DAVOS: The Saudi Tourism Authority has brought a small slice of the Kingdom’s culture to the Swiss mountains in the shape of the Saudi Cafe, which is open throughout the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos.
Visitors can enjoy Saudi delicacies, from pumpkin jereesh to a rose mamoul crumble, as well as the staple of the Kingdom's hospitality, Saudi coffee. The cafe is also a unique combination of elements of Saudi design and art, to give people what Abdullah Al-Dakhil, spokesman for Saudi Tourism Authority, calls “a real taste” of Saudi Arabia.
And Al-Dakhil is hopeful that the cafe will continue to raise awareness of Saudi Arabia as a tourism destination, something that has been on the rise since the launch of the tourism visa in 2019.
“Saudi is going through an incredible transformation and tourism is at the forefront of this. Now that borders are open and the world is traveling again, inspiring people to visit Saudi is our top priority. We have already seen a 72 percent recovery to pre-pandemic levels, which gives us the confidence in the world’s desire to explore and discover the diversity and beauty of our country,” he added.
“Our presence, through this experience in Davos at WEF, where leaders meet and connect, plays an important role in driving destination awareness and giving people a glimpse into what Saudi has to offer.”
“Welcoming people with genuine Saudi hospitality, giving them an opportunity to try different specialties that we brought from Saudi Arabia's different regions -- mangoes from Jizan, chillies from Hail, other condiments from Riyadh and Jeddah and more - we wanted to give them a taste of Saudi,” Abdullah said.
“(We are) creating excitement and inspiration about embarking on a journey to Saudi, welcoming the world with open hearts and minds.”
An important aspect of the Saudi cafe, besides showcasing Saudi culture, is the chance to answer questions about how the Kingdom is transforming under its Vision 2030 plan.
“We only really know what’s going on in Saudi Arabia based on certain news channels we have access to, so definitely pleasantly surprised in terms of the transformation,” Tiffany Jones, one visitor to the cafe from South Africa, said. “I’m happy to see there is some transformation taking place.”
And for Swiss native and consultant Antonin Muller, the cafe has allowed him to discover a culture he knew little about.
“I had never tried Saudi food, I knew very little about the country, so to have this here in Davos is great for people who may never have had a chance to sample the culture,” he said. “This is what being at WEF is all about.”
NEW YORK: Will Smith has again apologized to Chris Rock for slapping him during the Oscar telecast in a new video, saying that his behavior was “unacceptable”. He said he had reached out to the comedian to discuss the incident but was told Rock wasn’t ready. “There is no part of me that thinks that was the right way to behave in that moment,” Smith said in the under-six minute video posted online Friday. “I am deeply remorseful and I’m trying to be remorseful without being ashamed of myself.” To Rock, he said: “I’m here whenever you’re ready to talk.” Smith, seated in a polo shirt and white ball cap, spoke directly to a camera, answering pre-selected questions about his behavior at the March 27 Academy Awards, when he slapped presenter Rock after the comedian made a reference about the hairstyle of Jada Pinkett Smith, Smith’s wife. Smith also apologized to Rock’s family and especially his mother, Rosalie, who was horrified to see her son hurt and told US Weekly that, “When he slapped Chris, he slapped all of us. He really slapped me.” Smith also apologized to Tony Rock, Chris’ younger brother. “I didn’t realize how many people got hurt in that moment,” Smith said. Smith also apologized to his family “for the heat that I brought on all of us” and his fellow Oscar nominees to have “stolen and tarnished your moment.” He mentioned Questlove by name; it was the musician-director’s documentary win for “Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)” that was interrupted by the slap. Rock was on stage to present the documentary award. Smith also said his wife did nothing to encourage his slap. “Jada had nothing to do with it,” he said. “I made a choice on my own.” Pinkett Smith has said that she has alopecia areata, a hair-loss disorder. Following the altercation, the motion picture academy banned Smith from attending the Oscars or any other academy event for 10 years. Smith apologized to Rock in a statement after the Oscars, saying he was “out of line and I was wrong.” “I’m sorry really isn’t sufficient,” Smith said in the video, adding that he is hurting because he hasn’t lived up to fans’ impressions. “Disappointing people is my central trauma.” Many had speculated that Smith would appear on camera to discuss the slap first on Pinkett Smith’s online series “Red Table Talk,” but he chose to do it in a social media video post without any follow-up questions or surprise queries.
MADRID: A Spanish prosecutor is seeking a prison term of eight years for Lebanese Colombian superstar Shakira over a 14.5 million-euro tax fraud case, a prosecutor’s office document showed on Friday.
The singer, who has sold more than 80 million records worldwide with hits such as “Hips Don't Lie,” earlier this week rejected a settlement offer from the prosecutor’s office to close the case.
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A post shared by Shakira (@shakira)
She is accused of failing to pay taxes between 2012 and 2014, a period in which Shakira says she did not live in Spain.
The prosecutor’s document, seen by Reuters, asserts that Shakira was ordinarily resident in Spain between 2012 and 2014 and in May 2012 bought a house in Barcelona which became a family home for herself, her partner and their son born in Spain in 2013.
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A post shared by Shakira (@shakira)
It asked for an eight-year prison sentence and a fine of more than 23 million euros ($23.5 million) should she be found guilty. No date for a trial has been set yet.
Asked to comment, Shakira’s representatives referred to a previous statement sent out on Wednesday saying she “is fully confident of her innocence” and that she considers the case “a total violation of her rights.”
The terms of the earlier settlement offer have not been disclosed.
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A post shared by Shakira (@shakira)
The 45-year-old singer - dubbed the Queen of Latin Pop - said she initially paid the 17.2 million euros that the Spanish tax office said she owed and claims she has no outstanding debt with the tax authorities.
The latest development in the tax case comes a month after Shakira and her husband, FC Barcelona defender Gerard Pique, announced they were separating. Shakira, 45, and Pique, 35, have been together since 2011 and have two sons.
DUBAI: British singer and songwriter George Ezra is set to perform at Dubai’s Coca-Cola Arena on Oct. 21.
The Brit Award winner is expected to sing songs from his new album “The Gold Rush Kid,” including the hit singles “Anything for You” and “Green Green Grass,” as well as his latest release “I Went Hunting.”
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After rising to fame in 2014 with the release of his hit singles “Shotgun” and “Budapest,” Ezra has gone on to release three studio albums as well as achieving a number of awards including the Brit Award for British Male Solo Artist in 2019.
The music sensation’s first performance in the UAE was in 2019 at Dubai’s World Trade Center.
DUBAI: Egyptian-Welsh director Sally El-Hosaini’s drama “The Swimmers” is set to open the Toronto Film Festival on Sept. 8, which will also mark the movie’s world premiere.
The work is based on the true story of Syrian refugees Sarah and Yusra Mardini who fled their war-torn country by boat and had to swim part of the way to keep the vessel moving. Yusra competed as a member of the Refugee Olympic Athletes’ contingent at the 2016 and 2020 Olympics.
In a statement, the festival’s CEO Cameron Bailey said: “I was deeply moved by the story of these two sisters and wowed by the storytelling. ‘The Swimmers’ was the very best kind of surprise when we saw it this summer — an exciting, epic journey and the arrival of an important filmmaker.”
“I’m thrilled that audiences in Toronto will be the first to discover Sally El-Hosaini’s remarkable film, and that this year on our opening night we can honor everyone who risks everything to reach a better, safer life,” added Bailey.
Lebanese actresses, and real-life sisters, Manal and Nathalie Issa, will portray Yusra and Sarah in the upcoming movie.
They will be joined by Arab-Israeli actor Ali Suliman, Egyptian actor Ahmed Malek, Syrian actress Kinda Alloush and “The Good Karma Hospital” star James Krishna Floyd, who starred in El-Hosaini’s last film “My Brother the Devil,” which won the World Cinema Cinematography award at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival.
Rounding out the cast are German actor Matthias Schweighöfer and YouTube star Elmi Rashid Elmi.
The film is be produced by Netflix and Working Title’s Eric and Tim Bevan, Ali Jaafar and Tim Cole.
“The Swimmers,” shot in the UK, Turkey and Belgium, is slated for global release on Netflix this year.
The lineup of the Toronto Film Festival, which will take place from Sept. 8 to 18, includes US actress Viola Davis’ historical epic “The Woman King,” US actor Billy Eichner’s rom com “Bros,” and British star Daniel Craig’s “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.”
DUBAI: While some stars might be spending their summer breaks in the US or Europe, Hollywood actress Lindsay Lohan has chosen to take a trip to a Middle Eastern country, Lebanon.
The “Mean Girls” star, who is based in Dubai, took to Instagram to share pictures from her visit, captioning the post “Lebanon” and adding an emoji of the country’s flag.
The short Instagram Reel features pictures of the statue of Our Lady of Lebanon at a church in Harissa, the Saint Charbel statue in Hammana along with shots of the country’s dreamy sunsets and picture-perfect beaches.
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A post shared by Lindsay Lohan (@lindsaylohan)
Lohan secretly tied the knot with her partner Bader Shammas earlier this month.
In a lengthy Instagram post she shared on July 2, the singer and songwriter wrote: “I am the luckiest woman in the world. You found me and knew that I wanted to find happiness and grace, all at the same time. I am stunned that you are my husband. My life and my everything. Every woman should feel like this every day.”
The Hollywood star announced her engagement in November, posting a series of snaps that showed off her diamond engagement ring.
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A post shared by Lindsay Lohan (@lindsaylohan)
Lohan and Shammas were first spotted together at a music festival in Dubai shortly before the pandemic hit in 2020.
Lohan is not the only celebrity who has visited a Middle Eastern country recently.
Earlier this week, US singer John Legend took to Instagram to show off his trip to Egypt with wife Chrissy Teigen and their children.
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A post shared by John Legend (@johnlegend)
The family visited Cairo after the singer performed at the Playa beach resort on Egypt’s north coast on July 22.
“We went to see the majestic pyramids today. Beautiful!” Legend posted on Instagram, while his wife took to Instagram Stories on Sunday with an image of their young son at the beach, writing: “I really had no idea the beaches of Egypt were this beautiful.”