RIYADH: Snap Inc. showcased the power of augmented reality to transform fashion and beauty in the Kingdom through a variety of exclusive try-on experiences and immersive tech features.
The company hosted an AR event on Oct. 6 in Riyadh in Lakum Artspace, demonstrating how various tools on the app could improve user experience.
Zainab Hawsawi, head of communications for Snap in Saudi, told Arab News: “This event shows how the AR technology that Snap uses is enabling fashion and beauty.”
She added: “Snap is a company that cares about diversity and inclusion, and we are opening an office here soon, so hiring local talent is very important.”
Shouq, a fashion and beauty influencer, had the chance to explore the AR features and discover how the technology is changing the way consumers shop, browse products and engage with try-on experiences.
“I’m so happy that Snapchat is opening an office in Saudi. It’s nice that we, as influencers, can communicate in depth with the company, and they can help us improve our experience,” Shouq told Arab News.
Attendees had the chance to try on new outfits without having to change their clothes using brand-new 2D try-on standing mirrors. Simply touching the Snapcodes on the mirrors, they were able to access a lens that instantly changed their appearance.
The top makeup brands’ glamorous beauty lenses were available for guests to interact with at a special makeup station, where a makeup artist was on hand to simulate their AR look in real time.
By taking a full-body selfie, Snapchat users can try on various outfits from the comfort of their homes using this groundbreaking technology.
Abdulla Al-Hammadi, regional business lead for the KSA market at Snap Inc., said: “Our technology has transformed the way people can interact with fashion and beauty. Snapchat has a unique and highly engaged community of content creators in the Kingdom, with a monthly addressable reach of 20 million users. Through AR technology, we’re giving our community the opportunity to enter a world where online shopping is focused more on the consumer and not the product.
“Businesses also have an unmatched opportunity to utilize our AR features to tap into new audiences and increase their reach, helping them push their creative boundaries and drive real sales. We’re pleased to have had the chance to welcome the press, businesses, as well as Snap Stars to be among the first to interact with our immersive try-on experiences and learn about the future of shopping through Snapchat.”
Over 90 percent of 13 to 34-year-olds in Saudi Arabia have access to Snapchat, giving businesses the chance to share their products through AR with a wide audience.
A study commissioned by Snap and carried out by Deloitte Digital predicts that by 2025, nearly all Saudi Arabia’s Gen Z and Millennial populations will be frequent AR users.
ALULA: A trio gave voice to its art, as music, dancing and poetry came to the fore at the AlUla Wellness Festival. Raghad Fatahadeen sat on an elevated platform reciting poetry in a soothing voice, while Mustafa Fahmi played music in the background. In the front, dancer Bilal Allaf performed an elaborate dance that encapsulated emotions the poet was trying to convey. Fatahadeen, 27, said of her work: “It’s not exactly poetry, and it’s almost like a guided meditation, like a speech. You don’t know what it is, so we call it spoken poetry.”
Allaf’s introduction to Fatahadeen came when he saw her read her poetry in an open mic night. He said: “I didn’t know what Raghad wrote; it wasn’t necessarily poetry but nature. So I approached her and asked her if there was a piece she would like to read while I improvised it, and she first naturally opposed the idea. It took a bit of convincing, and then finally we performed on stage for the first time.” They both said the audience went completely silent during their first dance performance. Initially they thought the assembled crowd disapproved, but the applause that followed was loud enough to ease their doubts. The duo then added Mustafa Fahmi to the mix to provide background music to the multisensory experience.
Allaf said: “I was maybe six or seven years old when I started to get interested in dancing. I always wanted to be in the middle of a place and put on a show that would grab the attention of people.” As a child, when he moved to Germany he was finally able to find something in the world of art that he liked doing. He said he was extremely committed because he wanted to learn as much as he could. Dancing did not come naturally to him and he had no background in music, dance or rhythm. There were even times in his life when he stopped dancing, but he would slowly gravitate back. After leaving it to one side for three years, it was the COVID-19 pandemic that encouraged him to return to his art.
He immersed himself in the world of dancing again, this time on his own terms, and began to practice regularly. He said: “I tried to understand the importance of it in my life, in the society, and just the nature of dancing as a language.” He started exploring improvisation instead of choreographed dances, and has continued that trend into his current performances.
He said: “With improvisation, I feel like I can express my emotions better, I think it is a pure art form of storytelling. I feel like this is a form of non-verbal communication and as a performer it is a very profound expression.” Fatahadeen has performed at many wellness retreats and is a passionate poet. She described the process of writing her first piece as “receiving it.”
She added: “I did not sit down to write it, it just came to me, and I wrote it as fast as I could.” She shared it with her friend Allaf and the pair then began to build their art. She said the trio brought the three elements together to provide something for everyone. She added: “I think bringing all these things together helps create a holistic experience where we are not only performing but creating a space, inviting people to reach a state where they connect with us and receive. “This is how I would explain it, but people understand things differently,” Fatahadeen told Arab News. Their performance combined three different pieces. The first was inspired by Fatahadeen’s upbringing and life experiences, the second by Allaf’s life and the struggles he has been through.
The third has been described as a summary of everything in life and to ask people to remain optimistic. Fatahadeen said: “We are coming to this life and it is chaotic. It is overwhelming, and we go through it all. I just wanted to urge people to not hold on to the anger and sadness and allow themselves to learn and grow.” The audience was swaying to the words during the performance; some even shed tears as the emotions touched them. Allaf said that having that kind of reaction was very new to him, but it also put a lot of responsibility on his shoulders. He added: “I have to take in the feedback that the people are giving to me and I also need to understand what art and storytelling can do and the power it holds.”
Fatahadeen had a different take on things. She said: “I don’t know if it’s my effect on people or if it is people’s effect on themselves, what they have offered themselves. “I am just a facilitator and a part of that journey. It is definitely beautiful that I was able to deliver and someone received it. I hope they carry it with themselves and let my words change them in some way.”
DAMMAM: Robot waiters, chocolate-covered headless dancers, and coffee galore are the tasty mix on offer at a four-day Saudi festival.
The Coffee and Chocolate Festival, running at the Dhahran Expo in Dammam until Sunday, coincides with World Coffee Day and the Kingdom’s own celebration of the year of Saudi coffee.
Visitors can sample or purchase coffee and chocolate from more than 50 vendors attending the event.
Robots are on hand serving bottles of water and Arabic sweets and crowds are being entertained by headless dancers smothered in chocolate.
Mohammed Barakah, sales representative for one of the vendors edafat+, said: “We have been participating in the Coffee and Chocolate Festival every year since we launched in 2017.
“This is such an important event in our industry, and we love to educate and interact with coffee lovers in Saudi Arabia.”
Rowel Guevarra, executive chef for edafat+, prepares recipes and manages tastes with a Saudi audience in mind. He noted that the most popular flavor served in the firm’s four branches was pistachio and he told Arab News that he loved helping emerging Saudi baristas perfect their recipes.
He said: “The reason why we are joining the festival here in Saudi is to offer help for newcomers to the business.”
The brand was showcasing its array of products imported from various countries and offering visitors not only iced and hot flavored coffees but also spicy chai mixes, matcha lattes, and syrup and fruit-based drinks.
Other vendors include Doha Roasters, Camel Step, Najdiya, and Al-Noman Brothers’ Al-Shayukh Golden Coffee.
Local and international chocolate brands are also attending the event.
Rolla Ahmad, manning the Lush booth, said: “The idea is that there is seven brands of chocolate and people come and taste and then give an assessment about the chocolate.” Voting takes place via a large screen.
With a buffet-style arrangement, different types of chocolate from various local brands are available for visitors to taste, then vote upon. A winner will be announced during the festival.
A Saudi latte art championship will also take place.
The festival aims to highlight the latest innovations and recipes in the industry while providing a platform for networking.
Traditional music and oud performances also form part of the festival attractions.
One of the performers, Joana Cruz, from Portugal, said: “This is my first time in Saudi Arabia and at this wonderful show, and I’m very pleased to be here. And I’m performing too in the exhibition.
“I’m really enjoying this country and this experience. The coffee — it’s wonderful. And the chocolates are perfect. I hope to return another year.”
Tickets can be purchased online or at the venue priced between SR35 ($9) and SR55. The expo will be next held in Riyadh from Nov. 29 until Dec. 3.
RIYADH: Starting from this month, applications for Schengen visas to Germany can only be lodged with the new service provider TLScontact, according to the German Embassy in Riyadh.
Founded in 2007, TLScontact works with governments worldwide to provide visa and consular services on their behalf to travelers and citizens.
Until the end of September 2022, applications for Schengen visas were lodged with VFS Global visa service.
“Starting from October 2022, applications for Schengen visa to Germany can only be lodged with the new service provider TLScontact. TLS Application centers in Riyadh, Jeddah and Alkhobar will be at your service,” the German Embassy tweeted.
The TLScontact application centers commenced operations this week, with the Riyadh center operating from Oct. 4, the Jeddah center from Oct. 5, and Alkhobar center from Oct. 6
Appointments will initially be available in limited numbers.
“We kindly ask for your understanding. If you are planning a trip to Germany in October or November, please book your visa appointment well in advance,” said the embassy.
All applicants who have lodged their applications with VFS Global until the end of September will receive their passports back through VFS Global, as from October onwards, visa applications for Germany can only be lodged through TLScontact. AN Riyadh
The mandatory steps to apply for a Schengen visa include completing the Videx form; registering on the TLS website; preparing supporting documents and making an appointment; submitting an application and providing biometric data at the application center, and returning to the center to collect the passport. The applicant can also use express courier service.
RIYADH: Tuwaiq Drones Challenge, the largest drone competition in the region, ended on Thursday in Riyadh at the Tuwaiq Academy at Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University.
The competition, featuring 112 competitors from seven countries, declared five winners who received a total prize worth SR1 million ($265,000).
The Saudi Federation for Cyber Security and Programming, in collaboration with the German Dronemasters Academy, which has a wealth of drone-related experience, oversaw the challenge’s planning and execution.
The Tuwaiq Drones Challenge included an intensive training program provided by specialized experts for five days followed by a hackathon to come up with innovative ideas and solutions by employing drone technologies within three days.
Over the course of 10 days, the participants fought to find innovative technical solutions with civil uses that benefit a number of vital sectors in the Kingdom, primarily the oil and gas, industrial and logistical, agricultural and environmental, real estate and construction sectors.
The “D4F”, “CyberWings,” and “Well 7” groups won the challenge on revealing infrastructures.
The “Flying Robotics” team won for best drone delivery system, and “UAS-Falcons” picked up a prize for reducing the dangers of leaking gases.
Faisal Al-Khamisi, chairman of the board of directors of the Saudi Federation for Cyber Security and Programming, was praised the participation of the winning teams and their efforts during the challenge.
Abdullah Al-Asmari, a member of “Flying Robotics,” said that it was a tough 10 days but securing fourth place was an excellent reward.
“We worked all night to finish this project, so I can’t begin to express how happy we are to have won. Although teamwork can be difficult at times. We managed to get through and win.”
A member ofUAS-Falcon,” Mutaz Al-Tayyar, told Arab News: “I have proud feelings for myself and my team because the competition was challenging, and we are inventing solutions that will help governmental sectors, which is amazing. These 10 days were hard, but we managed to find a solution for a problem in the challenge of reducing the dangers of leaking gases.”
CEO of the federation, Mutaib Al-Quni, said: “The federation has worked over the past two years to raise national capabilities in the fields of cybersecurity and programming through qualitative courses, programs, and training camps with many local and international partners.”
RIYADH: Hundreds of thousands of amphetamine-like pills have been seized and four smuggling attempts thwarted by Saudi authorities near the border with Jordan.
The Zakat, Tax, and Customs Authority and King Khalid International Airport said that a total of 756,212 Captagon tablets were found at Haditha during checks using sniffer dogs.
Three people were arrested, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
In the first discovery, 171,792 Captagon pills were found stashed inside furniture. A second operation revealed 60,500 tablets in a vehicle mounted on a truck coming through Haditha port.
A total of 247,670 pills were found in separate parts of a truck in a third discovery and the biggest haul, 276,250 pills, were found in a fourth operation. Authorities did not disclose where the largest consignment was found.
The operations were carried out in coordination with the General Directorate of Narcotics Control.
The authority called on the public to report smuggling crimes. A financial reward is offered for accurate information.