Latest news with #AlAhsa
Zawya
14-07-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Al-Ahsa launches first direct flight to Turkey
Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia, inaugurated the launch of the first seasonal direct flight between Al-Ahsa International Airport and Rize–Artvin International Airport in Turkey. This launch is a collaboration between Turkish Airlines and Al Ghazal Travel and Tourism Agency, reported SPA. The Governor of Al-Ahsa, Prince Saud bin Talal bin Badr, inaugurated the launch, which was attended by several officials. This inauguration is part of the expansion plans for seasonal destinations served by Al-Ahsa International Airport, aimed at enhancing air connectivity and broadening international travel options for passengers from the governorate and the Eastern Region, particularly during the summer season. It also aligns with the efforts of the Al-Ahsa Development Authority to support the development of Al-Ahsa International Airport and enhance its services. Prince Saud emphasised that this step reflects the continued and unwavering support of the wise leadership for the civil aviation and air transport sector, as well as its ongoing commitment to infrastructure development and enhancing service quality for citizens and residents. The initiative supports the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030 in developing the tourism and economic sectors and meets the aspirations of the people of Al-Ahsa for direct international flights from their local airport. Copyright 2024 Al Hilal Publishing and Marketing Group Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
Arab News
10-07-2025
- Business
- Arab News
Al-Ahsa governor launches direct flights to Turkish Black Sea region
RIYADH: Prince Saud bin Talal bin Badr, governor of Al-Ahsa, inaugurated the launch of the first direct seasonal flights between Al-Ahsa International Airport and Rize-Artvin Airport in Turkiye on Thursday, the Saudi Press Agency reported. The launch was in cooperation with Turkish Airlines and Al-Ghazal Travel and Tourism Agency, and in the presence of several officials. According to SPA, the inauguration is part of the expansion plans for seasonal destinations served by Al-Ahsa International Airport, with the aim of enhancing air connectivity and broadening international travel options for passengers from the governorate and the Eastern Province, particularly during the summer season. It is also part of the efforts by the Al-Ahsa Development Authority to support the development of Al-Ahsa International Airport and enhance its services. Prince Saud said that this step was an extension of the leadership's support for the civil aviation and air transport sector, as well as its commitment to developing infrastructure and enhancing the quality of services provided to citizens and residents. According to SPA, this aligns with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 to grow the tourism and economic sectors and meets the aspirations of the residents of Al-Ahsa governorate to have direct international flights through the local airport. Prince Saud praised all government and private entities that contributed to activating the flights, stressing the importance of strengthening integration among various sectors to provide high-quality services that reflected the stature of Al-Ahsa, contributed to its tourism and economic development, and reinforced the role of Al-Ahsa International Airport as a growing regional hub in air transport. The CEO of Dammam Airports Company, Mohammed bin Ali Al-Hassany, said that the new destination to Rize-Artvin Airport came within the plan for seasonal flights for the summer of 2025, which would contribute to enhancing international travel and tourism through Al-Ahsa International Airport.
Arab News
07-07-2025
- Business
- Arab News
Al-Ahsa signs $400m in development deals to boost tourism, services
RIYADH: Five investment contracts worth SR1.5 billion ($400 million) were signed by Al-Ahsa municipality to advance a series of development and service projects across the region. The agreements, concluded in the presence of Al-Ahsa Gov. Prince Saud bin Talal and Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing Majed Al-Hogail, are intended to enhance municipal services and improve quality of life for residents, the Saudi Press Agency reported. The deals cover the development of the Jabal Abu Hsais tourist resort, the construction of a vehicle appraisal center, and the establishment of a periodic vehicle inspection facility. They also include the redevelopment of the King Abdullah Cultural Center and the creation of a date processing factory in Al-Ahsa. These projects are part of broader efforts to diversify the local economy and attract investment into the governorate, highlighting the strategic importance of the Al-Ahsa region, which spans approximately 379,000 sq. km — about 20 percent of Saudi Arabia's total land area. Prince Saud stated that these projects represent a fundamental pillar in the region's comprehensive development strategy, aligning with the leadership's aspirations to strengthen sustainability in the implementation of strategic plans and to make optimal use of Al-Ahsa's cultural and economic resources, according to the SPA report. In addition to the investment contracts, Al-Ahsa municipality signed three memoranda of understanding to implement 11 projects focused primarily on establishing parks and urban enhancements under the 'Bahja' project and the Saudi Green Initiative. The National Housing Co. committed to building eight parks in various locations across Al-Ahsa. Retal Urban Development, represented by the chief operating officer Yousef Al-Hamoudi, agreed to develop two parks in Al-Badriya district of Hofuf, while Abdullah Al-Abdulqader, board member at Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, pledged to fund a 2,000-sq.-meter park in Al-Asima neighborhood. Al-Ahsa Mayor Essam Al-Mulla explained that the agreements form part of the municipality's objectives to serve the community, deliver projects and initiatives that advance development, and establish integration between public and private sectors in pursuit of sustainable growth consistent with Saudi Vision 2030, according to the SPA report. During the signing ceremony, Prince Saud and the minister inaugurated the 'Al-Ahsa: Future and Development' exhibition, which showcased municipal services, infrastructure projects, and quality of life initiatives. They also handed over residential units to beneficiaries of the developmental housing program in Al-Ahsa. Building on these initiatives, Al-Ahsa also witnessed a sharp rise in tourism in 2024, with visitor numbers increasing by 500 percent to reach 3.2 million. As a result, total tourist spending exceeded SR3.3 billion, marking a 400 percent increase compared to 2019. These figures highlight the region's growing appeal and underscore the impact of continued investment in infrastructure and services.
Khaleej Times
03-07-2025
- Khaleej Times
How Ras Al Khaimah's first professional photographer captured more than faces
The following story is based on the recollections of Amina Mohammed Alnamer and Basem Mohammed Alnamer, the children of the late Mohammad Abdullah Alnamer, who passed away on April 26, 1990. Before electricity lit the streets of Ras Al Khaimah, before passports carried photographs, and before studios bore names, there was one man behind the lens: Mohammad Abdullah Alnamer. A former goldsmith from Al-Ahsa in Saudi Arabia, Alnamer would go on to become the first professional photographer in Ras Al Khaimah, a man who gave identity to its people, one portrait at a time. Born in 1908, Mohammad Abdullah Alnamer began his working life as a young goldsmith and silversmith. But his ambition soon pushed him beyond the trade of precious metals. At just 16 years old, newly married and full of determination, he left Al-Ahsa in search of opportunity. His journey took him by camel through Qatar and then by sea, braving storms until he reached Dalma Island and eventually Ras Al Khaimah, where he would begin a new chapter. Initially, he resumed his craft in goldsmithing. However, when the Ras Al Khaimah government banned gold extraction from coastal areas, including the once-thriving site of Al Mataf, Alnamer pivoted quickly. He entered the food trade, and soon after, his reliability and attention to detail led to his appointment by the late Sheikh Saqr bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, the Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah from 1948 until he died in 2010, as the official writer of travel permits in the emirate. His relationship with Sheikh Saqr was built not just on service, but on mutual trust and respect. Alnamer's duties expanded beyond photography to include writing and approving passports, documenting accidents, and supporting the civic infrastructure. He was granted rare access to sensitive areas, including the old fort where official documents were stamped and sealed. In his early 30s, responding to a growing need for official identification photographs, Sheikh Saqr personally sent Alnamer to Dubai to train under Abdullah Qambar, the only professional photographer in the area at the time. After just six days of intensive learning, he returned with a camera and a purpose. According to his daughter, Amina Mohammed Alnamer, 'My father was the perfect example of a responsible man someone trusted with people's faces and official documents, and who carried that responsibility with honesty and calm dignity.' Soon after his return, Alnamer ordered his first camera from Kuwait, paying Rs1,200, a substantial amount at the time, roughly equivalent to Dh51 today. He opened Studio Al-Orouba in Julfar, the first photography studio in Ras Al Khaimah. The studio was so vital to the city's development that it was equipped with the emirate's first dedicated electricity meter installed solely to power his photographic equipment. In an era when electricity was a rare commodity, Alnamer's darkroom was a quiet theatre of precision. He developed photos under a red lightbulb or beneath shaded palm-frond shelters. In the hot summers, he would work under an arish in Al Hudaibah, using car headlights to illuminate the process. 'He worked day and night,' said Amina. 'The whole family helped seal envelopes with starch, cutting photo paper by hand, and labeling every image. There was so little, but everything was done with care and dignity.' Though Mohammad Alnamer passed away on April 26, 1990, on the morning of Eid, his contributions have not faded. They've only grown more visible. His legacy was honored during RAK Heritage Days last year, where 18 of his original passport photographs were exhibited, highlighting the pivotal role he played in documenting the emirate's visual history. People came across Ras Al Khaimah, as well as from Umm Al Quwain, Fujairah, and Khasab, to be photographed by him. He became the go-to man for passport photos, identity documents, and even traffic incident reports. 'He never thought of profit,' said Amina. 'He charged one rupee for a photo and gave four copies. What mattered to him was seeing satisfaction on people's faces.' Alnamer's dedication to detail extended far beyond the studio. He meticulously archived every photograph, accompanied by handwritten notes that included names, dates, and places. His daughter recalls, 'He always said that people would one day come back to his archive. I heard him tell my mother that more than once. And now, that's exactly what's happening: history is uncovering his work, just as people once searched for gold in Al Mataf. I wish he were here to see that what he created after leaving gold behind turned out to be more valuable than gold itself.' At home, with six daughters and two sons, he built his family life with the same care he applied to his photography. 'He built our lives the way an architect lays bricks,' said Amina. 'Every detail mattered. He was tender, but deeply responsible.' He also remained close to his roots in Al-Ahsa, sending letters and gifts to his relatives, always expressing love through small, thoughtful gestures. In 2019, nearly three decades after his death, the family reopened his archive stored in boxes and envelopes and rediscovered thousands of carefully preserved photographs, many of which were labeled and intact. While some film negatives were damaged by time, the majority remained usable, a treasure trove of the nation's visual memory. Today, two of his children and three of his grandchildren have followed in his footsteps. 'The profession didn't pass on to all of us, but the passion did,' said his son Basem Mohammed Alnamer. Mohammad Abdullah Alnamer may have given up gold, but in the end, he preserved something far more enduring. Through his lens, he gave identity, memory, and voice to the people of Ras Al Khaimah.
Arab News
30-06-2025
- Arab News
Early date harvest begins in Al-Ahsa
JEDDAH: As temperatures rise, Al-Ahsa is witnessing the early signs of its annual date harvest, with farmers beginning to reap the season's first rutab — dates in the soft, early-ripening stage of dates. The harvest typically spans May 20 to July 20, marking an important period for both local agriculture and the national date market. This year, markets across Saudi Arabia are preparing to welcome over 20 varieties of premium dates cultivated in Al-Ahsa, including the highly favored Khalas, Shishi, and Ghar varieties. The Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture has confirmed the 2025 rutab season in Al-Ahsa signals a promising yield, with initial quantities already making their way across the Kingdom. Varieties such as Rutab Al-Tayyar, Majnaz, Ghar, Khneizi, Shishi and Khalas are expected to arrive at different stages throughout the harvest period, offering a steady flow of fresh produce. The harvest of the late-season rutab is set to begin in early July and will continue until mid-August, featuring prized varieties like Um Rahim, Zamli, Shahl, and Hilali. Following the rutab season, Al-Ahsa will move into the full date (tamr) harvest from mid-August to early October, with popular varieties such as Shishi, Khalas and Raziz forming the core of this stage. In addition to fresh dates, Al-Ahsa is also known for producing some of the finest varieties for molasses (dibs), including varieties like Marzban, Hatemi and Shahl, highly valued for their rich flavor and syrupy texture. Al-Ahsa, recognized as the largest palm oasis in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is home to more than 2 million palm trees. Each year, the region produces over 120,000 tons of dates, making it a cornerstone of Saudi Arabia's agricultural landscape. With its unique blend of fertile land, deep-rooted heritage, and diverse produce, it continues to be a global center for date cultivation and a vital contributor to the Kingdom's cultural and economic identity.
