Tag: saudi arabia
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The Shemagh: An Arabian Tradition and Its Place in the World
By Joshua Van Alstine The shemagh (الشماغ) is Arabian. Not Arabian in the sense of cultural association or political symbolism, but Arabian in the oldest and most precise sense: it emerged from the civilizations of the Arabian Peninsula and the Mesopotamian river basin, was shaped by the ecology and social structures of desert pastoral life…
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The Bedouin Code of Hospitality
Ḥaqq al-Ḍayf (حق الضيف) and Karāmat al-Ḍayf (كرامة الضيف) in Arabian Moral Economy Hospitality in Bedouin society is not merely a social virtue but a normative system regulating survival, honor, and economic exchange in arid environments. This article examines the conceptual and practical distinction between Ḥaqq al-Ḍayf (حق الضيف)—the right of the guest—and Karāmat al-Ḍayf…
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In Ancient Camel Racing, Humans Are Replacing Robots
Why Gulf camel racing is reintroducing adult jockeys in the age of robots Camel racing in the Gulf has spent the last two decades defined by an object: a small robot strapped to a saddle, controlled from a convoy of cars running parallel to the track. That robot did not appear because the region wanted…
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The Doors of AlUla: Thresholds of Memory and Craft
Across the sandstone valleys of AlUla, where ancient inscriptions meet the whispers of palm leaves, even the simplest doorway tells a story. These doors — often overlooked by hurried visitors — are among the most intimate artifacts of the town’s vernacular architecture. Each bāb (باب, door) stands as a threshold between the private and public…
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Salman bin Abdulaziz: The Historian King Shaping a Nation’s Future
King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud is the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and the seventh King of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He assumed the throne on January 23, 2015, and is the fifteenth ruler of the Saudi state since 1727. His leadership blends a historian’s regard for origins with a statesman’s drive…
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King Fahd bin Abdulaziz : Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and Architect of Modern Saudi Arabia
King Fahd bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (1921–2005) was the fifth King of Saudi Arabia, ruling from 1982 until his passing in 2005. His reign of 23 years was one of the longest in Saudi history and transformed the Kingdom into a modern state with global influence. Known as the first monarch to adopt the title…
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King Saud: From Crown Prince to Builder of the Modern State
King Saud bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (1902–1969) was born in Kuwait in the same year his father recaptured Riyadh, marking the rebirth of the Saudi state. He memorized the Qur’an by the age of eleven and was raised under the guidance of King Abdulaziz and Imam Abdulrahman. From his youth, he was immersed in military…
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Saudi National Day: The Story of a Homeland
A Decree that Changed History On 17 Jumādā al-Ūlā 1351H (19 September 1932), King Abdulaziz Al Saud issued Royal Decree No. 2716, uniting the Kingdom of Hejaz and Najd with their dependencies into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (al-Mamlaka al-ʿArabiyya al-Saʿūdiyya – المملكة العربية السعودية).The decree took effect on 23 September 1932 (21 Jumādā al-Ūlā…
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Mapping Memory: Saudi Arabia’s Expanding Cultural Landscape
Numbers can tell stories if we listen closely. The latest figures on Saudi Arabia’s cultural heritage—9,119 registered archaeological sites, 28,000 registered urban heritage sites, 8,644 artisans under the Commission, 8 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and 16 cultural heritage elements inscribed with UNESCO—are not simply data points. They are signposts in an ongoing national project to…
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“We gathered, we Arabs, beneath the fig tree’s shade…
“اجتمعنا مع بعض العرب تحت الحماطـه .. حن قلبي على دار الدواء وانا لحالي” “We gathered, we Arabs, beneath the fig tree’s shade…My heart aches for that home of warmth, now that I sit alone.” Under the branches of a Ficus carica, the fig tree (hamaatah), a poet once found both companionship and silence. In…