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WARSAW: When she left the place she had known all her life to spend the next seven years in Poland, Danah Al-Abduljabbar knew that being thousands of miles away from home would not be easy, but she had a dream — and it was just beginning to come true.
It was the summer of 2016 when she left her home in Al-Qatif, eastern Saudi Arabia, to study at the Medical University of Warsaw.
One of the largest cities in Eastern Europe, the Polish capital was for her quieter than expected, which somehow made it feel comfortable, especially as everything else was so new and overwhelming.
She was only 17 at the time, “too young to open a bank account or sign an apartment lease,” which she remembers frightened her a bit, but she was not alone. Her father was in Warsaw too, making sure nothing would hinder her plans.
“My dad left around 10 days later. Then I really felt I was on my own, but for some reason I felt safe,” she said. “I have dreamt about studying abroad and being independent since middle school.”
Al-Abduljabbar was not afraid of being in a new place, in a different culture, among people whose language had only one thing in common with her native Arabic: being one of the world’s most difficult tongues.
“Definitely knowing who I am and my identity and being proud of it is what gave me the strength,” she told Arab News.
“The language barrier did not scare me as much as one would think. I was fortunate enough to travel when I was younger, and my dad would always teach us a few words in the spoken language of each country.”
Those few words soon grew into sentences, the sentences grew into conversations, and the conversations into friendships, not only for Al-Abduljabbar, but also for the other 34 Saudi students who last month graduated from different universities across Poland.
All of them now know how to speak Polish, navigate Eastern European culture, cope in subfreezing temperatures in the winter, and have experienced being dependent only on themselves.
For Noor Al-Awami, who graduated together with Al-Abduljabbar, that self-reliance was one of the most important things she learnt throughout those years.
“There’s nothing that empowers you as much as being alone,” she said.
But it was not always easy.
In difficult moments, what gave her strength was remembering where she came from, that her family believed in her and she would “always be in their prayers.”
Tahirah Al-Garrous, another student from the same group, would remind herself that she “came to Poland to achieve a goal,” and every such moment only got her closer to it.
“I’ve also learnt how to accept and tolerate people the way they are, without judging them,” she said. “I’ve learnt so many things, but one of the most important is how to enjoy the journey, not only the destination.”
The journey is not over yet — neither for her, nor for Al-Abduljabbar, Al-Awami and other medical graduates. As they return home, they will apply for one-year internships at hospitals to explore various specializations that will help them choose their own and become resident doctors.
But before that happens, they want to spend some time at home.
Al-Abduljabbar could not wait to be back as her mother and father arrived in Warsaw to help her pack and close the Polish chapter of her life.
“I’m a big family girl and I’ve missed them these past seven years,” she said.
“Staying in contact with them, video calling them from time to time, looking forward to the time I’m going to meet them again, is what kept me going.”
Poland offers a wide range of degree programs, but medicine has always been among the top choices of Saudi students.
This year’s graduates were mostly from medical schools. In Warsaw, more than half of them were women.
For the Kingdom’s envoy to Poland, Ambassador Saad Al-Saleh, it has been the reason for much pride.
“By 2030 we will have 70,000 students sent to study all over the world, and a large percentage of this number are and will be female students,” he told Arab News.
“It certainly makes me feel proud and happy. It also shows that Vision 2030 simply works, as the fact of their graduation fulfils our national objectives. I myself am a father to four daughters and it is very comforting to see that they have the chance to get the best education, in my country or abroad, and this will create an amazing platform to build their future and their careers.”
He knew well — and appreciated — the effort and determination of all those who, like the young women from the Medical University of Warsaw, chose difficult fields of study that for years separated them from home.
“I truly admire the persistence of our students in their striving for obtaining education at some of the most demanding faculties and academic paths,” he said.
“Being sometimes very far from their homes and families, they stay focused and reach their goals. That’s incredible.”
LONDON: Saudi Arabia’s Falcons Aerobatic Team has arrived in the UK to participate in the Royal International Air Tattoo 2023 exhibition, one of the largest airshows in the world, Saudi Press Agency said on Friday.
The Kingdom’s Royal Saudi Air Force team is set to perform an air display at the event with its Airbus 330 MRTT, BAE Systems Hawk and Lockheed C-130H Hercules.
The event runs from July 14 to 16.
RIAT is one of the world’s most important military airshows, which includes hundreds of modern military aircraft alongside classic aircraft from all corners of the globe, with some static and others flying performing thrilling air displays.
RIYADH: The Saudi minister of commerce and chairman at the General Authority for Foreign Trade chaired in Riyadh this week a preparation meeting ahead of upcoming Free Trade Agreement talks between Gulf States and the UK, Saudi Press Agency reported.
The meeting, headed up by Majid bin Abdullah Al-Qasabi, aims to prepare for the fourth round of free trade agreement negotiations between Gulf Cooperation Council countries and the UK taking place from July 17-28.
The fourth round will be held in two sessions; remote as well as in-person meetings in London.
During the meeting, deputy governor of the Commission for International Organizations and Agreements, Farid bin Saeed Al-Asali, reviewed the progress of the negotiations.
He outlined the terms of the agreement with the heads of the negotiating technical teams in addition to discussing topics related to commodities, rules of origin, investment, and services, electronic commerce, and general texts and provisions, the SPA report said.
The Saudi negotiating team is working to ensure their compatibility with the Kingdom’s commercial goals and policies, to participate in trade negotiations to include its negotiating positions and coordinate with countries with similar orientations in international trade, the report added.
LONDON: It takes courage and vision to make contemporary additions to precious heritage buildings in a bid to grant them a new lease of life, but the results are almost always successful and dramatic.
London, for example, has the Great Court of the British Museum, the striking turn-of-the-millennium transformation of the 19th-century building by renowned architect Sir Norman Foster, which when completed in 1999 created a breathtaking enclosed space uniting the two wings of the building under a gigantic roof of glass and steel.
In Paris, architect Ieoh Ming Pei’s imposing glass pyramid in the main courtyard of the Louvre was described as “sacrilegious” when the design, sheltering a vast new underground entrance lobby, was proposed in 1984 as a solution to the museum’s inability to handle the ever-increasing number of visitors drawn to the city’s number-one attraction.
Initially, as The New York Times reported in 1985, the design was described variously as “an architectural joke,” “an eyesore,” “an anachronistic intrusion of Egyptian death symbolism in the middle of Paris” and “a megalomaniacal folly.”
Today, however, the Louvre would not be the Louvre without its pyramid, and its attendant three smaller siblings, beloved of Parisians and photographed by tourists almost as much as the museum’s star attraction, Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa.
Less well known globally, but equally striking, is the ancient-and-modern blend that is Moritzburg Castle in Halle, near Leipzig, Germany. In 2008 the crumbling remnants of the 15th-century building, in neglected near-ruin for centuries, were not restored, but recruited as component parts of the thoroughly contemporary modern art museum that appeared to grow up organically out of the remains.
“By this means,” as the Kulturstiftung Sachsen-Anhalt cultural foundation said, “the palace and its colorful history have successfully been artistically brought into the present . . . Moritzburg Castle’s present architectural appearance thus also stands for the museum’s new beginnings at the start of the 21st century.”
Now the same might be said of a bold new plan to build a luxury boutique hotel within the precincts of the Saudi UNESCO World Heritage site of Hegra at AlUla.
The Chedi Hegra, due to open by the end of this year, is being constructed not as a standalone addition to one of the most dramatic landscapes Saudi Arabia has to offer, but by making imaginative use of a number of old buildings, including two outstanding pieces of architecture steeped in history — the Madaen Saleh railway station, a stop on the historic Hejaz railway that ran from Damascus to Madinah, and the adjacent Ottoman fort, one of a series built in the 18th century to protect pilgrims traveling to Makkah.
The history of this region is as rich as it is long. The Hegra archaeological area, which in 2008 became the first property in Saudi Arabia to be inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, is the largest conserved site of the Nabataean civilization south of Petra in Jordan.
At its heart is a stunning necropolis of 111 monumental tombs, most with decorated facades, carved out of the surrounding sandstone rocks between the 1st century BCE and the 1st century AD.
Earlier civilizations left their mark here too. Located in a valley settled from remote antiquity thanks to the presence of ample subterranean water, in this location before the rise of the Nabataeans ruled the sheikdom of Dadan, and then the Kingdom of Lihyan, both of which left traces of their passing in the rocks and the sand.
Ancient Hegra, as the UNESCO nomination document attests, was “at the crossroad of international trade and of different cultures and civilizations, and played a key role in the exchange of goods and cultural traditions between Arabia and the Mediterranean world, becoming a wealthy and important halt for the caravans crossing the Arabian Peninsula carrying incense and spices from Yemen and India.”
And more recent history, no less fascinating, can be found within the UNESCO site, including the path of one of the three great Hajj pilgrimage routes, all of which are on Saudi Arabia’s UNESCO Tentative List as potential future World Heritage Sites.
Alongside the Darb Zubaydah, which linked the Iraqi city of Kufa to Makkah, and the Egyptian Hajj road, from Haqel on the Gulf of Aqaba, runs the Syrian Hajj road from Damascus, which passed through AlUla on its way south to Makkah.
The Hegra archaeological area is the largest conserved site of the Nabataean civilization south of Petra in Jordan.
In 2008 the area became the first property in Saudi Arabia to be inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List.
The area contains a necropolis of 111 tombs carved out of sandstone rocks between the 1st century BCE and the 1st century AD.
In addition to its Islamic heritage, this is a road that was traveled for centuries by traders and Bedouin, many of whom left their marks in ancient rock carvings along the route.
The square, thick-walled Hegra fortress, which dates from 1744 to 1757 and has an ancient well in its courtyard, was one of the many forts built to protect the pilgrims’ routes to Makkah.
It was partially renovated in 1985, and not for the first time — it is thought that it was previously restored in the late Ottoman period, probably when the railway station was built, in about 1906.
The historic Hejaz railway, which ran 1,300 km from Damascus to Madinah, was built by the Ottoman Empire before World War I and followed the course of the old Syrian pilgrimage caravan route.
The 700 km section of the railway that ran through what is now Saudi Arabia is also on UNESCO’s Tentative List as a potential World Heritage site of universal importance.
One of the great engineering achievements of its day — and all the more significant historically because its construction was funded by donations from Islamic communities around the world — the railway reduced the journey time for pilgrims to Makkah from about six weeks to just a few days.
The railway was also used to carry Ottoman forces south to maintain Turkish control over the Hejaz, but after being repeatedly attacked and disabled during World War I by T.E. Lawrence (“of Arabia”) and the forces of the Arab Revolt, it fell into disuse, never to be restored.
Today, traces of the railway can still be seen all along its route — tracks, half-buried in sand, toppled engines lying where they fell after being blown up by mines more than a century ago, and more than 2,000 bridges and other structures along its total length.
Now, both the railway station and the Ottoman fort are to find a new lease of life as component parts of the new hotel, as part of the broader determination in a Saudi Arabia focused on diversifying away from dependence on fossil fuels to attract visitors by making the most of its many heritage assets.
This is, of course, not the first time that ancient and modern have been brought together as Saudi Arabia pursues its ambitious plans to develop the country’s potential as a hub for cultural tourism.
Until now, perhaps the most striking example of this determination not to treat heritage assets as museum pieces, frozen in time, but to breathe new life into them as key attractions is the preservation of Diriyah, birthplace of the Kingdom, as the jewel at the heart of the architecturally sympatico Diriyah Gate development just west of Riyadh.
But the plan for Hegra, executed audaciously and confidently within the bounds of a World Heritage site, sets a new standard for bold reimagination of heritage assets.
And this is about far more than merely the creation of yet another luxury hotel. The Chedi Hegra, the first hotel planned for the World Heritage site, is part of the wider mission of the Royal Commission for AlUla, working with local and international experts in archaeology, heritage conservation and preservation, architecture and master planning “to deliver an environmentally and historically sensitive transformation of AlUla.”
RCU is building the hotel directly into several existing structures, including the railway station and Hegra Fort, with existing structural and exterior walls, some of which are of historic mud-brick construction, being preserved and integrated with the modern architecture.
The vast majority of the UNESCO World Heritage site, says RCU, “will remain untouched by construction and carefully preserved by RCU to maintain the integrity of Hegra’s incredible human and natural heritage.”
The Chedi Hegra, says John Northen, the RCU’s vice president of hotels and resorts, “embodies the fulfilment of our Journey Through Time master plan, with its deep respect for heritage, sustainable design features, and an authentic luxury experience that celebrates what makes AlUla a special destination for travelers seeking both comfort and adventure.”
READ MORE: The Journey Through Time: A master plan for preserving and sustainably developing Saudi Arabia’s ancient AlUla
Equally important, with the relatively modest but pioneering Chedi Hegra — the construction of which will use local materials, businesses and labor, and when up and running is expected to create at least 120 jobs — the RCU is demonstrating its determination to work hand in hand with the local community and to “invest in education and learning for AlUla’s next generation and create training and employment opportunities for its people.”
In AlUla, thanks to a bold and imaginative blending of the old and the new, Saudi Arabia is demonstrating how its past can play an increasingly important role in its future.
RIYADH: Months ago, Yasmine Idriss saw herself in a dream, surrounded by cascading waterfalls, lush greenery, and the high peaks of mountain ranges. Although it was only a vague vision, she knew it was Iceland.
On Tuesday, Idriss began her attempt to cycle around Iceland’s Ring Road or Route 1, a nearly 1,400 km road that goes around the country, a popular route for tourists who want to explore.
It is a journey of a lifetime and should she complete it, she would become the first Arab and Saudi woman to do so.
She told Arab News: “If I had no obstacles in my way, what would I do? This is what came up. I wanted to take time to be on a real adventure — a difficult one. One that would push me to my limits and force me to grow.”
As a self-supported explorer, she is cycling with around 32 kg of camping gear and equipment, water, and other essentials for the trip.
Idriss plans on using camp grounds for accommodation and will stop at hotels along the way to freshen up.
• Idriss on Thursday began her attempt to cycle around Iceland’s Ring Road or Route 1, a nearly 1,400 km road that goes around the country, a popular route for tourists who want to explore.
• It is a journey of a lifetime and should she complete it, she would become the first Arab and Saudi woman to do so. As a self-supported explorer, she is cycling with around 32 kg of camping gear and equipment, water, and other essentials for the trip.
For the next three weeks, including four rest days, she will be cycling an average of 80 km daily.
However, plans can easily change when facing the elements: “The thing with Iceland is, it’a open. It’s all (mostly) flat, there are no obstacles and there are no trees — which is why it’s so windy, because there’s nothing to stop the wind.
“What people tell you about these things is that you’re never really ready. You can try to simulate the experience as much as you want. But the real deal is always going to be tougher, and there’s nothing I can do to simulate the wind,” she said.
Idriss, who is sharing updates from the journey on her Instagram account @yasidriss, wrote in the first post that she is on the road with peak winds of 24-48 km/h.
As a novice biker, the Nordic landscape serves as the perfect doorway for cross-country exploration. “It’s such a raw country … I’m excited to just be at the mercy of the elements, in a way, as a primitive, primal way of being and exploring a country,” she added.
Idriss dived into the newness of it all with determination. She spent the first half of the year preparing for the adventure with training sessions with a cycling coach four times a week and strength training three times a week.
The training gave her new biking skills like clipping in, riding one handed, and swiftly mounting on and off.
Idriss noted that these are things that someone who grew up riding bicycles could do in their sleep, but she had to take the time to learn.
While new to the pedals, Idriss has previously trekked across Spain, parts of Europe, and Southeast Asia. She described feeling a sense of euphoria when the fatigue would set in after a long day and she would have no choice but to rest for the night.
Recalling that experience, she said: “That’s when something switches. Whether it’s our survival instinct, or something spiritual … You feel something that I can’t really name that takes over. That’s the prize that you win for putting yourself through this kind of stuff.”
She seems to hold a deep admiration for the opportunities that lie in going on adventures, testing the body’s strength, and being close to nature.
“There is something to gain from discomfort, and it is growth. It’s how we’ve survived for millions of years as human beings. It’s how we grow and expand our hearts and our minds. That’s really what I’m after.”
There have been a number of Saudi women who have taken up challenging endeavors in nature. In 2019, Mona Shahab climbed Mount Everest and used the ascent to raise money for underprivileged children in Egypt. In 2016, Mariam Saleh Binladen crossed the English Channel, as part of a series of ultimate endurance challenges to raise awareness of the plight of Syrian orphan children.
“It feels like a Saudi woman today has no obstacles in front of her. If you think about everything from government and businesses to the service industry, women are at the forefront everywhere and I think there’s never been a better time for the Arab woman to shine,” she noted.
Following on the path of the pursuit of one’s own dreams, Idriss’s Nordic Ring Road adventure is to inspired others to pursue their personal goals. It’s like the self-care airplane analogy states: you must put on your own oxygen mask before you assist others.
“I think I purposely am doing this without a cause to encourage people to do things for themselves … I’m just excited to see what’s waiting for me there. I know I’m supposed to learn something I’m supposed to grow in a certain way that I’ll only find out after the trip.”
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has affirmed the importance of enhancing cooperative relations to diversify financing mechanisms for research and development in order to realize opportunities in the 21st century.
Munir bin Mahmoud El-Desouki, supervisor of the founding team of the Saudi Research, Development, and Innovation Authority, said at the G20 Research and Innovation Initiative Gathering Summit in India that this would help create a more prosperous future for all.
El-Desouki, the head of the Kingdom’s delegation at the summit, said that research and innovation contributed to achieving social and economic progress and sustainable development.