Day: June 27, 2024

Al-Ahsa: Represented by Dr. Ibrahim Al-Shabith, Al-Ahsa won the position of deputy head of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in crafts and folk arts, a field that currently encompasses 66 cities from around the world. This feat comes after Al-Ahsa became a member of the network in the creative field, following an initiative by Al-Ahsa Municipality in 2015. This success is supported by national entities, represented by the municipality; Al-Ahsa Governorate; the Culinary Arts Commission; the Saudi National Commission for Education, Culture and Science; the Heritage Commission; and the Royal Institute for Traditional Arts. Al-Ahsa stands out for the unique creative assets it possesses and its cultural heritage and deep history in the field of handicrafts and folk arts. Al-Ahsa has worked on developing the general objectives of integrating and highlighting the connection between education and cultural and creative activities to enhance the sustainability of handicrafts and folk arts. Over the past years, Al -Ahsa has shared expertise in preserving handicrafts and folk arts with creative cities worldwide through numerous international meetings and conferences in South Korea, Poland, France, the United States, Australia, and Brazil. Al-Ahsa became the first Gulf city and the third in the Arab world to join the network in the creative field. It has achieved close cooperation in development programs among creative cities, with a focus on sustainable development and heritage preservation. Moreover, Al-Ahsa strives for exchanging experiences and fostering integration among member cities. Source: Saudi Press Agency

Al-Quds Together - The President of Al-Quds University, Prof. Dr. Imad Abu Kishk, an agreement to establish a 'Chair for Moroccan Studies at Al-Quds University', in cooperation with the Bayt Mal Agency of Al-Quds Al-Sharif and Mohammed V University, during a ceremony held in the Moroccan capital, Rabat, on the occasion of the opening of the 'Beit Al-Maqdis Center for Research and Studies', in the presence of Moroccan and Palestinian legal figures from Jerusalem. The West Bank and Gaza Strip. Prof. Dr. explained: Abu Kishk said that the agreement expresses the university's direction to have chairs in universities and countries around the world to open a window to other societies, in addition to dozens of academic and student exchange agreements that the university establishes to link researchers with the research community. The participating Jerusalemite delegation informed the officials about the situation in the holy Palestinian city and the events it is experiencing, on the one hand, and the efforts to st rengthen the relationship and ties between Moroccan and Jerusalemite institutions, on the other hand. The scientific or research chair is defined as a research or academic program at the university that aims to enrich human knowledge and develop thought on a topic, and includes a team of researchers specialized in their field. Source: Maan News Agency

HEBRON - Ma'an - Students of the Master's program in Multimedia at the College of Graduate Studies at Palestine Polytechnic University discussed this week purposeful and specialized theses in the field of image and visual narrative, in order to complete the requirements for obtaining a Master's degree. The university welcomes and the Deanship of Scientific Research praises the outcomes At the beginning of the discussions, the Dean of Scientific Research, Dr. Nafez Nasr El-Din, welcomed the arbitration committees, students, and families, stressing the need for concerted academic efforts to raise the level of research outputs in general and specialized in the field of narrative, image, and film and cinema studies in particular, praising the level of students and welcoming cooperation with academics at the local and Arab levels. The Dean of Scientific Research stressed that such meetings organized and held by the Multimedia Master's Program are important in terms of the quality and type of theses, in addition to their importance for the transparency of the scientific discussion process, welcoming the step of diversifying the discussion committees and their multiple orientations and schools, which will enrich the discussion sessions and their outcomes. The discussion sessions and arbitration committees were led by an elite group of media, film and cinema studies professors at the local and international levels, amid an atmosphere full of purposeful scientific discussions that will contribute significantly to enriching the students' theses, developing the scientific field, and strengthening the role of national institutions and research centers with the outputs of those theses. In turn, the letters reviewed the role of the image as an influential visual medium, tracing its historical and cultural context and its expressive eloquence. The dissertations relied on descriptive analytical research methods according to the qualitative approach, presenting extensive studies that addressed the critical and theoretical dim ensions. The researchers also employed precise research tools to obtain solid results that enrich the field of knowledge and the research community. Distinctive and diverse theses and prestigious arbitration committees from different backgrounds The first thesis of the student Ranad Al-Rajabi, entitled 'The Intellectual Implications of Video Art in Palestine', was supervised by Dr. Nasr Jawabreh, Coordinator of the Multimedia Master's Program, Dr. Suhair Nasr from Al-Ummah College, as examiner, Dr. Rahab Nazzal from Dar Al-Kalima University as external examiner, and Dr. Nasr Jawabreh from Palestine Polytechnic University as internal examiner. This thesis addressed the intellectual content of digital video art in Palestine, revealing its types and the intellectual discourse that reflects the Palestinian awareness of the importance of this art in the digital age. As for the second thesis by student Hanaa Al-Zaarir, entitled 'Persuasive Appeals in the Short Film,' it was supervised by Dr. Amer Gharaibeh from Yarmouk University, Jordan, while it was discussed by Dr. Nasr Jawabreh from Palestine Polytechnic University as an internal discussant, and Dr. Hafez Asakreh from Palestine Ahliya University as an external discussant. The researcher aimed to identify the types of persuasive appeals in short films and strategies of cognitive and perceptual deception through manipulation of the cinematic image. The committee recommended that the student Al-Za'arir be awarded a master's degree with honors in multimedia, noting the importance of the thesis, its subject, and its newness to her thesis after making formal, but not substantive, amendments. The third thesis in the discussions of the theses of the students of the Multimedia Master's Program at Palestine Polytechnic University was for the student Israa Badr for her thesis entitled (The Role of Hybridization in Enhancing the Content in Animated Films). The discussion committee consisted of Dr. Nasr Jawabreh, coordinator of the multimedia program at Palestine Polytec hnic University, as supervisor and chairman, Dr. Suhair Nasr from Al-Ummah University, and Dr. Maryam Jibril from Al-Quds University. The committee recommended granting a master's degree to the student. As for the fourth thesis for the Multimedia Master's program, it was by student Salsabil Rizeikat for her thesis titled (Good and Evil Characteristics of the Hero Character in Disney Movies). The study aimed to explore the characteristics of the hero in Disney films. The researcher employed the descriptive analytical approach to examine the transformations in the roles of characters in Disney films and their embodiment of the conflict between good and evil, and to identify the characteristics that these characters carry in those films that she chose as a sample for the study. The researcher identified the features as an analysis tool by designing a content analysis card through which she monitored the most important transformations in the roles of the heroes' characters who embody the conflict between good and evil in those films. The discussion committee consisted of Dr. Muhammad Ghaleb Hassan from Egypt as the thesis supervisor, Dr. Hafez Asakra, head of the Media Department at Palestine Ahliya University, as an external discussant, and Dr. Nasr Jawabreh, coordinator of the multimedia program at Palestine Polytechnic University, as an external discussant. The discussion committee recommended that the student be awarded a master's degree after making the formal amendments approved by the committee. Praise and appreciation For their part, the arbitration committees praised the importance and quality of the submitted messages, noting the importance of the selected topics and their keeping pace with the times. They also praised the students' research capabilities and academic development, emphasizing the need of the research community for these specialized theses in image research and artistic and cinematic production. For his part, the coordinator of the Master of Multimedia specialization, Dr. Nasr Jawabre h, thanked the arbitration committees for their purposeful comments and research capabilities, stressing the importance of local and international cooperation in the fields of image, film studies and cinema, which contributes to enriching the outputs of researchers and improving the quality of the submitted scientific theses. Source: Maan News Agency

Makkah: The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has recently held a meeting with Umrah companies and institutions to prepare for the upcoming Umrah season 1446H. Vice Minister of Hajj and Umrah Dr. Abdullfattah bin Sulieman Mushaat emphasized the ministry's commitment to achieving excellence through collaboration with all partners and sectors. The focus is on enhancing the private sector's services and prioritizing the comfort and safety of the visitors and pilgrims to the Two Holy Mosques. Cooperation between the ministry and Umrah companies and institutions is vital to ensure high-quality services for pilgrims worldwide. The meeting aimed to strengthen the partnership with the private sector and align with Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 goals. Participants discussed empowering more pilgrims, improving their experience through innovative services, developing electronic platforms, and facilitating the licensing process for Umrah services throughout the year. The meeting addressed initiatives to enhance service quality an d the digital experience and ensure compliance with standards through digital monitoring and tracking of pilgrims. The meeting also highlighted the unified Umrah platform, an electronic interface designed to serve all Umrah-related activities and business stakeholders. It aims to ensure the reliability of individuals and establishments serving pilgrims inside and outside the Kingdom. The meeting concluded with an emphasis on continued communication between the ministry and Umrah companies and institutions to achieve common goals and provide pilgrims and visitors with a rich and distinguished experience in the 1446 AH season. Source: Saudi Press Agency

Hebron-Ma'an- An Israeli army force stormed the home of the family of martyr Moamen Fayez Al-Masalma in the Al-Namous area of ??Dura city at dawn on Thursday, and handed the family a demolition order for the house. The martyr, Masalma, 20 years old, carried out a stabbing operation in the "Gan Yavne" area east of Ashdod in the occupied interior, on 3/31/2024, which resulted in the killing of a settler and the serious injury of two others, before he was executed by settlers after being shot. Source: Maan News Agency

Makkah: The Presidency of Religious Affairs at the Grand Mosque and the Prophet's Mosque has made extensive efforts to share the message of the Two Holy Mosques with the world. It activated language translation services to translate the Two Holy Mosques' Friday sermons and has initiated various projects including creating content translated into several languages and providing translation services for all religious activities, events, and initiatives in the Two Holy Mosques. The Department of Languages and Translation at the Presidency of Religious Affairs harnessed the power of modern technical means to broadcast the sermons and lessons of the Two Holy Mosques in translated form. This is achieved through the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Translation Project, a testament to the department's commitment to reaching the largest number of beneficiaries through efficient and advanced methods. During this year's Hajj season, about 621 million people worldwide listened to the translation of the Arafat sermon, which was broadcast in 20 languages through the "Manarat Al-Haramain" digital platform. The project of simultaneous translation of the Eid al-Adha sermon into 20 international languages reached about 20 million people, including 6 million live listeners -- the most significant number ever achieved by the presidency in its history. Source: Saudi Press Agency