海角直播

Jeddah shines as 海角直播鈥檚 best city for quality of life, ranks second in Arab world

Jeddah has been placed 74th globally in the Quality of Life Index for 2025, according to data from Numbeo. (File/SPA)
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Jeddah has been placed 74th globally in the Quality of Life Index for 2025, according to data from Numbeo. (File/SPA)
Jeddah has been placed 74th globally in the Quality of Life Index for 2025, according to data from Numbeo. (File/Shutterstock)
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Jeddah has been placed 74th globally in the Quality of Life Index for 2025, according to data from Numbeo. (File/Shutterstock)
Jeddah has been placed 74th globally in the Quality of Life Index for 2025, according to data from Numbeo. (File/SPA)
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Jeddah has been placed 74th globally in the Quality of Life Index for 2025, according to data from Numbeo. (File/SPA)
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Updated 6 min 35 sec ago

Jeddah shines as 海角直播鈥檚 best city for quality of life, ranks second in Arab world

Jeddah has been placed 74th globally in the Quality of Life Index for 2025, according to data from Numbeo. (File/SPA)
  • Jeddah Municipality has completed landmark projects to reshape urban landscape

RIYADH: Jeddah has been placed 74th globally in the Quality of Life Index for 2025, according to data from Numbeo that enables users to view, share, and compare information about cities worldwide.

It is the highest-ranked city in 海角直播 and the second in the Arab world after Muscat, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday.

The achievement is attributed to continuous improvements in safety, healthcare, infrastructure development, the provision of modern public facilities, and the city鈥檚 commitment to transforming developmental ambitions into tangible realities that serve both residents and visitors.

Under the umbrella of the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing, and in line with the Quality of Life Program within Saudi Vision 2030, Jeddah Municipality has completed landmark projects that have helped to reshape the city鈥檚 urban landscape.

Among the most prominent projects are the coastal developments, which include five integrated waterfronts.

These areas feature walking and cycling paths, public squares, children鈥檚 play areas, and artistic sculptures, making the sea a part of the city鈥檚 daily life. Along the waterfronts, service facilities such as restaurants, cafes, rest areas, and piers allow visitors to explore the coastline up close.

鈥淛eddah has become more pedestrian-friendly, in my opinion. Also, there are now huge spaces across the city for outdoor activities,鈥 resident Hala Hussain told Arab News.

She added that these outdoor activities are ideal during the cooler months of the year.

Hussain added: 鈥淭he sea is part of our identity as Jeddawis, and seeing all these changes to accommodate our life near the sea makes us feel connected to nature.鈥

These projects include continuous beach maintenance programs which ensure cleanliness, protect the marine environment, and raise community awareness about the importance of preserving these spaces.

The municipality has also opened more than 445 parks spread across different neighborhoods, including specialized areas like Al-Saja Park, which features pathways and interconnected gardens and serves as a model for green space planning.

Prince Majid Park, the largest of its kind, spans over 130,000 sq. meters and boasts shaded walkways and family-friendly play areas, making it a gathering point for all generations.

Jeddah Municipality鈥檚 projects also focus on enhancing pedestrian pathways, installing modern lighting systems, and expanding sidewalks to increase comfort and safety.

These initiatives have encouraged residents to engage in physical activities and improved their daily mobility, while the municipality has also enhanced cleaning and maintenance programs. These include sidewalk and highway cleaning, removal of large amounts of waste, including unwanted concrete barriers, as well as the regulation of street vendors to ensure a healthy and safe urban environment.

The municipality has also invested in developing central areas by improving neighborhood centers, upgrading commercial and service facilities, and creating spaces for community activities.聽

Jeddah has adopted innovative waste management programs, including waste sorting at source, converting waste into resources, and monitoring pollution, which has positively impacted air quality and environmental comfort within the city.

With its balanced approach to coastal, public facility, and community service projects, Jeddah has shown itself to be both an economic and tourist hub, and stands as a living example of a good quality of life, in which natural environments seamlessly merge with infrastructure and services to offer a comprehensive urban experience that meets the needs of both residents and visitors.


Prince Faisal bin Salman heads meeting on Hajj and Two Holy Mosques History Project

Prince Faisal bin Salman heads meeting on Hajj and Two Holy Mosques History Project
Updated 29 September 2025

Prince Faisal bin Salman heads meeting on Hajj and Two Holy Mosques History Project

Prince Faisal bin Salman heads meeting on Hajj and Two Holy Mosques History Project

RIYADH: Prince Faisal bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Special Advisor to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and Board Chairman of Board of Directors of King Abdulaziz Foundation for Research and Archives (Darah), recently led the second meeting of the Supreme Supervisory Committee for the History of Hajj and the Two Holy Mosques Project.

The project aims to establish a comprehensive knowledge reference documenting the history of the Two Holy Mosques and the rituals of Hajj and Umrah across the ages, while recording major milestones in their service, state news agency SPA reported.

The undertaking also aligns with the national commitment to enhance Islamic content and preserving the historical memory of the Kingdom, SPA added.

Initially launched as a scholarly encyclopedia titled 鈥淓ncyclopedia of Hajj and the Two Holy Mosques,鈥 it later expanded into a pioneering national initiative known as the History of Hajj and the Two Holy Mosques Project.

The committee reviewed its agenda during the meeting, which included the announcement of the Historical Events in the Prophetic Biography: Perspectives on Investigation and Documentation Forum, which will be held in Madinah in conjunction with the Umrah Forum.

The aims to discuss plans to establish a permanent museum dedicated to the history of Hajj and the Two Holy Mosques.


鈥楥ommon security of Gulf under threat,鈥 warns Prince Turki Al-Faisal

鈥楥ommon security of Gulf under threat,鈥 warns Prince Turki Al-Faisal
Updated 54 min 14 sec ago

鈥楥ommon security of Gulf under threat,鈥 warns Prince Turki Al-Faisal

鈥楥ommon security of Gulf under threat,鈥 warns Prince Turki Al-Faisal
  • 鈥楶ariah state鈥 of Israel should not be given a free hand, says former intelligence chief

RIYADH: Prince Turki Al-Faisal, the former Saudi ambassador to the US and the UK, on Sunday warned that the security of Gulf states is under threat from a 鈥減ariah state鈥 following the recent Israeli attack on Qatar.

Prince Turki described Israel鈥檚 Sept. 9 aggression, when it targeted Hamas leaders in Qatar as they discussed a ceasefire agreement that would end the Israeli war on Gaza, as 鈥渢reacherous鈥 and called for Gulf states to rethink their approach to security as a result.

Speaking at the Dean of Ambassadors鈥 Gala Dinner marking the golden jubilee of Arab News at the Cultural Palace in Riyadh鈥檚 Diplomatic Quarter, Prince Turki said: 鈥淭he Gulf region is witness nowadays to an aggressively treacherous attack by Israel on the sovereignty of Qatar. This attack is a reminder to all countries of the Gulf that their common security is under threat by a pariah state that gives no regard to any law or rule governing international relations.鈥

He added: 鈥淭his attack is an eye-opener to question the credibility and reliability of alliances when threats come from Israel. This dictates our states to rethink the nature of threats and to rebuild their strategic policies to safeguard their security by all means to face such threats. Israel must not be allowed a free hand.鈥

While addressing Sunday鈥檚 event, Prince Turki reminisced about the establishment of Arab News, which he helped found back in 1975, and congratulated staff at the newspaper on its 50th anniversary.

In his speech, he also addressed the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and the role of the international community, particularly the US.

鈥淚 believe that no region in our world has felt the impact of the state of international uncertainty more than the greater Middle East region,鈥 he said. 鈥淲ho is to blame for this continued situation is an open question. However, while countries and leaders of the region bear a responsibility, the US bears the biggest share of this responsibility.

鈥淲e see the US descending from the role of honest broker to the role of the staunch ally of Israel. The blatant double standard practiced by the US in dealing with the Israeli occupation of Palestine and its recent genocidal war on Gaza and the West Bank are plainly witnessed not only by Arabs but by all peoples around the world.

鈥淚n order for President (Donald) Trump to be the peacemaker, as he wants to be, he should correct the past mistakes committed by the US to the peace and security of its friends and allies.鈥

Prince Turki welcomed the recent progress made toward the realization of a two-state solution, as a diplomatic push by 海角直播 and France yielded a series of recognitions of the Palestinian state by Western powers at last week鈥檚 UN General Assembly. And he hit back at accusations by the Israeli government and its supporters that recognition is a reward for Hamas and its Oct. 7 attacks.

鈥淎mong the many tropes faced by the Kingdom and France and all countries that recognized Palestine as a state is that this is a reward to Hamas. What a deceitful and evil assertion to deny Palestinian people their inalienable right to their own state,鈥 he said.

鈥淚t is the 80 years old Israeli colonial occupation of Palestine and denial of the Palestinian people their right to self-determination that rewards Hamas and other similar groups. Without the occupation, there will not be resistance to it.鈥

 

 


Arab News honors founders, announces plans for 50 languages

Arab News honors founders, announces plans for 50 languages
Updated 29 September 2025

Arab News honors founders, announces plans for 50 languages

Arab News honors founders, announces plans for 50 languages
  • 鈥淚t has been, for the last fifty years, the moderate voice and the shining image of 海角直播 in the English language,鈥 says Prince Turki Al Faisal

RIYADH: Arab News鈥 founding brothers Mohammad and the late Hisham Ali Hafez were honored at a gala held by the 海角直播鈥檚 Dean of Diplomatic Corps marking the Golden Jubilee of Arab News on Sunday.

In celebration for the landmark anniversary, a trophy was presented to renowned economist and columnist Talaat Hafiz by HRH Prince Turki Al-Faisal, Assistant Minister of Media Abdullah Al Maghlouth, Dean of the Diplomatic Corps Dya-Eddine Said Bamakhrama, the Ambassador of Djibouti and the paper鈥檚 current Editor-in-Chief Faisal Abbas.

Prince Turki recalled the establishment of the newspaper during the reign of his father, the late King Faisal, who recognized the importance of the idea and approved before his death in 1975. He told the story of the newspaper鈥檚 creation, which he himself, alongside the late Sheikh Kamal Adham and the Hafiz Brothers worked on at the time.

鈥淚t has been, for the last fifty years, the moderate voice and the shining image of 海角直播 in the English language. This long march of this newspaper was not possible without the dedication of all individuals working to make it a success story,鈥 he added.

During the evening, Abbas announced a major  development that the newspaper 鈥 which was established in 1975 as the first Saudi newspaper published in English 鈥 will be available in 50 languages in cooperation with leading AI-driven speech and translation tech company CAMB.AI.

鈥淭his means that our news, views and analysis will be available to over 6.5 billion people, or eighty percent of the world鈥檚 population,鈥 said Abbas. 

鈥淪tay tuned for the official announcement at the FIPP World Media Congress in Madrid, where Arab News will have a special session marking its anniversary on 22 October,鈥 he added while thanking owning group SRMG鈥檚 senior management, previous Arab News Editors in Chief and current team members for their outstanding contributions to get Arab News to where it is today. 

CAMB.AI, headed by Avneesh Prakesh, marks another regional success story that has gone global, with its latest presence at the renowned IBM conference in 2025 gaining traction. 

For his part, Abbas lauded the partnership as 鈥渙ne that will make the voice of a changing region, everyones voice for their changing regions,鈥 adding thanks to support from the SRMG 鈥 Arab News鈥 mother company 鈥 and its leadership.

The event was held at the Cultural Palace in Riyadh鈥檚 Diplomatic Quarter. During his remarks, Ambassador Bamakhrama 鈥 who hosted the evening 鈥 commended Arab News for successfully keeping pace with the digital and media transformation trends. 

鈥淎rab News has invested in news, information, and events in multiple languages鈥攏ot only to report them, but to transform them into a powerful diplomatic tool, thus creating a unique synergy between journalism and public diplomacy. Indeed, in our ever-changing digital world, media and diplomacy have become inseparable,鈥 he said.

鈥淭oday鈥檚 astute journalist understands that diplomacy is no longer the exclusive domain of ambassadors, it has become one of their daily tools, skillfully used to craft a responsible and impactful media narrative aimed at building bridges and fostering mutual understanding between nations,鈥 he added. 

Ambassador Dya also extended his thanks for Amsa Hospitality, Teeb Made and the Cultural Palace for their support in making the gala a memorable occasion. 

The event was attended by several notable ambassadors to Saudi Arabis, as well as big wigs within the regional media scene 鈥攊ncluding Princess Lamia bint Majeed Al Saud, CEO of the Rotana Media Group and the Secretary General of AlWaleed Philanthropies, CNN  VP and Arabic Editor-in-Chief Caroline Faraj, SRMG Chief Operating Officer Saleh Al Dowais, among many others, with Arab News鈥 Deputy Editor Noor Nugali as the Master of Ceremonies for the evening.

The evening鈥檚 guests were also greeted with a special performance by Sawsan Bahiti 鈥 海角直播鈥檚 first opera singer.


Arab Red Crescent and Red Cross Organization Secretary General receives Arab Tourism Organization chief

Bandar bin Fahd Al-Fuhaid (L) Abdullah bin Suhail Al-Muhaidli in Riyadh. (Supplied)
Bandar bin Fahd Al-Fuhaid (L) Abdullah bin Suhail Al-Muhaidli in Riyadh. (Supplied)
Updated 28 September 2025

Arab Red Crescent and Red Cross Organization Secretary General receives Arab Tourism Organization chief

Bandar bin Fahd Al-Fuhaid (L) Abdullah bin Suhail Al-Muhaidli in Riyadh. (Supplied)
  • The cooperation agreement signed between the two sides includes fostering sustainable relief and tourism

RIYADH: Secretary-General of the Arab Red Crescent and Red Cross Organization Abdullah bin Suhail Al-Muhaidli received President of the Arab Tourism Organization Bandar bin Fahd Al-Fuhaid in Riyadh.

During the reception, they discussed aspects of cooperation, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday. 

The cooperation agreement signed between the two sides includes fostering sustainable relief and tourism, promoting the digital economy, developing joint initiatives, and enhancing the security of tourism facilities.

 


KSrelief undertakes new food and medical initiatives in Africa

KSrelief undertakes new food and medical initiatives in Africa
Updated 28 September 2025

KSrelief undertakes new food and medical initiatives in Africa

KSrelief undertakes new food and medical initiatives in Africa

DUBAI: The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) has launched and concluded several major relief initiatives across Africa this week, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
In Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, KSrelief inaugurated a large-scale food security support project designed to help the country鈥檚 most vulnerable communities.
SPA reported that the program will distribute 38,900 food baskets, each weighing 40 kilograms and containing essential food items, reaching approximately 233,400 individuals across multiple regions.
The initiative forms part of 海角直播鈥檚 pledge to support the Lake Chad region, a commitment made during the 2024 Jeddah Donors' Conference. 
Meanwhile, in Nouakchott, Mauritania, KSrelief successfully concluded a voluntary cardiac surgery and catheterization mission held from September 18 to 25.
According to SPA, an 18-member volunteer medical team performed 28 open-heart surgeries, 95 cardiac catheterization procedures, and three transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) operations.
In North Kordofan State, Sudan, KSrelief also distributed 1,400 food baskets in Sheikan locality, the effort is a continuation of 海角直播鈥檚 long-standing humanitarian assistance in Sudan.