 passenger buses during the Hajj season.
