Middle East Experience

The site had gone dark for weeks early last year after major service providers cut it off for failing to police violent content that led to the attack on the US Capitol on Jan. 6.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Melania Trump to make Parler her 'social media home'

"We are constantly evaluating the evolving security situation and planning for a range of contingencies as we always do," a White House official said.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: US troops in Poland prepare for Americans potentially fleeing Ukraine

What she hadn’t counted on, Emma Salzberg said, was her fellow contestants standing up for her.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: 'Jeopardy!' winner not surprised at antisemitic response to her success

Established in 1933 with a fleet of five aircraft, Star Alliance member Turkish Airlines now has a fleet of 371 aircraft flying to 334 worldwide destinations. Turkish Airlines, the global carrier which boasts a record of flights to more destinations than any other airline, has launched a new short film produced in partnership with Zach ..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Turkish Airlines premiers short film with famed illusionist Zach King

Nouira has been processing Murex snails using techniques first developed by the Phoenicians to produce a dye known as Tyrian Purple..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Tunisian history enthusiast unlocks secret to old Phoenician dye

Saudi Arabia’s economy expanded 6.8 percent in the fourth quarter of 2021, maintaining the fastest pace of annual growth in almost a decade as high oil prices boost the Kingdom’s income and drive its recovery from the shock of the pandemic.Non-oil gross domestic product -- the engine of job creation -- gained 5 percent while the oil economy grew 10.8 percent, according to preliminary estimates released by the General Authority for Statistics on Thursday.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.Growth for the full year of 2021 was 3.3 percent, the authority said, slightly better than Saudi officials’ predictions of 2.9 percent growth.The figures suggest that the omicron COVID-19 variant had a relatively limited economic impact in the world’s largest crude exporter, at least until January. The oil market helped, with Brent crude prices averaging nearly $80 a barrel in the fourth quarter.Still, growth in the non-oil private sector lost momentum in the first month of this year as coronavirus cases surged, with a Purchasing Managers’ Index compiled by IHS Markit falling from 53.9 in December to 53.2 in January.Authorities have kept the economy largely open through the latest wave of the pandemic, mandating vaccine booster shots while continuing a series of major events dubbed the ‘Riyadh Season.’Consumer spending in December was 1.8 percent higher than the same month two years ago, before the pandemic.Read more:Saudi Arabia announces $6.4 billion investments in future techLEAP 2022: Huawei announces plans to build new cloud region in Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia to develop local tourism with new ‘Digital Tourism Strategy’
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Saudi Arabia’s economic growth at near decade-high on oil price rebound

Saudi Arabia’s AlUla, one of the oldest cities in the Arabian Peninsula and home to UNESCO world Heritage site Hegra, is set to witness a series of events this weekend under the event umbrella “AlUla Moments.”“AlUla Moments is the festival that we have in AlUla for this season, it started with Winter at Tantora which ends this weekend, we have the performance by Alicia Keys, and then Desert Polo and the opening of the Desert X art exhibit in the desert and the market exhibit in Maraya called ‘What Lies Within,’” Chief Destination Management and marketing Officer of the Royal Commission of AlUla Phillip Jones said in an interview with Al Arabiya English.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.The inaugural festival dedicated to arts, AlUla Arts, will take place on February 11, the official Saudi Press agency reported on Wednesday, with the public opening of Desert X AlUla 2022 and ‘What Lies Within’ as well as a special one-night performance by international superstar Alicia Keys.Four new distinct festivals will be introduced this year, including Winter at Tantora, offering an exciting mix of music, cultural and equestrian events and the second edition of the Richard Mille AlUla Desert Polo, set to take place on February 11 and 12.“It’s the first of our four festivals taking place this season. There was Winter at Tantora, AlUla Arts, AlUla Skies and AlUla Wellness [which will take place] at the end of March so it’s a big season with major productions and lots of major activations and some global artists who will be performing at Maraya, the largest mirrored building in the world,” Jones added.Desert X AlUla Taking place from Feb 11 to March 31, this year’s Desert X AlUla is set to feature contemporary artworks by 15 Saudi and international artists against the backdrop of AlUla’s extraordinary desert landscape.“This year we have 15 pieces of work that will be showcased under the theme of ‘Mirage.’ These will include a desert waterfall and amazing artefacts that will be recreated from an artistic perspective,” Jones explained.“Desert X AlUla is a partnership with Desert X in Palm Springs [in the US], they rotate each year by holding the event at AlUla one year and one year in Palm Springs,” Jones explained.The exhibition explores ideas of mirage and oasis, both intrinsic to desert culture and history.The artists who have been invited to showcase their work at the exhibit addressed dreams, fiction, illusion and myth in their artwork.“It’s truly going to be a stunning exhibit and one that I highly recommend people visit,” Jones added.Richard Mille AlUla Desert Polo A weekend-long Polo Tournament in the desert, Richard Mille AlUla Desert Polo, will feature four teams, welcoming Adolfo Cambiaso and La Dolfina Saudi Polo Team.The unique event, set to take place on February 11 and 12, has already been sold out.‘What Lies within’ An art exhibition that will be displayed at the award-winning Maraya venue from February 11 to March 20, will bring together artwork by Saudi artists based in Saudi Arabia and abroad from the past 20 years.Saudi patron and art collector Basma al-Sulaiman will share her artwork collection by 17 different artists, curated by artist Lulwah al-Homoud.The artwork will showcase Saudi cultural heritage, reflecting the Kingdom’s public response to art and will feature pieces on paper, paintings, photography, sculptures and art installations.Eco-trail AlUla 2022 The weekend-long event will take place on March 18 and 19 and will include international athletes, running enthusiasts and children.Including an ultra-marathon, a marathon, a half-marathon and a kids race, the run caters to all skill levels.“I am very much looking forward to the eco-trail run, which is one of the runs that will take place. [We will hold] a 25k, 50k, and 80k run, with a stunning backdrop and some enchanting rock formations that look like elephants and dancing princesses and a variety of other amazing art rock formations through the desert. I think [this] will be very popular among our international visitors,” Jones told Al Arabiya English.AlJadidah Launched at the beginning of February and is set to stay open until March 31, AlJadidah features the world’s largest hand-painted carpet lines lining the roads for visitors and is a vibrant hub for art, performance, dining as well as cultural and retail experiences.Centrally located, AlJadidah sits beautifully on the edge of the AlUla Oasis and overlooks AlUla Old Town.The Path of Poets, Garden of Moments and more Launched on Thursday, the ‘Path of Poets’ immersive live show will feature poet Jamil bin Muammar alongside other characters, showcasing a recreation of the story Buthaina.The event will stand until March 30, operating on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays with 45-minute shows at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. each day at Oasis in AlUla.Garden of Moments will take place from February 20 to March 31 in AlUla’s Cultural Oasis District, featuring an interactive sensory experience.Some other events will be launched later on in the festival, but the details have not be released yet, these events include a hot air balloon experience, a musical performance entitled ‘Symphony Under the Stars’, as well as yoga, meditation and mindfulness event ‘Five Sense Sanctuary.’New flight routes launched New flight routes have been launched for people who are interested in visiting AlUla, Jones confirmed to Al Arabiya English.“We have just launched a flight on FlyNas that is twice a week from Dubai to AlUla and on March 2 we’ll be launching flights from FlyDubai to AlUla so getting to AlUla from Dubai has gotten much easier with direct, point-to-point flights in less than 3 hours to AlUla so it’s an easy way to get to the destination,” he explained.Dubai’s budget airline flydubai will begin to operate flights to AlUla in Saudi Arabia, becoming the first airline in the United Arab Emirates to add the destination to its network, a statement released by the airline on Friday revealed.The airline will start operating flights to AlUla via Prince Majeed bin Abdulaziz Airport (ULH) on March 2 (on Wednesdays and Saturdays) and is set to operate from Terminal 2 at Dubai International Airport (DXB).AlUla opened to travelers from across the world for the very first time in 2020. Visitors can now explore the historic remains and landmarks and learn more about the country’s rich cultural heritage.In AlUla, visitors will have access to a museum of preserved Nabataean tombs of Hegra, historical monuments and dwellings – both natural and man-made – and sandstone outcrops, representing around 200,000 years of largely unexplored human history, the statement read.The first international flight arrived in Saudi Arabia’s AlUla on November 18, opening a new path for travelers to visit what is being billed as the largest living museum in the world.The Saudi low-cost carrier Flynas, which took off from the United Arab Emirates’ Dubai International Airport, was welcomed by a water canon salute in the presence of representatives from the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) at around 3 p.m. local time.“We’ve also opened two new hotels, Habitat and at the end of March, Banyan Tree, which are two new luxury properties that will be open that will make it, I think, very exciting for visitors from Dubai and the surrounding region to experience one of the most amazing destinations in the Middle East. We invite everyone to go experiencealula.com to learn more.”Read more:Saudi Arabia: 4,500 year-old ‘funerary avenues,’ burial monuments discovered in AlUlaFirst international flight arrives in Saudi Arabia’s AlUla from UAEFlydubai adds Saudi Arabia’s AlUla to its network, resumes flights to Yanbu
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: ‘AlUla Moments’ set to feature immersive art experiences, eco-trail run, and more

Saudi Arabia’s air defenses have intercepted a drone targeting Abha’s airport, an Arab Coalition spokesperson said.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.At least 12 people of different nationalities were injured as a result of the attack on Thursday afternoon, the spokesperson added.Debris from the intercepted drone reportedly fell within the vicinity of the airport. Air traffic had returned to normal just over an hour after the initial report, the spokesperson said.“We will take firm operational measures in response to the threat of targeting civilian airports and travelers,” a coalition spokesperson said in a statement carried by the official SPA news agency.Abha, near Saudi Arabia’s southern border with Yemen, is a regular target of drone and missile strikes launched by the Iran-backed Houthi militia fighting coalition forces in Yemen.One notable attack occurred on Tuesday August 31, when eight civilians were injured after an explosive-laden drone was intercepted above the airport.Several attacks in June of 2019 led to the death of one Syrian national, and injured 47 others.A civil war has been raging in Yemen since the Iran-backed Houthis took control of the capital Sanaa in 2014.The Arab Coalition including Saudi Arabia and the UAE intervened in 2015.Read more: US, UAE to develop tech to stop drone attacks before launch as defense ties bolsterFrance to reinforce UAE defense system after Houthi attacksIran-backed Houthis launched missiles from civilian port and airport: Coalition
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: At least 12 people injured after drone intercepted above Saudi Arabia’s Abha airport

Dubai Civil Defense teams tackled a ‘small fire’ in a warehouse in the al-Khabaisi area of Deira on Thursday, according to the Emirate’s media office on Twitter. No casualties were reported.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.News of the fire was reported moments after an Arab Coalition spokesperson announced that Saudi air defenses intercepted a drone targeting Abha’s airport in the south of the country.The incident comes amidst heightened tensions after Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis launched unprecedented attacks on United Arab Emirates soil in January.There was no suggestion from authorities that Thursday’s warehouse fire was the result of an attack, and authorities have separately urged residents to follow official channels of information and avoid spreading rumors.Read more: Saudi air defenses intercept drone targeting airport, minor injuries reportedUAE's Abu Dhabi's civil defense extinguishes fire in building with no casualties: WAMHuge blaze breaks out in plastics factory in Dubai's Jebel Ali
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Authorities tackle fire in Dubai warehouse

The Arab Coalition asked residents of Sanaa to evacuate some “civilian sites” in the next 72 hours and warned of strikes on the Houthi militia in the area, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Thursday.“Crucial points will be bombed in Sanaa that the Houthis use to launch marches,” the Arab Coalition in a statement carried by SPA.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.It comes after the Iran-backed Houthi militia conducted a drone strike against Saudi Arabia’s Abha International Airport on Thursday, injuring 12 people.The Kingdom’s defenses intercepted the drone, but debris reportedly fell within the vicinity of the airport.Abha, near Saudi Arabia’s southern border with Yemen, is a regular target of drone and missile strikes launched by the Iran-backed Houthi militia fighting coalition forces in Yemen.“The Houthis have chosen to escalate blatantly by targeting civilian airports and civilians,” said the Arab Coalition in the SPA report.“Minor physical damages,” including glass panels in some of the airport’s facades was shattered, according to SPA.Jordan, Egypt and the Arab Parliament have been quick to condemn the attack.Meanwhile, the Arab Coalition conducted 18 targeted strikes in Yemen’s Marib and Hajjah in 24 hours, destroying 12 “military vehicles” and causing casualties to the Houthis, according to SPA.Read more:Biden talks US support for Saudi Arabia, energy supplies in call with King SalmanUN and Arab Coalition exchange information on alleged Yemen prison strikeFighting eases in Yemen’s Marib as Arab Coalition revamps forces
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Arab Coalition asks residents of Sanaa to evacuate ‘civilian sites,’ warns of strikes