Ministry of Culture is working to bring back the joy of traditional Ramadan play
Even in the age of modern entertainment, the spirit of Ramadan games lives on
Updated 3 min 43 sec ago
Wasan Almakhlafi
RIYADH: Ramadan, a time of gathering and reflection, has long featured games that build community and create a vibrant atmosphere.
From strategic board games to fast-paced team sports, these traditional activities were once a staple of Ramadan nights, promoting a sense of camaraderie and competition.
“In the past, Ramadan was different in terms of social gatherings,” said Hitham Abdu Sheany, an Arabic teacher at an elementary school in Jazan who grew up playing these traditional games.
“There were more family get-togethers, even for those who lived far away. We always spent Ramadan with our families, and because there were so many children around, we played a lot of games,” he said.
These games were central to Ramadan’s social life, connecting generations and preserving cultural traditions.
After Taraweeh prayers, children and adults alike would take part in a variety of games. One of the most popular was farfirah, known commonly as foosball, which saw players compete in fast-paced matches, using rods to control miniature figures and score goals.
“We played farfirah until a team won,” Sheany recalled. “Then, we would all have dinner before heading to the recreation center, where Ramadan tournaments were held. In the past, everyone attended these tournaments, from children to the elderly.”
Another favorite was carrom, a game of precision and strategy played on a wooden board. Using finger flicks to send colored discs into the corner pockets, players needed skill and patience to outmaneuver their opponents.
Games such as dominos and baloot, a trick-taking card game, were also popular pastimes that encouraged strategic thinking and friendly competition.
Outdoor sports played a significant role in Ramadan traditions as well. Volleyball was particularly beloved, with neighborhood tournaments taking place after Fajr prayers.
“Every neighborhood had a volleyball game going on,” Sheany said.
“Even in some homes, people would set up nets and play together,” he added.
These games not only provided entertainment but also reinforced bonds between neighbors and friends.
According to Sheany, traditional games held a special societal value. “These games strengthened connections within neighborhoods,” he said. “We played honestly and with true competition, making friends in the process.”
He said that while modern entertainment, including electronic games and social media, has changed how people interact, there were still those who appreciated the charm of these traditional activities.
Recognizing the cultural significance of these games, the Ministry of Culture has taken steps to revive them through its Ramadan Season events.
Over the past two years, initiatives have been launched to bring back the communal spirit of Ramadan, featuring traditional games such as carrom, dominos and farfirah, alongside sporting competitions such as the Ramadan marathon and the padel championship.
These efforts aim to preserve the essence of Ramadan gatherings and introduce younger generations to the joy of traditional play.
Although times have changed, the spirit of traditional games lives on in family homes, neighborhood gatherings and organized events, continuing to be a reminder of the values of teamwork, friendly rivalry and shared joy.
‘Walking Guide’ volunteer service introduced for Grand Mosque pilgrims
Service provides assistance to those with mobility difficulties
Guides facilitate movement throughout the mosque complex
Updated 21 March 2025
Tareq Al-Thaqafi
MAKKAH: A new volunteer assistance service has been introduced at Saudi Arabia’s two holy mosques to aid pilgrims, particularly the elderly and disabled.
The General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques announced the program as part of broader efforts to improve the pilgrimage experience.
Speaking to Arab News, the initiative’s director, Bassem Wahbo, explained that guides are identifiable through prominent signage and floor markers that pinpoint their locations.
“This system creates effective connections between locations and nearby services, representing a critical advancement in our visitor assistance capabilities, supporting the initiative’s goals of providing effective and direct assistance to (visitors),” Wahbo said.
“We provide precise guidance to ensure all visitors enjoy a comfortable and smooth experience, with special focus on elderly and disabled pilgrims by directing them to dedicated pathways and services that facilitate easy access to their destinations,” he added.
The initiative serves multiple purposes, mainly facilitating movement throughout the mosque complex, providing assistance to worshippers navigating to prayer areas and services, supporting vulnerable visitors to ensure their comfort during religious rituals, and directing people to optimal routes and available amenities.
The authority emphasized its ongoing commitment to supporting elderly and disabled visitors through specialized guidance services to help them reach their destinations with ease.
Hajj and Umrah specialist Saad Al-Sharif praised the initiative as “exceptional,” noting its comprehensive approach to visitor assistance.
“The guides provide crucial field direction to circumambulation areas, Sa’i, prayer halls, entrances, exits, and service locations. They reunite lost individuals — particularly children and elderly pilgrims — with their proper destinations and offer multilingual assistance to international visitors,” Al-Sharif explained.
Umrah performer Abdulrahman Faisal highlighted the teams’ importance in emergency response situations.
“They provide immediate assistance to visitors experiencing difficulties such as heat stress or exhaustion and coordinate with relevant authorities when necessary,” he said.
He explained that it is particularly important to guide Umrah performers and tourists toward correct behaviors inside the mosque to preserve the sanctity of the place and maintain orderly movement, which the authorities are working hard to achieve.
Faisal noted that guides operate within a mobile system, patrolling the mosque complex with identification badges and communication devices.
They are strategically positioned at key locations including entrances, the Tawaf area, the Sa’i walkway, and main gates.
“Their use of smart applications and digital mapping technology to deliver accurate, instant information is particularly impressive,” he added.
The service has already reportedly reduced instances of disorientation among visitors while improving the ritual experience and enhancing overall organization.
KSrelief concludes open-heart surgery project in Yemen
25 Yemenis benefit from free open-heart operations in Aden
Updated 21 March 2025
Arab News
ADEN: Medical volunteers from the Kingdom’s aid agency KSrelief successfully performed 25 free open-heart surgeries in Yemen’s Aden governorate recently, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Thursday.
The members of the mission, which took place from March 11 to 18, also performed 65 cardiac catheterization procedures and six transcatheter aortic valve implantation procedures.
Twelve volunteers participated in the mission, a joint project of KSrelief and the Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen.
This was a part of KSrelief’s free medical program that is being implemented worldwide, the SPA report stated.
How AI is transforming music discovery and production in Saudi Arabia
AI is creating new music experiences while preserving the Kingdom’s musical heritage through initiatives like MusiqAI
MDLBEAST Records, another Saudi initiative, leverages AI tools to spark creativity in music production
Updated 21 March 2025
JASMINE BAGER & HAJAR ALQUSAYER
RIYADH: As artificial intelligence continues to evolve, its influence in Saudi Arabia and globally extends far beyond personalizing music experiences. It is reshaping how music is created, consumed, and taught, revolutionizing the industry.
Musicians across the Kingdom are embracing new technology, with major local initiatives such as MDLBEAST Records leading the charge.
“MDLBEAST Records believes AI is a powerful tool for sparking initial creative inspiration in music production — whether generating a first beat, a musical bar, or a legitimate sample,” Matthew Dicks, executive director of music and talent at MDLBEAST Records, told Arab News.
“We encourage our artists to explore these possibilities within a framework of creative freedom.”
Launched in 2020, MDLBEAST Records is a Saudi Arabia label that promotes and develops talent from the Middle East and North Africa region.
Part of MDLBEAST entertainment, its roster includes local stars Cosmicat and Dish Dash, among others, along with international names including Salvatore Ganacci.
Matthew Dicks, executive director of music and talent at MDLBEAST Records. (MDLBeast photo)
While embracing AI’s creative potential, he emphasized the importance of ethics. “We also recognize the ethical complexities surrounding AI in music,” said Dicks. “It is paramount that the rights of original songwriters and rights holders are always respected.
“Copying, ripping, replicating, or infringing on intellectual property is strictly unacceptable. We are committed to navigating the evolving landscape of AI in music responsibly, ensuring its use enhances human creativity while upholding the integrity of artistic ownership.”
Beyond MDLBEAST Records, Saudi Arabia is making strides in preserving its musical heritage while fostering innovation. In late 2024, the Saudi Music Commission launched MusiqAI, an initiative integrating AI-driven interactive learning to teach both Arab and Western instruments.
Unlike global platforms such as Suno, AIVA and Soundful, MusiqAI prioritizes Saudi sounds and Arab musical heritage, offering lessons on traditional instruments including the oud and qanun alongside the piano and guitar.
In line with Vision 2030, the platform nurtures musical talent through AI-powered real-time feedback, personalized lesson plans, and accredited certifications.
By blending cultural preservation with advanced technology, it aims to set a new standard for digital music education both regionally and globally.
DID YOU KNOW?
• The global market for AI in music is projected to grow from $3.9 billion in 2023 to $38.7 billion by 2033.
• AI tools such as AIVA, Mubert, and Suno are already used for backing tracks, jingles, and even entire songs.
• Platforms like Spotify use AI to analyze user preferences and suggest music based on listening habits.
AI has also been used to enhance music discovery by adapting to individual preferences in real time, striking a balance between familiarity and exploration.
“AI and personalization help you listen to more of what you like,” Akshat Harbola, managing director of Spotify MENA, told Arab News. “And then what we try to do is introduce you to something you haven’t been exposed to in the past, but you might like it.”
As generative AI advances, the cost of developing innovative listening experiences is falling — a shift that Harbola believes is transformative for the industry.
Akshat Harbola, managing director of Spotify MENA. (Supplied)
“If we were to try to do something like this maybe five years back, it would be impossible because the cost would be so high,” he said. “You would have had to hire transcribers, producers, and you just wouldn’t be able to do it.
“But now we are able to deliver these personalized sessions to millions of users.”
Despite AI’s growing influence, Harbola said human expertise will remain essential. “The role of humans in AI, and when it comes to personalization, is actually going to increase over time — especially in music,” he said.
He also highlighted the importance of cultural nuances in AI-driven recommendations, noting that even shared musical tastes can differ by location.
Aas AI continues to reshape the music industry, ethical concerns surrounding copyright and artistic integrity remain a significant topic of debate among musicians and creators. (Supplied)
“Even if you have the same music taste, what makes sense for somebody in Jeddah may not make sense for somebody in Sao Paulo,” he said. “So it’s very important that human and cultural expertise is built into what the machines are recommending and the products we’re rolling out.”
Nevertheless, as AI continues to reshape the music industry, ethical concerns surrounding copyright and artistic integrity remain a significant topic of debate among musicians and creators.
Addressing these concerns, Harbola emphasized the platform’s strict stance on copyright compliance. “We are very clear that any content that infringes copyright cannot be on Spotify,” he said.
Siddiq “Sidney” Malik, a filmmaker and user of AI in music, echoed this sentiment. “We’re at the intersection of creativity and technology,” he told Arab News. “We’re sort of working to adapt the future of entertainment while we’re actively shaping it.”
Malik views AI as an empowering tool that is cost-effective, innovative, and cutting-edge, particularly in breaking linguistic barriers. “This allows for a new era of accessibility and artistic expression,” he said. “It’s more than just a basic tool.”
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Malik said it is not just about typing a prompt into a platform like ChatGPT — it is about creating an entire ecosystem.
“We’re deeply invested in the transformative power of AI music, but the key thing is that we believe it’s not about replacing human creativity — it’s about amplifying it,” he said.
However, he warned that musicians who resist AI adoption could later face competition from advanced tools. “It’s a critical moment for creators whereby if they do not embrace and collaborate with AI, they run the risk of competing with AI — which will be impossible.”
Drawing parallels to shifts in the film industry, Malik noted how creatives have adapted before and must do so again to embrace AI’s possibilities.
“I think we have had these shifts — analog to digital to virtual and now artificial,” he said. “AI gives artists the power to be the masters of their own destiny, which is very important in the music industry.”
Despite AI’s growing influence, human expertise will remain essential, says Akshat Harbola, managing director of Spotify MENA. (Supplied)
Riyadh-based musician Lun encapsulates the cautious yet curious approach many artists are taking toward the rapidly evolving music landscape shaped by AI.
“I have not used AI before in my own music because I never thought I needed to. But as a tool, it can be of help,” he told Arab News.
While intrigued by AI’s potential, Lun highlighted ethical concerns that remain central to discussions across the industry.
“If an artist uses it to help with something they’re stuck on — to compile ideas so they can come up with an original part on their own — then I don’t see any harm in it,” he said.
“But if they use the tool to write the entire thing from A to Z, then I think we have a problem because it is no longer the artist who composed it, regardless of how they spin it.”
DAMMAM: Eastern Province Municipality carried out 10,540 inspections of commercial and food establishments in Dammam this month. It is part of the municipality’s plans to ensure compliance with health and municipal regulations, while also promoting food safety in markets, restaurants and shops.
Inspectors identified 931 violations, including cases of noncompliance with municipal and health regulations, improper food handling and storage, failure to meet hygiene and safety standards, and noncompliance with activity and operating licenses.
The municipality said that it will increase inspections of all commercial and food establishments, and encouraged the public to report any health or regulatory violations by contacting the dedicated complaints center (940).
KSrelief distributes 400 food baskets in South Africa
Updated 21 March 2025
SPA
PRETORIA: The Saudi aid agency KSrelief has distributed 400 food baskets to families most in need in Bakerton, South Africa. The move will benefit 2,400 individuals as part of the Etaam Ramadan Food Basket Distribution Project in the country.
The scheme aims to distribute more than 390,000 food baskets to 2,304,104 individuals across 27 countries during the month at a total cost of more than SR67 million ($17.88 million).
The initiative is part of the Kingdom’s humanitarian and relief effort to assist people and nations in need worldwide.
The center also distributed 1,500 food baskets in the Bahri locality of Khartoum State in Sudan, benefiting 10,182 individuals from displaced families. This forms part of the third phase of KSrelief’s food security support project in Sudan.
The project aims to distribute 30,000 food baskets to displaced people returning to their homes under the voluntary return program in different parts of Sudan.
