Premier Magazine PH Vol. 1.11 KSA Special Issue

Pr emier SAPERE AUDE ISSN2799-0702 Vol. 1

NOVEM BER, 2021 KSA ISSUE

ABOUT THE COVER Elyseria is a 25th-century female astronaut ? a fictive character, imagined by Lita Albuquerque ? with a mission to teach about the stars and their related fields of astronomy and navigation. The story begins with her arrival on the planet in the year 6000 BC, when she immediately loses sight of her objective. As she struggles to remember, she reconnects with a mysterious group called the Star Keepers, the guardians of the stars.

The narrative is particularly potent in AlUla, with the region?s long connection to astronomy. The sculpture sits atop a bolder in the hidden valley, amid a special arrangement that reflects the alignment of stars overhead on January 31, 2020, at the exact moment of the opening ceremony, at 26.5503 degrees N, 37.9679 degrees E. https:// desertx.org/ dx/ desert-x-alula/ lita-albuquerque

DESERT X ALULA 2020 Blending Ar t, Natur e and Hum anity

by Lita Albuquer que"NAJM A" (She Placed One Thousand Suns Over the Tr anspar ent Over lays of Space)

IN THIS ISSUE

W hat makes your count ry great ? This is t he quest ion I asked our team of young, all-female, creat ive group from t he Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. According to t he Saudi Embassy, KSA is t he world's largest producer and exporter of oil, and has one-quarter of t he world's know n oil reserves ? more t han 260 billion barrels.

Most are located in t he Eastern Province, including t he largest onshore field in Ghaw ar and t he largest offshore field at Safaniya in t he Arabian Gulf.

OPEC records indicate t hat It is t he 14t h largest count ry in t he world, covering around t wo million square kilometers, making it t he second-largest OPEC Member Count ry. The oil and gas sector account s for about 50 percent of gross domest ic product , and about 70 percent of export earnings. Apart from pet roleum, t he Kingdom?s ot her nat ural resources include nat ural gas, iron ore, gold, and copper.

W hile all t hese dat a prove to show t he st rong economic st at us of KSA, t here is more to t heir land t han just oil. In t his issue, we w ill show a different side to t he Arab land as Saudi women tell about t heir homeland from t heir perspect ive. We read and consume informat ion around t he world w rit ten by non-resident s, t his t ime, we opened our plat form for women to w rite about t hings t hat inspire t hem. We hope you enjoy our powerhouse issue t his November.

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ART AND CULTURE

Photo source for the full feature :https://www.experiencealula.com/

by Anhar Alnem r i

A HOST OF LARGE-SCALE I NSTALLATI ONS HAVE BEEN BUI LT AM I DST THE CANYONS OF THE AL ULA DESERT I N SAUDI ARABI A THAT REFLECT THE LANDSCAPE AND I TS HERI TAGE FOR THE RETURNI NG DESERT X EXHI BI TI ON. PREVI OUSLY LOCATED I N THE CALI FORNI AN DESERT, I N THE AREA KNOW N FOR HOSTI NG THE ANNUAL COACHELLA M USI C FESTI VAL, DESERT X AL ULA I S THE FI RST SI TE-RESPONSI VE EXHI BI TI ON OF I TS KI ND IN SAUDI ARABI A.

AL ULA A LAND RICH IN HISTORICAL, GEOLOGICAL AND GEOGRAPHICAL SIGNIFICANCE, THIS ANCIENT CITY, ONCE AT THE CROSSROADS OF THE SILK ROAD AND THE INCENSE ROUTE, HAS ONLY RECENTLY BEEN REDISCOVERED BY THE WORLD.

MADA'IN SALEH, AL ULA. TOMB OF LIHYAN, SON OF KUZA.

This has to be the most iconic image of the Nabateans in Saudi Arabia. It is stunning. It is the only tomb that sits alone, magnificent but unfinished. New this year is a simple wooden walkway that sits just above the ground. It keeps your feet dry when it rains but also creates a regal approach to this wonderful place. As with the other tombs, it is open during winter at the Tantora festival for another week then it is due to reopen at the end of the year.

ALULA IS A PLACE OF EXTRAORDINARY HUMAN AND NATURAL HERITAGE.

For t housands of years, nort hwest Saudi Arabia at t ract ed people who came t o t ake advant age of t he abundant resources offered by it s fert ile oases. AlUla was one of t hem, and became a vit al crossroads along t he famous incense-t rading rout es running from sout hern Arabia, nort h int o Egypt , and beyond. W it h oases dot t ing t he area, it offered a much-needed respit e for weary t ravelers, becoming a popular place t o rest , commune and recharge.

THIS M AGICAL PLACE HOLDS SECRETS TO BE DISCOVERED. AlUla w as also t h e capit al of t h e an cien t k in gdom s of Dadan an d Lih yan , w h ich con t r olled t h e car avan t r ade. Hegr a, a UNESCO Wor ld Her it age Sit e, w as t h e pr in cipal sou t h er n cit y of t h e Nabat aean k in gdom , f am ed f or it s spect acu lar m on u m en t al t om bs. Today, Old Tow n AlUla is an aban don ed labyr in t h of st r eet s t igh t ly pack ed t o cr eat e a def en sive w all, an d seem in gly bu ilt over an an cien t set t lem en t .

Falling Ston

Falling Stones Garden is a reflection of Ibrahim?s conceptual art practice and his distinctive land artworks, inspired by a lifelong relationship with the environment of Khorfakkan UAE.

nes Garden

Falling Stones Garden is a site-specific installation composed of 320 sculptures that vary in size and hue, inspired by the natural rockfall at the base of the sandstone cliffs surrounding the exhibition valley in AlUla.

Glimpses of the Past

Alghamdi?s inst allat ion consist s of approximat ely 6000 t in dat e cont ainers of different sizes, laid out across 80 met ers against t he t errain of AlUla. The art work is an ode t o AlUla?s agricult ural wealt h; it s plent iful palm t ree groves t hat have fueled t he area?s t rade for generat ions and t he springs of wat er t hat have sust ained t hem.

The experience of t he art work t ransforms it t o t he point t hat it ceases t o be about dat e farming at all and appears as an organic part of t he landscape. It awakens a deep sense of nost algia as t he mount ains and sky reflect s off t he shiny surfaces of t he cont ainers and mirrors wit hin.

Now You See Me, Now You Don?t, are the words that a humble puddle in the desert of Saudi Arabia would say to any of her curious visitors. The puddle is only ever here for a brief moment, formed as if by accident. This will never be its permanent home.

The encounter with the unexpected puddle can suggest and carry a tremendous amount of information. It also instigates a range of ideas, thoughtsthat can disappear at any given moment.

AlDowayan presentsa set of puddle-like installationsdesigned to last for a few months; they do not belong to thislandscape, and yet they appear, paused, contained, existing in the crevicesof the AlUla rock.

Now You See Me, Now You Don't

eL Seed's Mirage sculpture takes inspiration from Al Ula's ancient trade routes. The installation by French-Tunisian artist eL Seed, for instance, was informed by the ancient trade routes that formerly ran through the Al Ula desert. The work itself sits on site of what once was an oasis.

A Concise Passage In times gone by, travelers in trading caravans found refuge in AlUla, its natural rock formations providing shelter from the elements, a place for respite, as well as protection from the raiders and highwaymen of the desert.

Considering these compositional elements of trade histories, AlShashai playfully employs two distinctive symbols of ?civilization?and ?commerce?? one ancient and one modern.The pyramid has been a subject of fascination and study across various different fields for centuries, such as architecture, engineering, science, and spirituality.

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"The empowerment of women and yout h is key to achieving grow t h and sust ainabilit y."

- Crow n Prince, Mohammed bin Salman KSA

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Fir st Sau di w om en t o t r ain as air t r af f ic con t r oller s in a f or eign cou n t r y gr adu at e in Palm er st on , NZ. Hat oon Alot aibi, lef t , Deem a Seddiq, Reem Gar w an ar e t h e f ir st Sau di Ar abian w om en t o t r ain abr oad as air t r af f ic con t r oller s f or t h e Kin gdom ?s Gen er al Au t h or it y of Civil Aviat ion . A f ou r t h w om an , M ar am Al-Haw it i, r et u r n ed h om e bef or e t h eir gr adu at ion cer em on y last Ju n e.

Source: stuff.co.nz Saudi women are currently going through a golden period due to the great changes that began in the past few years and until today, which serves to activate their role in society much more than before.

Saudi society has a deeper view of the role of women in society in the past, and it is not enough to explain the differences between the past and current status of women in Saudi Arabia, in a few words.

The decision to empower women in Saudi Arabia coincided with the launch of Vision 2030, as women in Saudi Arabia received wide attention from the government and society in general. This is by placing women?s participation in the development of the country as a goal that must be achieved. With this, women in Saudi Arabia have made every effort to prove their worth as an effective party in society, taking the country to the top and keeping pace with the vision of the Saudi future, the vision of 2030 in terms of developing and raising the quality level of society further.

Every Road Leads to the Whole World The changing paths of women in Saudi Arabia

by Sara AB

Today, Saudi women have become effective partners in national development in all its economic, social, scientific, cultural, and other fields.

Saudi women have been able to enter the labor market through initiatives undertaken by government agencies to enable them to work in civil services and enhance their leadership role, also contribute to increasing the participation rate of women in all government sectors and at all functional levels by investing their energies and capabilities, expanding their work options and giving them roles to ensure equal opportunities for both genders.

The new decisions related to empowerment made it possible to give women new opportunities and powers that were not available in the past. One of these opportunities was the decision to allow women to drive cars in Saudi Arabia.

The issue was taken on a grander scale by public opinion for Saudi society since Saudi Arabia was the only country where women did not drive cars.

The King of Saudi Arabia, Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, gave women the right to drive on September 26th, 2017 . The decision included the issuance of driver 's license to women on June 24th, 2018. Finally, on June 4th of the same year, the first driver ?s license was issued to a Saudi woman.

The Kingdom since then issued many decisions that extend support to the empowerment of women at various levels and this historic initiative is part of the country?s 2030 vision, which is keen to gender inclusivity by giving more leadership positions to and celebrating their contributions to society.

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Every day, a new Saudi woman proves the efficiency of the female community in developing their country.

These are some of the many achievements of Saudi women : The Saudi ambassador to the United States, Princess Reem bint Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz, began her diplomatic mission, becoming the first female ambassador to represent Riyadh abroad.

The appointment of Dr. Haya, Undersecretary for Educational Affairs in the Ministry of Education, As the first female citizen to hold this position in the history of ministries.

Dr. Hayat Sindi, the first Saudi researcher, and scientist to hold the position of Goodwill Ambassador for Science at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), has many outstanding contributions and achievements in the field of science, medicine, and technology.

The Head of the Ophthalmology Department at King Faisal Hospital, Professor Salwa Al-Hazaa, is one of the most prominent women in her field of specialization.

From these successes of Saudi women, their abilities as an active partner in building and developing the nation are evident, and an image that speaks of a great history of achievements about the extent of Saudi women?s worth in various fields.

This is what gives the greatest impetus to the next generation, so that the goal of developing the country is clear to them.

There is no longer a difference between women and men.

Everyone who lives within this land is an active and important member in the process of developing this country.

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About the Writer Sara Balhareth has a passion for the art of Language. With a Bachelor's Degree in Languages and Translation from Najran University, she also has a background in Entrepreneurship.

Adah

f r om a Beau t if u l Place

by Weam Fageer a, Ph .D. Photo art courtesy of falling-walls.com

Professor Adah Almutairi is a renowned ambitious Saudi scientist and entrepreneur with expertise in nanotechnology. Her highly interdisciplinary work combining materials chemistry, polymer science, and nanotechnology made her a rising star in her field. Dr. Almutairi had published over 60 articles in different journals with high impact factors. According to google scholar metrics, her work was cited -by other scholars- over 4000 times. She is currently a faculty member at the University of California in San Diego (UCSD) and the General Director of the Center of Excellence in Nanomedicine and Engineering (CNME) at the Institute of Medical Engineering at the UCSD.

Fam ily an d ch ildh ood: Professor Almutairi was born to Saudi parents in 1976, in Portland, Oregon, U.S. When she was in grade one, the family had to be relocated to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia as her father had completed his studies there.

She was raised in a family that support learning and education which was fertile soil for her drive and motivation. Her mother was a teacher and her father was a police investigator who studied criminology and justice administration in Portland. Her parents instilled in her and her four siblings (3 brothers and 1 sister) the principle of responsibility and grow on them at young ages the belief that they should seek to make an impact on humans?lives.

Edu cat ion : Prof. Adah had completed her primary and secondary educations in Jeddah where she excelled in science, math, and sport. After high school, she applied for Medicine at King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah but her application was rejected. However, this did not despair her. She decided to work as an English teacher in a private school for one year till she was able to secure a scholarship from Occidental College in Los Angeles. So, she moved back to the U.S. to pursue her higher education.

In 2000, Prof. Almutairi earned her bachelor ?s degree in chemistry from Occidental College. She had then completed her postgraduate education at the University of California, Riverside where she obtained her doctorate in 2005. Her Ph.D. thesis was focusing on electron delocalization and molecular structure, in which she developed a novel polymer for electromechanical actuation.

Then, she did her postdoctoral studies between 2005-2008 at the University of California, Berkeley. After her post-doc, she joined the Centre for Excellence in Nanomedicine and Engineering at the UCSD.

Aw ar ds an d Recogn it ion : Dr. Almutairi holds 10 patents in her field. Along with many inventions, she successfully introduced the polymeric nano-capsule that can pinpoint inflammations within the human body and release drugs to treat them using a laser. This invention had shown success in treating eye diseases and rheumatoid arthritis. In addition, as it says ?necessity is the mother of invention?, Dr. Almutairi?s pregnancy weight motivated her to invent a technology that aims to melt fat rather than break it up by injecting nanoparticles into the fatty area. Then using laser light, the fat could be melted and can simply suck out with a thin needle.

Her inventions and excellence were recognized at different venues. In 2009, she won a new innovator award from the National Institutes of Health, which is a prestigious award that aims to encourage highly innovative research. In the same year, she had also received the Thieme Chemistry Journal Award and PhRMA Foundation Award. In 2012, her nano-capsule invention was selected by the US Congress as one of the four most important inventions in the country that year as well as receiving the Young Investigator Award at the World Biomaterials Congress. in Chengdu, China. In 2016, she had won PhRMA Foundation Award, the Young Investigator Award, and was a Kavli Fellow for the US National Academy of Sciences. And recently this year, she was named as one of the world?s Top 10 Influential Female Engineers on the Forbes list.

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Abou t t h e Wr it er Weam Fageer a h as a Ph D. in Hu m an Gen et ics at M cGill Un iver sit y, M on t r eal, Can ada; com plet ed M Sc. in Hu m an Gen et ics at t h e sam e u n iver sit y; sh e t ook Academ ic En glish as a Secon d Lan gu age at Algon qu in College, Ot t aw a, Can ada af t er f in ish in g h er Bach elor of Applied M edical Scien ces in Labor at or y M edicin e at Um m Al-Qu r a Un iver sit y, M ak k ah , Sau di Ar abia.

Sh e is cu r r en t ly a visit in g Post doct or al Fellow f or Tr an slat ion al Gen om ics at Kin g Faisal Specialist Hospit al & Resear ch Cen t er (Gen . Or g.) - Riyadh

PURE ART AND SOUL A conversat ion w it h Master Art ist Majid Alyousef

by Hessa Aldossary

Body

Source and photos : https://majidalyousef.com/

y text

The Room Of The Emirates, The United Nations building in Geneva ?My work draw s you into your ow n logic-making facult ies. My forms invite you into a formless expanse of possibilit ies and t ransmut at ions.

Calligraphic qualit y is premised on t he aest het ics of t he form.

My let ters are not meant to be funct ional, not designed for reading; but ambiguous, agendered, and democrat ic. It is intent ional to make you un-see cert ain pat terns.?

- Majid Alyousef PremierMagazinePH

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Quilling Art . A collaboration with wristwatch brand, D1 Milano. The limited-edition ?Khaleeji? wristwatch 2020, featuring the word ?Freedom? in Arabic calligraphy and a new set of digits inspired by the classical beauty of calligraphy and presented in a simple? masterful and abstract form by Master Artist Majid Alyousef.

First , let us t hank you for accommodat ing our request s. We are more t han honored to have you grace t he pages of our magazine.

As a world-renow ned art ist , how is your childhood like? At w hat point in your life did you realize t hat you w ill become a great art ist ?

Thank you very much for having me in your magazine. it's a big pleasure.

I was born and lived my early childhood in Iraq, as my late father was working there, during that time life was not as easy due to the war in the 80s and early 90s. yet, I had this inclination toward art since my early years, started with painting and drawing then calligraphy when I entered the school and learned how to write. in the beginning, though my handwriting was very bad and it was one of the reasons that pushed me to discover calligraphy.

I was experimenting with different tools and types of cheap inks and paper in the beginning since it was extremely difficult to find proper calligraphy and art equipment in general.

I continued practicing and learning with a lot of support from my parents and school teachers and during my teen years, I managed to get a good grasp on the skillset and basic knowledge that calligraphy demands. Later on, we moved to Jordan and eventually to Saudi when I had more time to focus on my practice and develop my skills in the field as well as studying design and learning more about art history.

Some of t he project s you worked on include t he w all art inst allat ion for t he Room of t he Emirates at t he UN building in Geneva, The Horse Museum in Saudi Arabia, The Museum of Islamic Art in Doha; t hese are just a few of your amazing masterpieces; how is your creat ive process like? Do you have a usual w ay of coming up w it h an idea? Different art ist s have different w ays, w hat is uniquely yours?

There is a general design-inspired approach I use and I think it is common among calligraphers, I start with analyzing the words or letters that are required to compose the artwork I make sketches, modify letters or parts of letters, rescale them and look at them from different angles and try to be very abstract so I can discover any visual cues or forms that can help me in the design. the process in reality is rather messy and has no specific path because sometimes it can open a door to a new territory and instead of the original path I find myself discovering a new creative opportunity. this way of approaching artwork seems to be very effective and it usually results in man options of interpreting an artwork. but as it is contextual, it may in some cases stuck or suffer from creative block and require revisiting in another time with a fresh eye.

In some projects the content of the project itself or the brand it presents offers an inspirational path then the calligraphy will be manipulated to work in tune with the creative environment provided by the project brief or idea.

Photo courtesy of antidotedxb.com

Do you have an art ist t hat inspired you grow ing up? W hat can you say about t he new breed of art ist s today? W ho do you t hink has t he potent ial to make it big in t he field you are in among t he upcoming ones?

There are many artists or schools that I find inspirational, I appreciate the technicalities and mastery of renaissance and baroque artists, the daring approaches of the impressionists, as well as the philosophies of cubists, futurists, and constructivists.

Design as well, is a very important factor in my continuous learning experience.

From the names, I always remember, Mondrian, Miro, Picasso/ Braque duo, Boccioni, Tullio Crali, Malevich, Keith Harring, Herb Lubalin, Fernand Léger, and others As for the current situation, I think we are at the beginning of a new era with art in the middle east and it's still very early to distinguish names but hopefully, a new promising generation is upcoming if art education is taken seriously and properly with the right people in the right positions.

For our readers w ho are not from Arab count ries, can you please give us a background on your kind of art and can t his be learned even if a person isn't born into t he cult ure?

Sure, Arabic calligraphy is a diverse and intricate form of art. it's actually a mixture of art and craftsmanship. the various styles and complex forms that can be achieved make it very attractive to any visual art enthusiast. that's why we have many practitioners at different levels who don't come from Arabic backgrounds and don't speak the language and they come from all around the world like Japan, China, Spain, Germany, England, and the USA. in fact, Turkish calligraphers especially during the Ottoman period were the most contributing to the development of Arabic calligraphy along with Persian artists, yet Arabic was not their native language.

A new collaboration with the talented artist and architect @annachiara_creations ?LOVE?in Arabic is presented by an intricate quilling art mastery.

Early in 2019 NASDAQ celebrated Arabic Language day by displaying a select ion of art pieces on t heir giant screen at Times Square in New York. it w as t he first t ime such a display of Arabic Calligraphy t akes place on t he giant screen.

The show feat ured four art works t hat presented Calligraphy in a modern and dynamic st yle.

The Art of Master Artist Majid Alyousef

.Jumeirah Group developed a fleet of luxury buggies to t ransport it s guest s around t he various locat ions of Jumeirah hotels. One of t he vehicles feat ured a diamond shape Arabic calligraphy art work t hat is composed of t he t hree fingers salute, w hich w as invented by His Highness t he Ruler of Dubai.

The mastery of your art came w it h t he t ime you spent learning and creat ing, w hat are your t hought s on AI technology and t he concept of replicat ing art t hrough machines?

AI is definitely revolutionizing the art scene. The idea depends on which stage of AI we talk about. it may change the whole understanding of art in the future when the machine becomes more creative and powerful without human interaction.

I think replicating art has to push the practice to be more about coming up with ideas, making connections, and meaning. maybe a new challenge for conceptual artists and other groups of artists who may like to experiment with the conceptual realm.

Currently though, I think the usage of AI in the art can be very exciting and beneficial since we have more control over the machine.

We believe t hat art has to connect to a person to be able to appreciate it . Is your art for everyone or do you regard your work only for t hose w it h expanded minds and vision?

Art speaks sometimes to different levels or can be understood from different perspectives. in my field, calligraphy is generally appreciated by many due to the visual stimuli and words, the meaning behind the word, and the form it takes. the fact that it represents words expands its reachability. at the same time, it speaks to smaller groups of people with the intricacy and mastery as it shows the quality of skills it requires.

You have great ideas on infusing old w it h t he new w hen it comes to your art , did you have second t hought s about changing t he norm part icularly in Calligraphy?

Actually, I was going in that direction since the very early stages. when I was learning classical calligraphy I had this idea in the back of my head that calligraphy can be a very active form of abstract art. I wasn't mature enough though to come up with proper work at that age, the motive behind it continued with persistence until I grew up and learned more about art then started carving my way with letters and abstraction. now I use calligraphy in its original traditional form, in typography and design, as well as abstract painting, sculpture, and products.

W hat are your fut ure plans on personal and professional aspirat ions should t here be anyt hing left undone?

I see the art journey as a learning process, there is always a new thing to learn, a new idea to explore, and more to do along the way. currently, I am studying the potential of calligraphy as an architectural and environmental design element. I try to come up with new ways of presenting objects and sculptures influenced by calligraphic shapes and calligraphy spirit.

The world is t ransit ioning, do you see art going in t he same direct ion?

Of course. art is a reflection of social, political, and economical change. it carries with it all the positive and negative aspects of these components.

W hen we asked our team to make a list of w hat makes KSA great , your name w as part of it . W hat are your part ing message to t he global cit izens and aspiring art ist s w ho w ant to become as successful as you are?

I am humbled to be mentioned in this context.

For the new and aspiring artists, always be curious and search for knowledge, learn new skills, read, play and experiment. be in continuous dialogue with your inner child.

Don't forget also the technical and economical side of art, it has an important, vital business side, and they should learn enough about that too.

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Photo source: aramco.life

A N A N C I EN T A RT an d t h e T ai f Ro ses

by An h ar Al n em r i Tr aci n g i t s r oot s back t o t h e Gol den Age of I sl am , Tai f r oses ar e i n t er t w i n ed i n I sl am i c cu l t u r e i n m an y w ays m ost n ot abl y i n t h e t w i ce-year l y cer em on i al w ash i n g of t h e h ol y Kaaba i n t h e Gr an d M osqu e of M ecca. Th e i n si de i s cl ean ed w i t h cl ot h s soak ed w i t h a speci al m i x t u r e of Zam zam w at er an d r ose oi l . Th e h i st or y of h ow oi l w as f i r st ex t r act ed f r om r oses i s f asci n at i n g. Th e f i r st descr i pt i on of t h e pr ocess w as by t h e n i n t h -cen t u r y ph i l osoph er Al -Ki n di ; on e of t h e ear l y ch em i st s, h e w r ot e a book en t i t l ed - Th e Book of Ch em i st r y of Per f u m e an d Di st i l l at i on s.

I n t h e ear l y days, Tai f 's r ose pet al s w er e col l ect ed an d seal ed i n t o sack s f or t r an spor t by cam el 65k m dow n t o t h e h ol y ci t y of M ecca. Th er e, I n di an ph ar m aci st s di st i l l ed At t ar oi l f r om t h em , u si n g pr ocesses u n l i k e w h at i s u sed t oday.

Abou t 200 year s ago t h e di st i l l er s br ou gh t t h ei r cr af t t o Tai f i t sel f . Her e, cl oser t o t h e r ose f i el ds, t h e m an u f act u r er of r ose oi l w as m u ch m or e ef f i ci en t , as t h e vol at i l e r ose oi l s evapor at e r api dl y af t er h ar vest . Soon af t er t h e est abl i sh m en t of t h ese di st i l l er i es, Tai f r ose oi l began t o w i n accl ai m f r om al l over t h e w or l d. Today i t i s k n ow n as on e of t h e f i n est i n t h e Wor l d.

Th er e ar e h u n dr eds of f ar m s gr ow i n g t h ese w on der f u l r oses. Not al l h ave t h ei r ow n di st i l l er i es bu t sel l t o t h ose t h at do. Th e season i s sh or t , ar ou n d 6 w eek s f r om M ar ch t o Apr i l . M an y pr odu ct s ar e m ade f r om t h e At t ar an d r ose w at er . Per f u m es, m oi st u r i zer s, f ace cr eam s, t h e l i st i s en dl ess, su ch i s t h e pu r e pr oper t i es of t h e r ose oi l .

W h at a gl or i ou s si gh t , Tai f r oses, f r esh l y pi ck ed. Th e sm el l i s i n t ox i cat i n g A sm al l n u m ber of f ar m s h ave st ar t ed pi ck i n g r oses, w i t h m an y m or e t o f ol l ow i n t h e n ex t cou pl e of w eek s. Th e season w i l l con t i n u e w el l i n t o Apr i l .

For cen t u r i es t h e oi l -r i ch 30 pet al dam ask r ose (Rosa dam ascen a t r i gi n t i pet al a) h as been cu l t i vat ed h er e an d pr ocessed i n t o pr eci ou s At t ar of r oses (oi l ) an d r ose w at er . No on e i s cer t ai n h ow t h i s r ose cam e t o Tai f . Du e t o i t s cl ose r esem bl an ce t o t h e f am ou s Bu l gar i an k azan l i k r ose i t h as been su ggest ed t h at i t w as br ou gh t t o Tai f f r om t h e Bal k an s by Ot t om an Tu r k s, w h o occu pi ed t h e ar ea f r om t h e 14t h cen t u r y. How ever , t h e k azan l i k r ose,w h ose n am e m ean s 'su i t abl e f or t h e (di st i l l er s) k et t l e', h as i t s or i gi n s i n t h e Per si an r ose pl an t at i on s ar ou n d Sh i r az an d Kash an , w h i ch i n t u r n su ppl i ed t h e f i el ds i n Syr i a.

Th at i s w hy som e bel i eve i t i s cal l ed a Dam ask Rose, du e t o i t s l i n k s w i t h Dam ascu s. W h at a w on der f u l h i st or y t h i s l ovel y r ose h as.

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Th i s ph ot o en capsu l at es t h e i n f i n i t e l ove of r oses i n Tai f . Th ey ar e par t of t h e f abr i c of t h e com m u n i t y; par t of t h ei r h i st or y an d cu l t u r e passed on f r om gen er at i on t o gen er at i on . Ph ot o by Al dgel bi

There are hundreds of rose farms in the Taif area - Wadi M ehrim, Al Hada, and Ash Shafa and during the rose season (M arch - April) they are a sea of pink.

Photo source: https://www.czechandspeake.com/

Luxur y per fum er y Henr y Jacques launched a gulf-inspir ed scent honor ing His Highness the late Sheikh Zayed in a lim ited edition r elease in 2019.

An Evening in Taif ? nam ed after the Saudi Ar abian city know n for its r ich species of r oses ? w as at one tim e par t of His Highness?per sonal collection. It w as r eleased for a lim ited tim e to celebr ate the gulf her itage of olfactor y thr ough a scent of the infused spiced opening of Rose, a honey and vanilla cor e, and jasm ine and am ber scented tr ail to cr eate a subtle, yet sw eet or iental fr agr ance.

An Evening in Taif is housed in a hand-cr afted cr ystal flacon of w hich only 100 has been distr ibuted.

- Architectural Digest M iddle East

S cents and S ensibilities

Th e n u m ber of pr odu ct s m ade f r om r oses ar e i n cr easi n g ever y year .

Th an k s t o t h e devel opi n g i n du st r y an d n ew t ech n ol ogi es. Th ey h ave ver y di f f er en t pr i ces depen di n g u pon t h e n et di st i l l at e con cen t r at i on . Th e pu r est r ose per f u m e i s t h e m ost ex pen si ve at 1,500 SR f or 10 m l t h an i n descen di n g or der of pr i ces, pu r e r ose w at er f or sk i n , r ose w at er t o dr i n k ; t h en sh am poos an d st er i l i zer s.

Traditional Al-Majrour folklore performer admiring the beauty of the roses. Both are a very important part of Taif's history and culture. Photo by Aldgelbi

Hidden in the oldest city, Taif in Saudi Arabia, this Arabian Damask rose is a rare and precious discovery.

The rose possesses a powerful and sophisticated fragrant scent that entices the senses. Nature has created an alluring and captivating aromatic oil that is considered the best in the M iddle East. The exotic Saudi-Arabian rose is the true heart of the scent; this unique combination is truly a masterpiece.

ROSE DE TAIF Like a true gem of the alluring aroma, Rose de Taif is a harmonized accord with an accent on the light floral scent purely of rose and a few complimenting raw materials that highlight the true romance of her elegant beauty. This unique combination will hypnotize your senses and others around you. https://perrismontecarlo.com/our-collections/rose-de-taif-black-collection/

A peek inside the Al shiokh factory of Taif roses by the Alnemri family.

Photos courtesy of the writer.

About the writer Anhar Alnemri loves languages, fashion, and concept art.

Her feature article on the Taif Roses is also part of their family business. No one could tell the story of the roses best but the people who grow them.

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M ak k ah

by Sar a AB

The city that is full of spir ituality and bear ing a gr eat Islam ic char acter and pr estige... M akkah is like a m other 's hear t for the Kingdom of Saudi Ar abia... The w ar m , tender place w e go to w hen w e w ant to r est our souls, r enew them so that w e can face the w or ld anew.

M akkah has its ow n unique beauty as it is the hear t of Saudi Ar abia. It is m ost distinguished as an Islam ic r egion and m or e so, its beautiful ar chitectur e.

Photo by Ekrem Osmanoglu

M akkah is located in the w est of the Kingdom of Saudi Ar abia, and is one of the holiest Islam ic cities as it is the bir thplace of the Pr ophet M uham m ad, m ay God bless him and gr ant him peace.

M akkah has a gr eat place in the hear ts of M uslim s, as m illions of M uslim s flock to it ever y year fr om all over the w or ld to per for m the annual Hajj And visit the Gr and M osque (M asjid al-Har am ) w her e the Kaaba, the m ost im por tant landm ar k and place in M akkah is located.

Photo by Haidan

Kaaba The Qiblah of M uslim s and the m ost sacr ed site in Islam . The w or d qiblah m eans In Islam ic r itual and law , r efer s to a special dir ection faced by M uslim s dur ing pr ayer s and other r eligious contexts, and the hear t of the gr and m osque.

Kaaba is a cube cover ed by a black piece of silk w ith the inscr iptions of the Noble Qur ?an m ade w ith gold thr eads, w hich the best Saudi ar tists help in w or king on. This cover is changed once ever y year and consider ed as a happy Islam ic event for M uslim s, br oadcast by m ost Ar ab and Islam ic television stations to shar e the w or ldw ide M uslim s these beautiful m om ents. The cost of kisw ah is m or e than $5.5 m illion, and it is the m ost expensive cover in the w or ld.

The old kisw ah does not lose its value as it is som etim es given to im por tant figur es ar ound the w or ld such as pr esidents, or it is displayed in m useum s and r oyal palaces.

The M inister of Tour ism and Antiquities in Cair o r eceived a piece of the cover ing of the Kaaba for the past year (2020), w hich w as donated by the Kingdom of Saudi Ar abia to the Antiquities M useum in the City of Cultur e and Ar ts in the new adm inistr ative capital, to be included in the m useum ?s display.

Also in 2021, The Am bassador of the Custodian of the Tw o Holy M osques to the Republic of Singapor e gave a piece of kisw ah as a gift fr om King Salm an bin Abdulaziz Al Saud - to the Singapor e Islam ic Council.

Photo by Hafif Kusuma

Th e Gr eat Gr an d M osqu e ( M asj i d al -Har am ) The Gr and M osque can accom m odate tw o m illion w or shiper s w ith thir teen m inar ets, and due to the huge num ber of M uslim visitor s, the expansion w or k has not stopped since ancient tim es until today as the kings of Saudi Ar abia ar e w or king on expansion w or ks to pr ovide m or e space for M uslim s.

Photo by Haidan

Abr aj Al Bai t A com plex of tow er s consisting of seven skyscr aper s opposite the Gr and M osque. it is the lar gest com plex of tow er s in space, and the cost of w or king on it am ounted to 15 m illion dollar s.

It includes the M akkah Royal Clock Tow er , the lar gest clock in the w or ld. The M akkah Royal Clock is the lar gest tow er in the w or ld w ith a height of m or e than 600 m eter s and it w as officially oper ated for the fir st tim e in Ram adan of the year 1431( based on the Hijr i calendar ).

In August - Septem ber 2010 the clock tow er consists of 76 floor s as a hotel building nam ed Fair m ont M akkah Clock Royal Tow er. This hotel pr ovides M uslim visitor s w ith a close and w onder ful view of the gr and m osque.

The r esidents of M ecca have special custom s w hen M uslim s ar r ive ever y year , such as r eceiving them w ith singing and flow er gar lands and pr oviding w hat they need thr oughout Hajj and their pr esence in M akkah is a m essage that says,

"The guests w ho ar e com ing to visit the Gr and M osque and to w or ship God, ar e also our guests too."

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Photo Source :https://www.diafinearts.com/

?An Ar tw or k fascinates you and m akes you think, ponder , r ecall. It stim ulates your im agination and influences your conscience. Once you see it, you never for get it.?- Dia Aziz Dia

In His Ar t, His Hear t Resides

by Hessa Aldossar y Dia Aziz Dia, a Saudi ar tist, a painter , and a sculptor w ho becam e a leading ar tist for the new gener ation. The inspir ation, str uggles, losses, and the m essage he car r ied in his ar t have a gr eater influence than a painting can m ake.

He w as bor n in Cair o in 1947. He had to m ove inside and outside the kingdom of Saudi Ar abia due to his father ?s w or k . His par ents w er e the fir st ones to have an influence on him . He star ted by m im icking Jean Auguste Dom inique Ingr es and Titian, Fr ench and Italian painter s. Dia gr aduated fr om the academy of fine ar ts in Rom e in 1971 and w or ked as an ar t teacher in Jeddah for a couple of year s and left it to focus on his jour ney as an ar tist.

Dia w or ked him self to be one of the Ar ab w or lds leading figur es in ar t and constantly tr ied to depict the hum an face because he consider ed it the key to under standing the per son. Today his paintings ar e ow ned by pr om inent ar t lover s in Saudi Ar abia and m any of his sculptur es can be found on som e of Jeddah's m ain plazas and r oads. He star ted his ow n ar t establishm ent in 1974 till 1979.

Like other pr om inent ar tists, he par ticipated in m any ar t occasions like the ( Palazzo del esposisione ) exhibition - Rom e 1968, the Cair o inter national exhibition for fine Ar ts, the contem por ar y Islam ic Ar tists exhibition in Jor don and London; he par ticipated w ith 2 oil paintings and 1 sculptur e in (Gift fr om the Deser t) exhibition, Lexington Kentucky, USA. 28th m ay 2010. under Pr. Faisal bin Abdullah patr onage, and in Cube Ar t Saudi exhibition in Qinghai China 11 sep 2010.

One of his biggest ar tw or ks w as the sculptur e of the gate of M ecca, his inspir ation for it w as the holy Qur an. It contains som e ver ses fr om the Holy Qur an w hich m akes it even gr eater. Dia has becom e an inspir ing ar tist for his unique painting techniques. He easily r eveals the soul and desir e in his paintings by follow ing the m oder n Realism and Im pr essionism school. Dia laid the foundation to pr esent ar t w ithin the countr y's tr aditions and needs.

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Photo Source :https://www.diafinearts.com/

Photo Source :https://www.diafinearts.com/

?Th e r eason beh i n d m y i n si st en ce t o i n cl u de al l con t r i bu t or s t o t h e gat e i s du e t o t h e f act m an y di dn ?t k n ow t h at Sau di s w er e m ai n l y t h ose w h o w or k ed on t h e pr oj ect .

Som e bel i eved t h at f or ei gn er s w er e br ou gh t i n t o bu i l d i t w h en t h e f act i s Sau di s w er e m ai n l y t h e on es. Th i s gat e i s a r epr esen t at i on of t h e Sau di ar ch i t ect s, cal l i gr aph er s, an d en gi n eer s? con t r i bu t i on s."

- Di a Azi z Di a on the M akkah Gate design award Photo source : arabnews.com

?This is the m ost im por tant accom plishm ent in my life, fr om the beginning of my car eer until the day I die. As far as I am concer ned, ther e?s nothing m or e im por tant than that,? he said. ?M akkah is the city in the hear t of ever y M uslim in the w or ld and I believe that God ar r anged for m e to be the designer for the Gate of M akkah.? - Dia Aziz Dia

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Dia added in this artist?s rendition a search light on top of the Makkah Gate to symbolize the structure as a beacon of peace and hope.

Source: arabnews.com

Photo source : https://www.mishaalashemimry.com

M ish aal Ash em im r y an d Her M ission s M ade Possible

by Sara AB

Mishaal, a girl who received a torch of inspiration from the sky, started her journey in the field of manufacturing and designing rockets. This happened when she and her mother went on a trip to a desert area in her hometown of Saudi Arabia, Unayzah. And because the desert has no lighting, it was only lit by the stars and the moon in the middle of that beautiful night sky, Which made Mishaal feel fascinated by the sight of the shining stars. Confused, she asked her mother, "What's going on here? What are all those things that shine in the sky? Why are they so many?"; And because she was only a six-year-old girl, that sight did not leave her mind and she kept asking the same questions, but no answer made her feel that she had found what she wanted.

Only then did she ask herself, to learn more about the sky... this big world above us, and " How do I get there?" And the answer was "Rockets!!!" At that moment, at that young age, Mishaal decided what she wanted to do, determined by her passion and where her heart was heading.

Behind every successful person, there is a big story, a story of struggle and effort, sacrifices, sweat, and tears. But we rarely go through that cave called childhood, how did this person start? How did she succeed? We are always preoccupied with their successes and the result of their efforts, and we do not know how many bruises and scars are behind this success.

Were Mishaal's childhood and beginning, as bright as the night sky of that desert trip? Mishaal once said, "Success does not end.. so when someone succeeds in overcoming one's challenge, it means that he is on the way to face another challenge. If you can achieve one of your goals, do not stop there.. but keep going , because this is a sign of your ability to overcome any challenge and achieve new goals." This was her advice from her own experience. Her parents divorced after only forty days since she was born, her father took her and her siblings to live with him in America without any contact with their mother who is in Saudi Arabia.

That left a huge impact on Mishaal's childhood, but this is one of the things that made her stronger. After a long time, Mishaal and her siblings, returned to Saudi Arabia to put this young girl in a difficult situation once again, as she had to choose whether to live with her mother or with her father. She was very confused, if she wanted to continue in the field she loves; the opportunity to study this type of engineering is greater in America than in Saudi Arabia. But she also wants to be with her mother in Saudi Arabia at the same time. For the future that she dreams about, Mishaal sacrificed the opportunity to live with her mother and chose to go back to America... to build a better future for herself and to study more about missiles.

She would sometimes feel pain and guilt, thinking about the possibility of being a part of her mother 's grief. But she always reminds herself that she must work even harder, to succeed, to prove to herself and to her mother, who encouraged her to follow her dream, that their sacrifice was not in vain.

Did Mishaal's story stop here? Of course not, at the master 's level, Mishaal faced a lot of pressure as she had classes to attend, proposal letters to write, students to teach, and a lot of projects to do. Balancing time, effort, and emotions has never been easy. Mishaal said that she felt as if she was a robot, because she had to focus completely on her work life despite everything that was happening in her personal life, and because her only goal was "success".

She worked for the first time in Arizona, but did not like staying there because the nature of the place did not suit her. She was twenty-six years old at the time, and although many people have told her that she was still young and probably had no idea how to deal with this kind of business, she always answered them simply,"I am a person with a dream and I have the determination to know what I am doing and how to do it. It's better to try and fail, than not to try at all." - this was her motto. Later, Mishaal worked on the first project to manufacture a missile, and amid their work on this missile, the team faced many crises on engineering and funding. At this point, she took it upon herself to find a new investor to complete their project and solve engineering problems related to the missile. And because Mishaal's goal was, and still is, success, she completed the work despite the obstacles. It was not an easy journey after four years of work and effort but their team would not resort to giving up. Eventually, the missile project succeeded and the world honored their achievements.

https://www.mishaalashemimry.com

Photo source: https://www.buro247.me

"Brilliant success. But not finding an investor does not mean that I will give up and leave my dream. I will continue my path towards another success."

And here is Mishaal today - a pilot an d t h e f ir st f em ale aer ospace en gin eer in GCC w it h a specialt y in r ock et s. She received the Inspirational Woman Award in 2015 from the Arab Woman Award, at the same time, became the first Saudi woman to join NASA. Mishaal and her story is an inspiration to everyone, we may not be a rocket engineer like her , but we can make our own dreams come true and be part of another success story.

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Emad Anwar Alshameri, CEO & Founder of RHYTHM, KSA

Find yo ur

Rhy t hm .

Rhy t hm Na t io n

by Sa ra A B Calisthenics. A sport that relies on the strength of the body not only to show beauty. Unlike other sports that depend on the use of different sports equipment or weight lifting, you'll rely solely on your body to try to build muscle strength until you reach the desired level of intensity and rhythm that best fits your body. It may seem difficult, but once you commit yourself to it, just like any other regimen, you will get hooked because of the benefits it can contribute to your physical goal. Add to this the fun and challenge it holds for the mind and body.

It does not differ that much compared to other types of workout except for the tools used and the extent of familiarity in other places and countries like KSA, for example, it was very difficult for fans of this sport to practice and learn it due to the lack of clubs for Calisthenics or even professional trainers for this sport. But for some calisthenics practitioners, Em ad An w ar Alsh am er i paved the way for its development and growth in his country.

Emad shared with us his story and how he founded the first Calisthenics club in Saudi Arabia in the name of RHYTHM.

All Photos Courtesy of Rhythm

Th an k you f or gr an t in g u s t h e oppor t u n it y f or an in t er view , can you sh ar e w it h u s you r st or y gr ow in g u p bef or e Calist h en ics?

I was born in Saudi Arabia. I completed my education at King Saud University with a diploma in communication and network systems in 2010. Once I graduated I started my career path, I was employed in a few famous companies here in KSA. I've always been an athletic person, at an early age I was playing football and then started training in martial arts. I was looking for a sport that would help me gain muscle, but the only sport or training known to help me achieve my goals was weight lifting. I wasn't interested in weight training at all.

Wh at br ou gh t you t o t h e pat h of Calist h en ics?

When I started going to the gym, I didn't enjoy weight lifting that much. I did however enjoy pull-ups, push-ups and any other exercise that involved body weight. I began researching some youtube videos on how to enhance and change up my workout routine. I came across some clips on youtube which illustrated workouts that suited my desires. Afterward I came across a few youtube clips which showed a person doing a handstand push-up, clapping push-up, muscle-ups and so on. I was intrigued and motivated to try out the mentioned exercises.

How did you st ar t w it h Rh yt h m KSA? Wh at k eeps you m ot ivat ed?

Firstly, I started by reading about calisthenics and trying to understand the science behind it. I was employed in 2013 and I decided to quit my job so that I can focus on calisthenics. I figured out that reading about calisthenics wasn't enough, I was determined to learn more so I started traveling in order to gain more knowledge. Initially, I visited Bahrain, and learned the basics from my close friend Mohsin Falee. From Bahrain I traveled to Spain and Germany.

I spent a while in berlin and started training with a calisthenics team in berlin.

We started competing in tournaments in Poland, the Czech Republic and Ukraine. It turns out that these countries are specialized in calisthenics especially in Ukraine. I returned to Saudi Arabia, and I spoke to my friend in Miami, Chris Heria, and I asked him if it would be possible for me to visit his gym so that I can train with him and develop my skills. I figured since I had an idea on how Europeans trained, I might as well learn about how Americans train too.

My motivation is my family, and my close friends. I want to leave a legacy in my community.

Wh at did t h e calist h en ics ch an ge in you w h ich led you t o open t h e f ir st calist h en ics clu b in KSA? Is t h er e a par t icu lar ly m em or able m om en t f or you w it h calist h en ics?

My love, passion, and dedication for this sport made me open the first calisthenics club in Saudi Arabia. I also consider myself to be a professional trainer in calisthenics. A memorable moment for me was the German championship which motivated me to open a calisthenics gym in Saudi Arabia.

Wh at m ak es Calist h en ics st an dou t am on g ot h er t ypes of w elln ess pr ogr am s ar ou n d t h e w or ld?

Calisthenics depends completely on body weight and the ability to reach a healthy and fitness physique using only your body weight. Calisthenics also presents the strength in a beautiful manner such as a human flag and so on.

Wh at ar e you r t h ou gh t s abou t ot h er h ealt h an d w elln ess pr ogr am s in West er n or Asian cou n t r ies?

Personally, any activity that focuses on wellness and fitness, I consider it to be great.

Have you t h ou gh t of expan din g you r bu sin ess t o ot h er cou n t r ies?

Yes, I do.

Th er e ar e a lot of opin ion s abou t f em ales w it h calist h en ics an d w h et h er it is appr opr iat e or n ot , w h at do you t h in k as a coach an d as a pr of ession al ?

I have opened a calisthenics club for females and also my wife is a calisthenics trainer. I hope that answers your question.

Wh at ar e t h e pr oblem s t h at cou ld h in der t h e t r ain ee developm en t pr ocess in on e's jou r n ey w it h calist h en ics?

When the trainer is not qualified enough, or when the trainer doesn't set realistic goals. Another reason would be a trainees inconsistency.

How do you see t h e f u t u r e of t h is spor t in Sau di Ar abia? Will it be com plet ely dif f er en t f r om bef or e?

I had an interview back in 2017 regarding this question and I said that this sport has a future that is flourishing into something great here in Saudi Arabia. My predictions so far have been spot on.

Wh at advice w ou ld you give t o som eon e w h o w an t s t o st ar t calist h en ics bu t is h avin g secon d t h ou gh t s?

When you start working out you won't stop when changes start appearing on your body. Whatever effort you put into your body now will be reflected in your future body.

Do you t h in k t h at passion is en ou gh t o k eep goin g?

No, passionate dedication, patience, focus, consistency, and experience in whatever you want to do are important in my perspective.

How do you f eel abou t Rh yt h m as on e of t h e ver y special places in Sau di Ar abia an d h avin g ach ieved su ch a gr eat r epu t at ion ?

It's a great feeling because I've put blood, sweat and tears into building rhythm. My community and Saudi Arabia are proud of me because of what I have accomplished.

Wh at 's you r advice t o pr of ession als goin g in t h e sam e dir ect ion as you r s, especially t h ose w h o ar e lear n in g calist h en ics?

To focus on the main objective, life has its ups and downs. I will leave you with a quote ?Rome wasn't built in a day.' Patience and perseverance will help you get to where you want to be.

Tell u s abou t you r t eam , you r f or m u la f or su ccess.

I love teamwork, I always tell my team that greatness can be accomplished by working together. Any team member ?s success is the team's success. I consider my team as my brothers. The main reason behind my success is that I?m developing leaders in my team.

As coach Emad said, the reasons for continuing are many and it is not enough to only have passion but hard work in order to achieve what we aspire to be. Professionalism for this sport did not only bear fruit but the founding of Rhythm. It was a responsibility greater than just a dream or the return on investment. Raising the level of people's awareness of this sport and making it easy to access for people in Saudi Arabia contributes to maintaining a healthy perspective as well.

Chris Heria, the person Emad mentioned and helped him practice calisthenics more because he has been in this sport for a long time... If you are interested in this sport and want to take a bigger look, Chris explains the difference between calisthenics and bodybuilding through this youtube link: https://youtu.be/ulYLBpeMYDg

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Bor n a King tells the extr aor dinar y tr ue stor y of 14-year -old Faisal, the younger son of the fir st King of Saudi Ar abia, w ho in 1919 is sent on a diplom atic m ission to England. In the fr enetic post-W W I atm ospher e, Faisal becom es the fir st Saudi Royal to visit the UK on a politically pr ecar ious tr ip lasting 5 m onths. Faisal ultim ately becam e the hugely popular King of Saudi Ar abia (1964-1975), im plem enting m oder nization and r efor m .

Bor n a King, dir ected by Agustí Villar onga, w on the Best Film aw ar d at the Inw ar d Film Festival for independent cinem a, w hich w as held at the Zeffir ellis in Am bleside, in nor ther n England. The pr ize-w inning m ovie w as am ong 26 other nom inated film s in the fr ay vying for the top festival aw ar d back in 2019.

Sour ce: IFF

We can n ot t al k abou t t h e f ash i on scen e i n Sau di Ar abi a w i t h ou t m en t i on i n g

Nasi ba Haf i z , the

Jeddah -based desi gn er i s k n ow n f or h er k af t an s an d abayas desi gn ed w i t h bol d pr i n t s an d v i br an t col ou r s.

Th e dau gh t er of t h e i con Nasi ba Tr abzon i an d t h e Sau di pu bl i sh er Hi sh am Haf i z, h er desi gn s w er e i n spi r ed by h er par en t s' u n i qu e f l ai r an d st yl e.

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Photo Source: https://nasibahafiz.com

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Af t er gr adu at i n g f r om t h e Lon don Col l ege of Fash i on w h er e sh e st u di ed f ash i on ph ot ogr aphy an d desi gn , Haf ez l au n ch ed h er epon ym ou s br an d i n 2012, an d h er col l ect i on s ar e popu l ar ever yw h er e f r om Los An gel es t o Du bai .

N H ,A C ontinuingL egacy

by Anhar Alnem r i

Nasiba Hafiz is the br ainchild of its nam esake visionar y, a vivacious stylist and an unw aver ing lover of fashion. Bor n to the late and r enow ned Saudi Ar abian publisher Hisham Hafiz and his beloved Nasiba Tar abzouni??yes, she w as nam ed after her m other !??Nasiba Hafiz w as engr ossed in her par ents?eccentr ic yet innovative style and taste, w hich becam e her hallm ar k m use.

"I am inspir ed by my old fam ily photos. Pictur es of my gr andpar ents on holidays, my m other w hen she w as younger , my aunts eating dinner , my old bir thday par ties, and my sister s getting dr essed!

And m any other countless photos. I am inspir ed by the beautiful colour s, details and even the fur nitur e in these photos."

- Nasiba Hafiz

?BIBA BY NASIBA? AND ?KOI COLLECTION? COLLECTIONS W ERE DISTINGUISHED BY NEW AND UNUSUAL CUTS. SHE DELVED INTO ASIAN CULTURAL HERITAGE AND EXPLORED NEW TECHNOLOGIES TO ENRICH HER SIGNATURE EDITIONS.

Hafiz?s taste in fashion and styling is a fr esh, m or e laid back and easy style than w hat is typically found in Saudi Ar abia. It takes a cr eative and innovative designer to go bold and br eak the r ules, as w ell as br aver y and lots of love to achieve and accom plish w hat this cr eative pow er house has done w ith her fashion house.

Her cr eativity is not lim ited to just designing fashion, as the designer is keen to pay attention to hum anitar ian issues. She pr eviously collabor ated w ith Saudi designer Ar w a Al-Banaw i to cr eate Bar bie dolls dr essed in custom -m ade clothes, w ith all pr oceeds going to the childr en?s char ity or phanage ?The Spectr um Or phans?. Hafiz also hir ed seam str esses fr om the Nesm a Em br oider y and Tailor ing Center , a non-pr ofit center that tr ains Saudi w om en w ith special needs to sew.

W h at i s you r m ai n m ot i vat i on f or en t er i n g t h e w or l d of f ash i on ? " M om , sh e l oved dr essi n g u p an d h ad a cl oset f u l l of t h e cu t est cl ot h es. I st i l l t o t h i s day k eep m an y of h er cl ot h es. Li k e an y l i t t l e gi r l , I w al k ed w i t h h er i n h er am azi n g dr essi n g r oom i n t h e h ou se w e gr ew u p i n , w h i ch u n f or t u n at el y h as been sol d. I l ook f or w ar d t o v i si t i n g h er agai n an d w al k i n g ar ou n d f or a secon d." NH

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Al -Bal ad

by Anhar Alnem r i Jeddah Al -Bal ad i s a h i st or i cal ci t y t h at i s r i ch w i t h ever yt h i n g t h at i s di st i n ct i ve. I t i s cal l ed t h e h i st or i cal ci t y, as i t i n cl u des an ci en t bu i l di n gs dat i n g back t o pr e-I sl am i c t i m es, an d i t i s i n t en ded f or al l t h e peopl e of Jeddah an d v i si t or s f r om i n si de an d ou t si de t h e Ki n gdom , so i t i s on e of t h e m ost beau t i f u l t ou r i st at t r act i on s i n Jeddah .

Th i s w on der f u l t ow n i n cl u des a l ar ge gr ou p of m ar k et s, m osqu es, an d i n cl u des a h u ge sect i on of t h e m ost i m por t an t t ou r i st at t r act i on s i n Sau di Ar abi a, as t h e ci t y i s l ocat ed i n t h e h ear t of Jeddah , an d i t w as l i st ed as a Wor l d Her i t age Si t e

by UNESCO i n 2014.

All photos are provided by the writer.

LOOK UP! Al w ays r em em ber t o l ook u p w h en w al k i n g ar ou n d Al Bal ad, Jeddah 's h i st or i c ar ea an d UNESCO Wor l d Her i t age Si t e. Fol l ow i n g t h e open i n g of t h e Su ez Can al i n 1869, Jeddah ex per i en ced an econ om i c boom . Ri ch m er ch an t s bu i l t t al l el abor at el y decor at ed h ou ses t o r ef l ect t h ei r n ew st at u s an d w eal t h . Th ese i m posi n g ' Tow er Hou ses' ar e ch ar act er i zed by w ooden 'Rosh an ' w i n dow s t h at al l ow ai r t o m ove t h r ou gh , cr eat i n g a cool i n g ef f ect , w h i l st pr ov i di n g a pr i vat e van t age poi n t over t h e st r eet bel ow. Th ey ar e of t en decor at ed i n su bl i m e det ai l w h i ch can be v i ew ed f r om bel ow.

Th i s i s Waqf al -Sh af i " Lob9, a l ovel y h ou se w i t h st u n n i n g t u r qu oi se Rosh an , f ou n d n ex t t o Sh af i i .

GLORI OUSLY GREEN Th i s l i t t l e l an e i n Jeddah 's h i st or i c ar ea i s del i gh t f u l . A cou pl e of year s ago pl an t s w er e added an d n ow i t 's an oasi s. Th e gr een er y n ot on l y sof t en s t h e h ar d edges of t h e bu i l di n gs bu t con t r ast s per f ect l y w i t h t h e w ooden Rosh an w i n dow s.

Go on a j ou r n ey t h r ou gh t i m e.

W h en you ar r i ve i n t h e cou n t r y, you w i l l f eel t h e at m osph er e of t h e past ar ou n d you du r i n g you r t ou r of t h e cor r i dor s an d r oads of Jeddah , w h i ch bear t h e f r agr an ce of h i st or y, i n t h e desi gn of h ou ses, st or es st ack ed w i t h di st i n ct i ve h ar m on y, an d w on der f u l di ver si t y.

On ce you 'r e i n si de Al Bal ad, dr op

by Hi st or i cal Ni gh t s, a qu i r k y caf e t h at h as gr eat cof f ee an d aw esom e v i ew s of t h e t ow n . Pop i n si de an d h ead u pst ai r s t o t h e secon d l evel f or t h e best r oof t op v i st as. Hu ge ai r con di t i on er s h el p t o com bat Jeddah 's st i ck y h u m i di t y; m ak e a beel i n e f or t h e cozy m aj l i s ar ea f or t h e best v i st as, w h i ch you can pai r w i t h som e n ot -t oo-sh abby desser t s.

Th e r eal j oy of t h e t ow n i s t h e peopl e. W h i l e you 'l l l i k el y get st ar ed at ? f em al e t ou r i st s n ot w ear i n g abayas w i l l al m ost cer t ai n l y gar n er at t en t i on ? ever yon e i s ver y f r i en dl y. Sm i l e an d you 'l l i n st an t l y pu t m ost peopl e at ease. Pass by t h e ch i l dr en 's cor n er w h er e l i t t l e on es bou n ce on t r am pol i n es an d t een ager s cr ow d ar ou n d v i deo scr een s i n st al l ed ou t si de on t h e par k w al l s.

The Nassif House, now consider ed a sym bol of Jeddah?s r ich past. Today, it is a cultur al center w her e you can attend special exhibits or lectur es given by know ledgeable people like M r. Sam i Naw ar. Going fr om one r oom to another one can also lear n a lot about w hat the inter ior of one of these houses w as like in bygone days.

Som ething w hich you'll find especially inter esting is that they used tr ained cam els to go up and dow n the five floor s of the building car r ying goods, especially to the kitchen on the four th floor. The stair w ay is, in r eality, a r am p w ith spaced cr ossbeam s, convenient for both m an and beast to w alk on.

See t h e gat e of M ecca i n Jeddah Al -Bal ad, w h i ch h as am azi n g I sl am i c ar ch i t ect u r e, w h i ch w as i n t h e past su r r ou n ded by a w al l , f or m i n g a cor r i dor t o secu r e t h e t r ade car avan s t h at pass t h r ou gh i t , an d as i t w as t h e en t r an ce of pi l gr i m s f r om Jeddah t o M ecca t o per f or m t h e obl i gat or y pr ayer .

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om.com

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KAPSARC, Cr eating the Roa d M a p to the Futur e

by Hessa Aldossa r y

The King Abdullah Pet roleum St udies and Research Cent er (KAPSARC) was founded as a non-profit global inst it ut ion dedicat ed t o object ive research int o energy economics, policy, t echnology, and t he environment across all t ypes of energy. More t han 150 great minds in t he energy economics field from more t han 20 nat ionalit ies have gat hered in Riyadh t o advance t he underst anding of energy economics and t o act as a cat alyst for dialogue. Through init iat ives and project s, it aims t o creat e a road map t o t he fut ure ; bet t er welfare for societ ies locally and globally.

KAPSARC develops economic frameworks t o help achieve effect ive alignment bet ween energy policy object ives and out comes and improve societ al well-being and prosperit y, bot h in t he region and worldwide.

Since it s inaugurat ion by King Salman bin Abdulaziz in 2016, t he Cent er has served as t he focal point of innovat ion, research and analyt ics in t he energy research indust ry in t he Kingdom and t he world.

KAPSARC researchers collaborat e wit h leading int ernat ional research cent ers, public policy organizat ions, and indust rial and government inst it ut ions t o share knowledge, insight s and analyt ical frameworks. In 2020, KAPSARC successfully moved up t he ranks of t he t hink t ank index despit e t he formidable challenges imposed by t he pandemic. The Cent er ranked 12t h out of 60 research cent ers in t he Energy and Resource Policy Think Tank cat egory and placed 15t h out of 101 amongst MENA research cent ers according t o t he Universit y of Pennsylvania Think Tank and Civil Societ ies Program. Beside t he beneficial researches and st udies KAPSARC has opened it s expansive 70,000 square met er campus t o t he public. The project was designed by Zaha Hadid archit ect s as a modular st ruct ure t hat grows and mult iplies like a living, organic cell. The result is a series of seemingly cryst alline-like st ruct ures t hat emerge from t he desert landscape. Hexagonal prismat ic honeycomb shapes connect each of t he five buildings ? t he energy knowledge cent er; t he energy comput er cent er, a conference cent er wit h exhibit ion hall and 300-seat audit orium; a research library; and t he musalla, a place for prayer.

KAPSARC?s five buildings differ in size and organisat ion t o best suit t heir use. Each building is divided int o it s component funct ions and can be adapt ed t o respond t o changes in requirement s or working met hods.

Addit ional cells can readily be int roduced by ext ending KAPSARC?s honeycomb grid for t he fut ure expansion of t he research campus. The specific arrangement and form of KAPSARC?s buildings cont ribut e t o soft ening t he st rong light and heat of t he Riyadh Plat eau. KAPSARC has also been named Saudi Arabia?s ?smart est ? building in t he Honeywell Smart Building Awards program. Based on crit eria t hat include environment al sust ainabilit y, safet y and product ivit y, KAPSARC received out st anding scores across all t hree cat egories. www.kapsarc.org

Th e pr oject w as design ed by Zah a Hadid ar ch it ect s as a m odu lar st r u ct u r e t h at gr ow s an d m u lt iplies like a livin g, or gan ic cell.

Photos courtesy of www.zaha-hadid.com

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About the writer Hessa Aldossary is a Bachelor's Degree holder in English Language / Arts and Humanities; graduated with honors at the King Abdul Aziz University. She speaks English and Turkish apart from her native Arabic language. To top it all, she?s also a portrait painter and would love to explore the film industry given the opportunity.

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