Arab Media tours Saudi historic site, Al-Ahsa
Al-Ahsa is an Open Architectural Museum Reflecting Authentic History
The Arab media delegations concluded their visit, Monday, to Al-Ahsa Governorate, “the Arab Tourism Capital for 2019”, which coincided with the 22nd session of the Arab Tourism Council meeting, held on December 22-23. The meeting was chaired by KSA, represented in the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage.
Around 50 Arab media representatives from various media channels have participated in the tour organized by SCTH. They have visited heritage and tourism sites in Al-Ahsa, such as: the historic Jawatha Mosque, where the second Friday prayer in Islam was held.
“My visit to Al-Ahsa was an enriching experience that added a lot to me at the personal level, I was impressed by the historical civilization of Al-Ahsa more than many countries I have visited around the world,” said Head of International News Dept. at Tunis Afrique Presse, Narges Bedira.
Adel Al-Alfi, News Section Deputy Head at Al-Ahram newspaper said, “I had mixed feelings during my visit to Al-Ahsa, my knowledge of its tourism attractions was limited and I was surprised by the selection of it as the Arab Tourism Capital for 2019, but now after my first visit, I realized and saw with my own eyes the reasons behind such selection.”
He added: “we couldn’t wait till the next day to visit Al-Qaysariah Market, so I decided with my friends and fellow journalists on the day of arrival to tour the city streets and visit the Market ourselves. We felt like we were touring an open architectural museum that reminded us of Khan Al Khalili area in Cairo.”
Moreover, he stated that the visit to the historic Jawatha Mosque carried many religious feelings, to stand in the place that believed in our Holy Prophet from the first sight.
Raneem Abdin, Media Specialist at Roya Jordanian TV Channel, expressed her admiration for everything she saw in Al-Ahsa, and explained that she was impressed by the archeological buildings that have distinctive and beautiful architectural nature, and its mountains which are full of caves and surrounded by palm trees that give you calm and relaxation.
The tour also included “AlQaysariah” Market, Ibrahim palace and House of Allegiance. The media delegation also visited “Al-Amiriya School”, the first school in Al-Hufof and the first education icon in the eastern region.
Ray Hanania is an award winning political and humor columnist who analyzes American and Middle East politics, and life in general. He is an author of several books.
Hanania covered Chicago Politics and Chicago City Hall from 1976 through 1992 at the Daily Southtown and the Chicago Sun-Times. He began writing in 1975 publishing The Middle Eastern Voice newspaper in Chicago (1975-1977). He later published “The National Arab American Times” newspaper (2004-2007).
Hanania writes weekly columns on Middle East and American Arab issues as Special US Correspondent for the Arab News ArabNews.com, at TheArabDailyNews.com, and at SuburbanChicagoland.com. He has published weekly columns in the Jerusalem Post newspaper, YNetNews.com, Newsday, the Orlando Sentinel, Houston Chronical, and Arlington Heights Daily Herald.
Hanania is the recipient of four (4) Chicago Headline Club “Peter Lisagor Awards” for Column writing. In November 2006, he was named “Best Ethnic American Columnist” by the New American Media. In 2009, Hanania received the prestigious Sigma Delta Chi Award for Writing from the Society of Professional Journalists. He is the recipient of the MT Mehdi Courage in Journalism Award. He was honored for his writing skills with two (2) Chicago Stick-o-Type awards from the Chicago Newspaper Guild. In 1990, Hanania was nominated by the Chicago Sun-Times editors for a Pulitzer Prize for his four-part series on the Palestinian Intifada.
His writings have also been honored by two national Awards from ADC for his writing, and from the National Arab American Journalists Association.
Hanania is the US Special Correspondent for the Arab News Newspaper, covering Middle East and Arab American issues. He writes for the Southwest News newspaper group writing on mainstream American issues.
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