Latest news with #RiyadhMunicipality
Arab News
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Arab News
What We Are Reading Today: The Cultural House in Riyadh
I recently visited the newly opened Culture House public library, an initiative by the Libraries Commission and Riyadh municipality. The library is part of the King Salman Science Oasis project in Al-Ta'awun neighborhood, and it exceeded my expectations. Before visiting, I was aware that I needed to book a time for my preferred section. This is an important detail to note, as you must have a reservation to access any area of the library. Upon arrival, I easily scanned a QR code, filled in my name and phone number, and waited just 10 minutes for my tour. The staff at the library were exceptional; the representative who guided me was friendly and informative and made the experience more enjoyable. The library itself is designed with comfort in mind, offering various zones, including a tech space, a kids' area, flexible workspaces, and a cafe on the ground floor. The first floor features the main library with ample seating for both group and solo activities, as well as an outdoor space. It was great to see workstations equipped with computers, printers, and scanners that facilitate scanning colored books. I particularly enjoyed the outdoor area, which includes a playground and relaxing spots near the water, as well as food trucks. It's a great place for families and friends to gather. While I was unable to explore the middle or main section fully, I am eager to return. A couple of guidelines to consider: The library's washroom closes at midnight and while cycling on the grounds is not permitted, skateboards are allowed. Additionally, sitting on the grass is not allowed, though sitting on the floor is. I highly recommend a visit to the library. The clean, quiet environment, combined with friendly staff and great amenities, makes it a standout space in Riyadh. For a city of its size, I hope to see more libraries like this across the Kingdom's capital and beyond.
Saudi Gazette
14-05-2025
- Business
- Saudi Gazette
Arab European Cities Dialogue concludes in Riyadh with strengthened urban partnerships and sustainable development recommendations
The first edition of the Arab European Cities Dialogue concluded in Riyadh on Sunday after three days of discussions under the theme 'Bridging Cities, Building Futures.' The forum was organized by the Riyadh Municipality in collaboration with the Arab Urban Development Institute (AUDI), PLATFORMA, and VNG International. The conclusion of the event marked the culmination of a busy agenda featuring plenary sessions, workshops, and roundtable discussions that addressed key challenges and opportunities in sustainable urban development. The forum brought together high-level participation from mayors and city leaders from across the Arab world and Europe, along with representatives from international organizations, development funds, and municipal alliances. The sessions covered various cross-cutting themes, including cross-border cooperation in the session titled 'Beyond Borders: Transforming Cities through Global Cooperation,' climate action in 'Towards Resilience: Climate Adaptation and Mitigation in Arab and European Cities,' and future urban planning in 'Digital Transformation in Urban Governance: Insights from European and Arab Cities.' The forum also examined how local actions can align with global goals through the session 'From Data to Impact: How Voluntary Local Reviews & SDG Localization Drive Development in Cities.' A dedicated session titled 'Perspectives on Riyadh's Urban Leap – CEOs Talk' highlighted Riyadh's development journey as a regional model of integrated planning and ambitious growth. In the 'City Leadership Forum,' chaired by Mayor of Riyadh and Chairman of AUDI Prince Dr. Faisal bin Abdulaziz bin Ayyaf, city leaders discussed the forum's governance and future prospects. It was agreed to institutionalize the forum as a biennial platform for cross-border urban collaboration. Madrid was announced as the host city for the second edition in 2027. Future editions will focus on topics such as economic growth, urban identity, digital transformation, quality of life, culture and innovation, sustainable cities, and risk management. The 'City Networking' session, on the other hand, emphasized enhancing cooperation among Arab and European city leaders through knowledge exchange, building strategic alliances to promote sustainable urban development, and fostering networking among delegates to ensure the forum's long-term institutional impact. The forum also showcased several impactful initiatives, notably the 'Urban Financing Forum', where eight cities presented development projects totaling over SR6.2 billion, directly engaging with 4 international development funds. This initiative aims to foster cross-border investments and connect municipal projects with development capital. On the sidelines of the forum, Prince Dr. Faisal bin Abdulaziz bin Ayyaf held bilateral meetings with several European city officials, including mayors of Madrid, Amman, Damascus, and Turin, to strengthen international cooperation in urban planning, digital transformation, sustainability, and quality of life.
Qatar Tribune
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Qatar Tribune
Qatar participates in Arab European Cities Dialogue Forum in Riyadh
RIYADH: Represented by the Ministry of Municipality, the State of Qatar participated in the Arab European Cities Dialogue Forum, held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from May 11-13, under the theme 'City Partnerships for a Better Future'. The Ministry of Municipality delegation was headed by Assistant Undersecretary for Urban Planning Affairs Eng Turki Fahd Al Turki. The Assistant Undersecretary participated in a roundtable meeting on 'City Partnerships', where he discussed key achievements of municipalities in the State of Qatar, highlighted efforts to develop municipal work, and exchanged expertise with participating delegations. The forum is a strategic platform for promoting city diplomacy and expanding cooperation between Arab and European cities toward more sustainable and inclusive urban development. More than 100 mayors and municipal leaders from various Arab and European cities are participating, along with a number of international entities, including urban organizations, municipal unions, funds, and donor institutions specializing in supporting development projects. Through its sessions and panels, the forum addressed the key challenges facing cities, such as infrastructure, the quality of municipal services, digital transformation, sustainable financing, climate change, and multi-level cooperation between cities and stakeholders in the urban landscape. The forum is organized by the Riyadh Municipality, in partnership with the Arab Urban Development Institute, the PLATFORMA - a platform of the Association of European Municipalities and Regions, and the International Cooperation Agency of the Association of Netherlands Municipalities.
Arab News
04-05-2025
- Business
- Arab News
Jeddah unveils 29 real estate projects across industrial, residential, retail sectors
RIYADH: Jeddah Municipality has announced 29 new investment opportunities across more than 1.4 million sq. meters, targeting sectors such as commercial, industrial, residential, and recreation. Jeddah's investment package includes 13 commercial opportunities featuring developing and operating retail shops and commercial complexes across various districts. The initiatives include the development of an integrated container city spanning 846,684 sq. meters and a second container park at 429,223 sq. meters. This latest undertaking also follows a similar wave of investment opportunities recently launched in Riyadh, underscoring a nationwide push to diversify Saudi Arabia's economy and enhance urban livability. Jeddah's additional projects feature a 145,472-sq.-meter barley milling and packaging facility, eight worker residential compounds, and eight public parks equipped with kindergartens and retail outlets. A food truck zone under the municipal incubator program in South Obhur has also been introduced. In the education sector, a health college project has been announced. The strategically distributed initiatives aim to meet neighborhood needs while ensuring synergy between activities. The municipality has invited investors to submit proposals through the Furas Saudi investment portal. It noted that the bid submissions will be accepted from May 1 until July 8, as per the scheduled timeline. The Furas portal streamlines investor access, reflecting a unified approach to municipal investments. This undertaking underscores Jeddah's commitment to economic growth and urban development in alignment with national objectives. Riyadh's 2025 investment portfolio — spanning commercial, industrial, and leisure projects — mirrors the Kingdom's strategic focus on private-sector-driven development under Vision 2030. In March, the Riyadh Municipality unveiled 20 new investment prospects across 175,000 sq. meters, including mixed-use spaces, retail hubs, and industrial zones, with contracts ranging from five to 25 years. Key districts like Jarir, Al-Rawdah, and Al-Qadisiyah are prioritized to ensure balanced growth. Complementing these efforts, the city has expanded its green infrastructure, adding 87 parks since 2022 to reach over 745,000 sq. meters of green space — transforming them into multifunctional community venues. These parallel initiatives highlight Saudi cities' commitment to sustainable urbanization, economic diversification, and elevated quality of life, cementing the Kingdom's position as a regional leader in transformative urban development.
Campaign ME
18-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Campaign ME
WithFeeling reveals immersive sonic identity for Riyadh FoodSphere
Dubai-based sonic branding agency WithFeeling has revealed details about the creation and implementation of the entire sonic identity for the Riyadh Oases Tahliya FoodSphere. Conducted as part of a collaboration between Riyadh Municipality and Riyadh Holding, the 11,000-square-metre immersive space is the first in a network of eight Oases across Riyadh, a city-wide initiative of free-to-access experiences and edutainment centres. With the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia leaning into sound as a fundamental part of brand identity, WithFeeling was called in. For creative cultural consultancy behind the development of the concept, &bouqu was selected, while photo and film production company, GOOD Stills also collaborated on the project. The WithFeeling team, led by Chief Music Officer and Co-Founder, Joe Dickinson, composed more than four hours of original music in total for the project, blending traditional Saudi motifs with contemporary sounds to carefully craft an emotive soundscape. With each zone of the FoodSphere featuring its own bespoke ambient composition to enhance the visitor experience, this was by no means an easy feat. Dickinson said, 'This project really pushed us to explore the length and breadth of services we can provide. Not only did we have to create a unique sonic identity to begin with, we then needed to weave this through every piece of music and every soundscape we created. Each themed zone within FoodSphere had its own very specific feel, so we really leaned into this when it came to composition. For example, in The Apiary zone – which tells the story of Saudi's long history with honey – we wanted the music to remain organic and natural to reflect nature and calm, so we kept it all acoustic, with Oud, Ney flute, and Rubab representing the instrumentation of the region.' He added, 'For The Oasis zone – where the deep roots of coffee in Saudi's history and culture are celebrated – we not only continued to use a rich blend of traditional Arabic instrumentation, but authentic field recordings from the Jazan region were taken to transport visitors' minds straight to the heart of the action. We also developed interactive hologram voiceovers, bringing authenticity to exhibits throughout FoodSphere, and produced and mixed soundtracks for the accompanying documentary and digital installations to ensure a seamless auditory journey.' Underpinning the entire portfolio of work, the composition of an official FoodSphere theme shaped the creative process from the get-go. A signature piece that would be instantly recognisable as the experience's own sonic brand, this formed the basis for all other audio and sound aspects throughout the immersive experience. Dickinson said, 'In line with Vision 2030, we're seeing so many Saudi organisations looking to build a strong, recognisable and lasting brand, and they are quickly becoming leading advocates in using sound as a tool to help do this.' He added, 'For us, particularly when working on cultural heritage projects such as FoodSphere, the importance of representation and authenticity can't be ignored. While an outside listener might only hear 'Arabic drums' in a piece of music, we understand that there is much more to it. Everything from whether it's the darbuka, riq, or daf, to the unique and identifiable rhythm it plays, will represent different regions within the Kingdom and tell a different story.' By integrating subtle nuances such as these into sonic brands that it creates, WithFeeling has been able to artfully weave in nods to Saudi heritage within many organisations' overall brand identity. It was this understanding of the Kingdom's unique, rich culture and history that saw the agency selected as the natural first choice for creating and implementing FoodSphere's audio elements. Leighla McGregor, Executive Producer of GOOD Stills New Project Division, said, 'WithFeeling are our go-to for music composition and audio production. Their deep understanding of Saudi's musical landscape, combined with their technical expertise in both traditional and spatial audio, consistently adds a unique richness to our projects. They know how to paint a space with sound in a way that beautifully complements our visual storytelling.' CREDITS Client: Riyadh Oases Tahliya FoodSphere Sonic branding agency: WithFeeling Creative cultural consultancy: &bouqu Production house: GOOD Stills
