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Posts tagged as “Saudi Arabia”

Pricing for the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 and Galaxy Z Fold6 in Saudi Arabia

July 16, 2024

Samsung official announced the AI powered Galaxy Flip6 and Galaxy Fold6 and if you are in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, these two new folding smartphones from Samsung are now available for preorder and below are the price;

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6

Samsung Galaxy Flip6

  • 12GB RAM + 256 GB Storage – SAR 4,399.00
  • 12GB RAM + 512 GB Storage – SAR 4,899.00

    • Preorders will include 1 Year Samsung Care+, Clear Case with Ring and 15% off Galaxy Watch and Galaxy Buds

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6

Samsung Galaxy Fold6

  • 12GB RAM + 256 GB Storage – SAR 7,299.00
  • 12GB RAM + 512 GB Storage – SAR 7,799.00
  • 12GB RAM + 1 TB Storage – SAR 8,799.00

    • Preorders will include 1 Year Samsung Care+, Slim S-Pen Case and 15% off Galaxy Watch and Galaxy Buds

For specs and other details
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6

HONOR 200 Series launch in Saudi Arabia this July 17th

July 15, 2024

HONOR KSA will be launching the HONOR 200 smartphone Series in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The announcement was made via their social media accounts as well as the official website of HONOR Saudi Arabia.

HONOR 200 Series is composed of the HONOR 200 and HONOR 200 Pro, both have virtually identical specs like the display, RAM, storage and, rear and front camera system. The main difference between the two is that the HONOR 200 using the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3, while the HONOR 200 Pro will be using Snapdragon 8s Gen 3.

The HONOR 200 Pro is only available in 512GB storage model, while the HONOR 200 will be available in 256GB and 512GB storage config. Both the HONOR 200 and HONOR 200 Pro will have 12 GB RAM. You can checkout the full specs of the HONOR 200 and HONOR 200 Pro in the table below.

HONOR 200 HONOR 200 Pro
Display 6.7   inches FHD+ AMOLED Display with 2664×1200 resolution, 1.07 billion colors,   Equal-Depth Quad-Curved Screen, Aluminosilicate glass 6.78   inches FHD+ AMOLED Display with 2700×1224 resolution, 1.07 billion colors,   Quad-Curved Floating Screen, Aluminosilicate glass
Processor Snapdragon   7 Gen 3 Octa-core Cortex-A715 2.63GHz Snapdragon   8s Gen 3 Octa-core Cortex-X4 3.0GHz with RF Enhanced Chip HONOR C1+
GPU Adreno 720 Adreno 735
RAM 12   GB 12   GB
Storage 256 GB, 512 GB 512   GB
OS MagicOS 8.0   (Based on Android 14) MagicOS 8.0   (Based on Android 14)
Rear Camera 50MP Wide   Camera(f/1.95 aperture, OIS 50MP Wide   Camera (f/1.9 aperture, OIS)
50MP   Telephoto Camera (f/2.4 aperture, OIS) 50MP Telephoto   Camera (f/2.4 aperture, OIS)
12MP   Ultra Wide Camera (f/2.2 aperture) 12MP Ultra   Wide Camera(f/2.2 aperture)
Support for 4K (3840×2160) video recording,   Digital zoom 50x, 8192×6144 pixels Image Resolution, Rear single LED flash,   EIS+OIS Support   for 4K (3840×2160) video recording, Digital zoom 50x, 8192×6144 pixels Image   Resolution, Rear single LED flash, EIS+OIS
Front Camera 50MP Front   Camera(f/2.1 aperture) with 4k support 50MP Front   Camera(f/2.1 aperture) with 4k support
8192×6144 pixels Image Resolution, Support for   4K (3840×2160) video recording, Supported 2D face unlock 8192×6144   pixels Image Resolution, Support for 4K (3840×2160) video recording,   Supported 2D face unlock
Battery 5200 mAh   Lithium polymer battery with HONOR 100W SuperCharge, supports up to 20V/5A   SuperCharge, compatible with 11V/6A,10V/4A 5200 mAh   Lithium polymer battery with HONOR 100W SuperCharge, supports up to 20V/5A   SuperCharge, compatible with 11V/6A,10V/4A with supports up to max 66W   Wireless SuperCharge
Sensor Gravity   Sensor, Fingerprint (under display, optical), Gyroscope, Compass, NFC,   Ambient Light and Proximity Sensor. Gravity   Sensor, Fingerprint (under display, optical), Gyroscope, Compass, NFC,   Ambient Light and Proximity Sensor.
Cellular 5G   (NR), 4G (LTE TDD/LTE FDD), 3G (WCDMA), 2G (GSM), dual SIM Support (Nano and   eSIM) 5G   (NR), 4G (LTE TDD/LTE FDD), 3G (WCDMA), 2G (GSM), dual SIM Support (Nano and   eSIM)
Network and Connectivity Wifi   802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax (2.4GHz and 5GHz), 2×2 MIMO, Wi-Fi Direct and Hotspot,   Bluetooth 5.3, Infrared, GPS /AGPS/GLONASS/BeiDou/Galileo, Wifi   802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax (2.4GHz and 5GHz), 2×2 MIMO, Wi-Fi Direct and Hotspot,   Bluetooth 5.3, Infrared, PC Data Sync, GPS /AGPS/GLONASS/BeiDou/Galileo, OTG   Support
Dimension 161.5   mm x 74.6 mm x 7.7 mm (H x W x D) 163.3   mm x 75.2 mm x 8.2 mm (H x W x D)
Weight Approx. 187 g Approx. 199 g
Color Moonlight   White,Emerald Green,Black Ocean   Cyan,Moonlight White,Black

Together with the launch announcement, the company also said that customers can preorder on July 17th as well. The HONOR 200 Series will in retail store and can be purchase online on the 25th of July.

There will be 3 variants for the HONOR 200 Series;

HONOR 200

  • 12 GB + 256 GB
  • 12 GB + 512 GB

HONOR 200 Pro

  • 12 GB + 512 GB

Details about the pricing have not been announced, since the company is currently running a contest to guess the price and win HONOR 200 Series smartphone. I guess, we will know after 2 days on the pricing of the phones.

Saudi Arabia to host the first Olympic Esports Games

July 14, 2024

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Saudi Arabia’s National Olympic Committee (NOC) have announced a 12-year partnership to host the Olympic Esports Games.

The Esports Games will be held regularly, but details like specific timing, game titles, qualification process, and venue selection are still under discussion by the IOC Session.

Saudi Arabia is currenting hosting the inaugural Esports World Cup in Riyadh Boulevard City. The Esports World Cup will be 8 week event the started last July 10th.

You can read the full text of IOC press announcement here.

POCO F6 Series now in Saudi Arabia

July 10, 2024

Xiaomi fans in Saudi Arabia rejoice! Xiaomi’s POCO brand has just introduced the F6 series in the Kingdom. Both the standard F6 and the feature-packed F6 Pro are currently available for preorder on Jarir Bookstore and Noon.

The POCO F6 boasts a powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, while the F6 Pro offers a slightly more powerful Snapdragon 8s Gen 3. As for the display, both models come equipped with a smooth 120Hz, 6.67-inch AMOLED display protected by Corning Gorilla Glass for added durability.

The distinction between the two models starts with storage and RAM. The F6 offers up to 12GB of RAM and up to 512GB of storage, while the F6 Pro boasts a maximum of 16GB of RAM and a whopping 1TB of storage.

The camera systems also differ. The F6 features a dual rear camera system with a 50MP main camera powered by the Sony IMX882 sensor and an 8MP ultra-wide camera (IMX355). The F6 Pro upgrades to a triple rear camera setup with a 50MP main camera using the Light Fusion 800 image sensor, an 8MP ultra-wide camera, and a 2MP macro camera. The F6 also sports a 20MP front-facing camera, while the F6 Pro features a 16MP front camera.

The POCO F6 and F6 Pro share similar specifications for battery, security, sensors, audio, network, and connectivity. You can check out the detailed specs below for additional information.

F6 F6 Pro
Display 6.67″ CrystalRes 1.5K Flow AMOLED DotDisplay, 2400 nits (peak brightness), 2712 x 1220 resolution @446 ppi, Up to 120Hz refresh rate 6.67″ WQHD+ Flow AMOLED DotDisplay, 3200×1440 resolution @526 ppi, 4000 nits at peak brightness, Up to 120Hz refresh rate
Processor Snapdragon® 8s Gen 3 Mobile Platform
Octa-core processor up to 3.0 GHz		 Snapdragon® 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform
Octa-core processor up to 3.0 GHz
GPU Adreno Adreno
AI Qualcomm AI Engine
RAM 8GB , 12 GB (LPDDR5X) 12 GB , 16 GB (LPDDR5X)
Storage 256 GB, 512 GB (UFS 4.0) 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB (UFS 4.0)
OS Xiaomi HyperOS Xiaomi HyperOS
Rear Camera 50MP main camera (Sony IMX882f/1.59)
8MP ultra-wide camera (IMX355)		 50MP main camera (Light Fusion 800 image sensor), f/1.6
8MP ultra-wide camera, f/2.2
2MP macro camera, f/2.4
Front Camera 20MP front camera (OV20B -1/4″ sensor size) 16MP front camera
Battery 5000 mAh with 90W turbo charging (USB-C) 5000 mAh with 90W turbo charging (USB-C)
Security In-screen fingerprint sensor, AI Face Unlock In-screen fingerprint sensor, AI Face Unlock
Sensor NFC support, GPS L1, GLONASS G1, Beidou B1, Galileo E1, QZSS L1, Proximity sensor, Ambient light sensor, Accelerometer, Electronic compass, IR blaster, Gyroscope, X-axis linear vibration motor NFC support, Proximity sensor, 360° Ambient light sensor, Accelerometer, Electronic compass, Gyroscope, IR blaster, Flicker sensor, Beidou, GPS , Galileo, GLONASS, QZSS, NavIC, Data network, Wireless network, Sensor Assisted Positioning
Network and Connectivity Dual SIM support, 2G GSM, 3G WCDMA, 4G LTE FDD/TDD, 5G, Bluetooth 5.4, Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax Dual SIM support, 2G GSM, 3G WCDMA, 4G LTE FDD/TDD, 5G, Bluetooth 5.4, Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax
Audio Dual speakers Stereo Dual speakers
Dimension 160.5mm x 74.4mm x 7.8mm (HxWxT) 160.86mm x 74.95mm x 8.21mm (HxWxT)
Weight 179g 209g
Color Black, Green and Titanium White and Black

For those interested in preordering from Jarir, here are the prices;
POCO F6
– 12GB + 512GB – SAR 1,799

POCO F6 Pro
– 12GB + 512GB – SAR 2,199

For additional variations, you can checkout to Xiaomi’s Store in Noon;
POCO F6
– 12GB + 512GB – SAR 1,799.00

POCO F6 Pro
– 12GB+512GB – SAR 2,199
– 16GB+1TB – SAR 2,599.00

Toyota Prado 2024 now available in Saudi Arabia

July 2, 2024

After teasing motorist for the past months, Abdul Latif Jameel Motors, Toyota Saudi Arabia’s parent company, officially announce that the Toyota Prado 2024 now available in the Kingdom.

The Toyota Prado 2024 will have a starting price of SAR 193,775.00 (around Php 3,037,494.51) for its TX-1 model and could cost up to SAR 284,625.00 (Php 4,461,601.73) for its top of the line ADV FIRST EDITION. Toyota Prado 2024 with a diesel engine is also available.

First announced last August 2023 and here’s how Toyota describe the new Toyota Prado 2024;

Built on the TNGA-F global truck platform, the new Land Cruiser is designed, engineered, and tested to survive in the harshest of environments. For this new generation, Land Cruiser is exclusively available with the range-topping i-FORCE MAX hybrid powertrain producing 326 horsepower and 465 lb.-ft. of torque. It’s slightly smaller and narrower than the outgoing 200 Series model, making it nimbler on the trails, and Land Cruiser features off-road tech that has debuted on the newest generation of Toyota trucks. Limited to 5,000 units for the first two months of production, Land Cruiser will be offered in a First Edition grade that includes two new two-tone paint colors and additional off-road equipment.

Huawei MatePad 11.5 S now in Saudi Arabia

June 30, 2024

First announced in May 2024, the Huawei MatePad 11.5 S is now available in Saudi Arabia, a tablet designed for productivity and entertainment with its sleek design and powerful features.

The Huawei MatePad 11.5 S features a 11.5-inch 2.8K (2800 × 1840) display. With up to 144Hz refresh rate, scrolling and animations are incredibly smooth. The display also features a PaperMatte 2.0 finish that reduces glare and offers a more pen-on-paper-like writing experience.

The MatePad 11.5 S runs on the Huawei Kirin 9000 Octa-core processor, offering capable performance for everyday tasks and multitasking. Huawei’s Harmony OS 4.2 will be running the device right out of the box. The tablet will feature a 13 MP f/1.8 aperture with autofocus (AF) rear camera and a 8 MP f/2.0 aperture with fixed focus (FF) front camera. It will have 8GB RAM and 256 storage.

The MatePad 11.5 S will support Wifi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax, 2 × 2 MIMO, Bluetooth 5.2, NearLink and USB Type-C, USB 3.0 connectivity.

Design-wise, the MatePad 11.5 S boasts a slim and lightweight design with a metal unibody construction that’s just 6.2mm thin and weighs only 510g, and comes in three colors: Space Grey, Silver Frost and Violet. The 8800mAh battery offers long battery life on a single charge.

Here’s the pricing for the new Huawei MatePad 11.5 S;
8GB RAM + 256GB storage (without keyboard) – SAR 1,699
8GB RAM + 256GB storage (with keyboard) – SAR 1,899

The Huawei MatePad 11.5 S is available for preorder on the Huawei website and local retailers like Jarir and Extra.

The Huawei MatePad 11.5 S is available for preorder on the Huawei website and local retailers like Jarir and Extra. Customers who preorder the MatePad 11.5 S will receive free gifts worth SAR 1,446: 3rd-Gen HUAWEI M-Pencil White, HUAWEI Stylish Backpack (Olive Green), MatePad Folio Cover Compatible with HUAWEI MatePad 11.5 S Black and Wireless Mouse (Space Gray).

Huawei Unveils the MatePad SE 11 A Bigger and Better Budget Friendly Tablet

June 10, 2024

Succeeding the original MatePad SE, Huawei introduces the MatePad SE 11 with a larger 11-inch display, improved design, and a larger 7700 mAh battery, all at an attractive price point.

The MatePad SE 11 takes center stage with its expansive 11-inch LCD display. The Full HD+ resolution (1920 x 1200 pixels) with 207 ppi and a 16:10 aspect ratio with an 85% screen-to-body ratio delivers crisp visuals for entertainment and productivity. With a peak brightness of 400 nits and 100% sRGB color coverage, the display offers a vibrant and comfortable viewing experience.

The MatePad SE 11 features a sleek and slim design with a metal unibody construction. Measuring just 6.9mm thin and weighing 475 grams, it comes in two stylish colors: Nebula Gray and Crystal Blue. The MatePad SE 11 will be available with up to 128GB of storage and 8GB of RAM.

The tablet features an 8MP rear camera with an image resolution of 3264 x 2448. It can record videos at 1920 x 1080 resolution. The front shooter is a 5MP camera with f/2.2 aperture and a fixed focal length. It supports 2560 × 1920 image resolution while recording videos at 1280 × 720 pixels.

Under the hood, the MatePad SE 11 runs on a Kirin 710A or a Snapdragon 680 chipset (depending on the region) and HarmonyOS 2.0 that supports multi-window, multi-screen collaboration, seamless data transfer, and screen sharing.

The MatePad SE 11 also supports Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5.1 with USB Type-C 2.0.

Pricing and Availability

The Huawei MatePad SE 11 is now available for the Saudi Arabian market with the following pricing:

  • 4GB RAM + 128 GB storage: SAR 799.00
  • 6GB RAM + 128 GB storage: SAR 849.00
  • 8GB RAM + 128 GB storage: SAR 999.00

You can buy the new MatePad SE 11 directly from the Huawei Online Store or any authorized retailers in the Kingdom. Ordering the tablet now includes a free Huawei M-Pen lite, Huawei Backpack Swift, and Huawei MatePad SE 11 Folio Cover, valued at SAR 497.00.

Source: GSM Arena, Yugatech

MSI Claw Gaming Console now for Preorder in Saudi Arabia

March 15, 2024

The MSI Claw Gaming Console is now in Saudi Arabia, their entry to the growing popularity of handheld gaming console category. The MSI Claw Gaming Console was first revealed in CES 2024 earlier this year, the MSI Claw is now available for preorder in Saudi Arabia. The MSI Claw Gaming Console will be competing with Asus, Lenovo and Steam.

The MSI Claw Gaming Console is said to be the world’s first gaming handheld powered by the Intel Core Ultra processor, Intel’s newest flagship CPU optimized for premium thin and powerful laptops (and handheld), that features 3D performance hybrid architecture, advanced AI capabilities, and available with built-in Intel Arc GPU. The Claw will be running Windows 11 Home right out of the box which can also be upgraded Windows 11 Pro and it features an Intel Arc Graphics card on a 7-inch touchscreen display with 1080p resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. It two 2W Hi-Res speakers, a 6 cell (53Whr) Li-Ion battery, a Thunderbolt 4 and HDMI port, a microSD slot, and features a fingerprint scanner built in to the power button for added security.

There will be 3 available variants of MSI Claw Gaming Console which is differentiated by the their CPU, CPU Speed and storage size but all other components will remain the same. You can head to specs page of the MSI Claw Gaming Console for more details.

In Saudi Arabia, the based model MSI Claw Handheld Gaming Console with Intel Core Ultra 5 135H and 512 GB storage is priced at SR 3,299, which is around Php 48,944.50, while a more powerful Intel Core Ultra 7 155H and 512 GB variant will be available at SR 3,799, that’s Php 56,362.58.

The availability of the MSI Claw Gaming Console in the Philippine market is yet to be announced.

MLDBeast’s Riyadh Soundstorm 2023 to be headlined by Metallica and Black Eyed Peas

November 28, 2023

MLDBeast’s annual music event Riyadh Soundstorm will be a 3-day music festival that features the best and greatest music has to offer. This year’s Soundstorm (2023) will be in Riyadh, Banban, from 14th thru 16th of December 2023.

Here’s a snippet of their lineup, in no particular order;

DECEMBER 14, THURSDAY

  • Black Eyed Peas
  • Calvin Harris
  • H.E.R.
  • Metallica
  • Wizkid

DECEMBER 15, FRIDAY

  • Chris Brown
  • Martin Garrix

DECEMBER 16, SATURDAY

  • David Guetta
  • J. Balvin
  • Swedish House Mafia

You can find the complete lineup here.

Tickets for the music festival can be as low as SAR 169, which is around Php 2,500.00, for the general admission or just one day pass or as high as SAR 80,000.00, which approximately Php 1.18 million for a VIB BOX, that will include Dedicated Concierge, an exclusive entry with valet, premium food and beverage and your very own dedicated private suite.

As for me, I’ll go with the GENERAL ADMISSION, since you get an all stage access, daily SAR 25 wallet credit, and complimentary parking, which is not bad if you’re just there to head band and slam with Metallica.

You can go to Riyadh SoundStorm 2023 for more info

HONOR opens its first authorized store in Saudi Arabia

November 5, 2023

HONOR Saudi just open its first authorized store in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East earlier this month. The store is located in Al Hayat Plaza in Dammam, Eastern Region of the Kingdom. Those who visit the store’s opening day received special offers.

Here are some photos as posted by @HonorKSA;

Disney Plus to increase subscription plan in the Middle East

November 4, 2023

Disney Plus, the popular streaming service, has announced a price increase for its subscription fee in the Middle East. The new pricing will take effect starting 21 November 2023. This means all the existing users signed up on or before 17 October 2023 and set to renew every month, will be charged at the revised subscription prices starting 21 November 2023. If the payment fails, the billing retries that happen on or after 21 November 2023 will be billed at the new price.

The monthly subscription fee for Disney Plus in the Saudi Arabia increase from SAR 29.99 to SAR 39.99. The annual subscription fee will now be SAR 354.99. The price increase appears to be part of the company’s plan to “accelerate profitability for the business.”

Below will be the new price plan of Disney Plus subscriptions in the Middle East;

Compare to Netflix’s Standard plan of SAR 43/month, the new SAR 39.99/month price of Disney is still low.

Price for the coming KCON Korean Festival in Saudi

September 28, 2023

We know the when and the who for the upcoming KCON Korean Festival in Saudi, and now we have the answer on the “HOW MUCH” since there have been no official announce on the ticket price for the Korean Festival.

There will be 3 categories of tickets; Entry Ticket will be SR 280.00, Golden Circle is SR 550.00 and VIP will cost SR 1,000.00.

  • VIP : This ticket will include the access to the VIP stand, Free Snacks and Drinks, access to the Gold Circle, and the convention.
  • Gold Circle : This ticket will include the access to the private lounge, the Gold Circle, and the convention.
  • Entry Ticket : This ticket will include the access to the general areas and the convention.

You can get your tickets from TicketMX using this link – https://www.ticketmx.com/en/d/4080/kcon-saudi-arabia-2023

The Music Commission will host the KCON Festival for the second time in the Kingdom on October 6 and 7 at the Mohammed Abdo Theater in Riyadh City Boulevard, with the participation of 14 Korean bands performing an international concert over two days presenting a variety of Korean cultural music as well as allocating an accompanying exhibition concerned with Korean culture.

Exhibition timings: 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Concert timings: 10:00 pm – 12:30 am

Ticket categories:
VIP : This ticket will include the access to the VIP stand, Free Snacks and Drinks, access to the Gold Circle, and the convention.
Gold Circle : This ticket will include the access to the private lounge, the Gold Circle, and the convention.
Entry Ticket : This ticket will include the access to the general areas and the convention.
Meet & Greet : An additional ticket added to your basic ticket that let you enjoy the experience of meeting your favorite band and artists.
3 different sessions, 3 different bands per day from 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm

Saudi pricing of the new Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2

September 18, 2023

If you are in Saudi and want to preorder the new Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2, below are the pricing from the top retailer in the Kingdom.


Apple Watch Series 9
Aluminum
41mm
GPS – SR1,849.00
GPS + Cellular – SR2,249.00

45mm
GPS – SR1,969.00
GPS + Cellular – SR2,379.00

Stainless Steel
41mm (GPS + Cellular)
Rubber Band – SR3,149.00
Stainless steel Band – SR3,349.00

45mm (GPS + Cellular)
Rubber Band – SR3,379.00
Textile Band – SR3,379.00
Stainless steel Band – SR3,579.00


Apple Watch Ultra 2 on ALL BANDS – SR3,599.00

Just like with the new iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pros, the new Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 will be available on Sept 22nd.

Pricing of iPhone 15s and Iphone 15 Pros in Saudi Arabia

September 18, 2023

For those in Saudi Arabia, the iPhone 15s and iPhone 15 Pros are now available for preorder and will be available in retail store on the 22nd of September. While there is no Online Apple store for Saudi Arabia, you can place your preorder to any of the local retailers in the country.

Below are the Saudi Pricing of the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max;


Iphone 15
128 GB – SR3,799.00
256 GB – SR4,299.00
512 GB – SR5,299.00

Iphone 15 Plus
128 GB – SR4,199.00
256 GB – SR4,699.00
512 GB – SR5,699.00


iPhone 15 Pro
128 GB – SR4,699.00
256 GB – SR5,199.00
512 GB – SR6,199.00
1 TB – SR7,199.00

iPhone 15 Pro Max
256 GB – SR5,699.00
512 GB – SR6,699.00
1 TB – SR7,699.00

Lineup for the KCON Korean Festival in Saudi

September 16, 2023

We finally have the official band line up for the coming KCON Korean Festival in Saudi. Of all the 14 bands, I only recognize Super Junior. Looks like the rest of the bands are up and coming bands in the K-POP scene.

For October 6th;

  • Super Junior D&E
  • HighLight
  • Hyolyn
  • Kard
  • Everglow
  • 8turn
  • Riize

For Octoher 7th;

  • Super Junior
  • Oh My Girl
  • Dreamcatcher
  • Tempest
  • The New Six
  • Eleltz U+P
  • Evnne

The KCON Korean Festival will (KCON Riyadh 2023) be on Friday, October 6, and Saturday, October 7, at the Mohammed Abdo Arena in Boulevard Riyadh City. In addition to the musical performances, there will be an exhibition dedicated to Korean culture. This will provide attendees with a deeper understanding of Korea’s rich history and traditions.

The official Instagram account of KCon also announced the band line for the KCon Riyadh.

KCON Korean Festival returns to Saudi for the Second time

September 11, 2023

Here’s something for OFW who are a big fan of K-pop, K-drama and/or Korean culture in general.

The KCON Korean Festival will return to Saudi Arabia to celebrate Korean culture in all its vibrant forms. This year, KCON Riyadh 2023 is officially happening this fall. The festival will take place on Friday, October 6, and Saturday, October 7, at the Mohammed Abdo Arena in Boulevard Riyadh City.

KCON Riyadh 2023 promises to be an exciting event, featuring performances by 14 South Korean bands. Fans can look forward to a variety of concerts and meet-and-greets, providing a unique opportunity to interact with their favorite artists.

But KCON is not just about music. It’s a celebration of all things Korean. In addition to the musical performances, there will be an exhibition dedicated to Korean culture. This will provide attendees with a deeper understanding of Korea’s rich history and traditions.

Moreover, a market will be set up where attendees can pick up all sorts of Korean goodies. Whether you’re looking for K-pop merchandise, traditional Korean crafts, or popular Korean snacks.

First launched in LA in 2012, KCON has since grown into one of the largest Korean cultural festivals worldwide. It now attracts over a million visitors yearly across four continents.

No line up have been announce and we can assume that this will come in the coming days.

Brazilian Superstar Neymar Jr. Joins Saudi Club Al-Hilal in Two-Year Deal

August 16, 2023

Brazilian superstar Neymar has joined Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal in a two-year deal, the club announced on Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2023. Neymar, who had been with Paris Saint-Germain since 2017, leaves the French club after scoring 118 goals in 173 appearances. He won the Ligue 1 title with PSG five times, but the club was never able to win the Champions League, which Neymar had been hoping to achieve.

After signing his transfer contract, Neymar Jr. stated that he was very happy, winning titles and friends in Europe and he enjoyed special times. Being a global player, always wanted to test himself in new challenges and opportunities in new places. He said, “I want to write a new history, and the Saudi Professional League has tremendous energy and quality players and is in great growth at the moment, so I believe it is the desired place.”

He added, “Al-Hilal is a giant club with fantastic fans, and it is the best in Asia. This gives me a feeling that it is the right decision for me at the right time with the right club, i love winning and scoring goals, and I plan to continue doing that in Saudi Arabia and with Al-Hilal.”

Al-Hilal is one of the most successful clubs in Saudi Arabia, holding 66 official titles. The club is also a regular participant in the AFC Champions League, and has won the tournament four times.

Neymar’s arrival is a major coup for Al-Hilal and is expected to boost the club’s chances of winning more trophies and retaining their leadership in the coming years. The Brazilian is one of the most popular and marketable players in the world, and his signing is sure to attract attention to the Saudi Professional League.

The transfer fee for Neymar is reported to be around $90 million, making it the most expensive transfer in Saudi Arabian football history.

Neymar’s move to Saudi Arabia has been met with mixed reactions. Some have criticized the move, saying that it is a waste of money for a club in a relatively small league. Others have defended the move, saying that it is a good opportunity for Neymar to experience a new culture and challenge himself in a new league.

Source: AlHIlal, Reuters, neymarjr.com

Honor 90 and Honor 90 Lite announced in Middle East

July 24, 2023

Honor Arabia has officially announced the availability of Honor 90 and Honor 90 Lite in the Middle East region. Both the Honor 90 and Honor 90 Lite are now available for pre-order.

Honor 90 features a 6.7 inches AMOLED display with Quad-Curved Floating Screen, a 93.3% Screen-to-body Ratio and a 2664×1200 resolution. It will have an Octa-core Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 Accelerated Edition CPU and a Adreno 644 GPU. It will be running MagicOS 7.1 OS which is based on Android 13 and will be available in 8GB+256GB and 12GB+512GB variants.

As for the camera, the Honor 90 will have a triple rear camera setup; 200MP Ultra-Clear Camera (f/1.9), 12MP Ultra Wide and Macro Camera (f/2.2) and a 2MP Depth Camera (f/2.4). It supports up to 4K video resolution, 10x digital zoom and image capture of 16256×12192 pixels. Honor 90’s triple rear camera also include a single LED flash. As for the front shooter, it features a 50MP Camera(f/2.4) that can capture image at 8160×6112 pixels and up to 4k video resolution.

The Honor 90 will have 5000 mAh Lithium polymer battery that supports up to 11V/6A SuperCharge, compatible with 10V/4A,5V/2A. Just like with modern mobile phones, the Honor 90 support 5G, 4G LTE, 3G (WCDMA) and 2G (GSM). For wireless connectivity it supports WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, 2×2 MIMO at 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequency. Honor 90 also supports Bluetooth 5.2, GPS /AGPS/GLONASS/BeiDou/Galileo.

Honor 90 will be available in 3 colors; Diamond Silver, Midnight Black and Emerald Green.

The Honor 90 Lite on the other hand will have a slightly different specs, it features a 6.7 inches LTPS LCD display with a 2388×1080 resolution. It will have an a slower MediaTek Dimensity 6020 CPU and a Mali-G57 MC2 GPU. Like with the Honor 90, it will also be running MagicOS 7.1 OS right out of the box. Unlike with its syblings, the Honor 90 Lite will come in 8GB+256GB variant.

As for the camera, the Honor 90 lite will also come with a triple rear camera setup; 100MP Main Camera(f/1.9), 5MP Ultra Wide and Depth Camera (f/2.2) and a 2MP Macro Camera(f/2.4). It will also feature up to 1080p video resolution, 10x digital zoom and up to up to 11584×8688 pixels image. The front shooter of the Honor 90 Lite is a 16MP (f/2.45) camera that supports up to 1920×1080 pixels for video capture and up to 4608×3456 pixels for image.

The Honor 90 lite will have smaller 4500mAh Li-ion Polymer Battery. The Honor 90 lite supports 5G, 4G LTE, 3G (WCDMA) and 2G (GSM). For wireless connectivity it supports WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, 2×2 MIMO at 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequency, Bluetooth 5.3 and GPS/AGPS/GLONASS/BeiDou/Galileo.

Honor 90 will be available in 3 colors; Cyan Lake,Titanium Silver and Midnight Black.

In UAE the Honor 90 Lite is available for pre-order for 899AED and Honor 90 will be available for 1599AED that includes free gifts worth 597AED, while in Saudi Arabia, you can pre-order the Honor 90 Lite for SAR 949 with free gifts worth SAR528 and price for the Honor 90 will announced once it is available for pre-order this 26th July.

Riyadh Air unveil designs for their planes and new promotional video

June 5, 2023

Riyadh Air unveil the first of two design of their fleet which blend of cutting-edge technology and timeless elegance. The name Riyadh Air can be seen across the plane and features a lavender colors with stripes design.

Together with the new planes, Riyadh Air also release a 51 secs promo video that teases the public regarding an event on June 12th.

Public Investment Fund (PIF) first announce Riyadh Air in March of this year, explaining that the airline is expected to add US$20 billion to non-oil GDP growth, and create more than 200,000 direct and indirect jobs.

Saudi Astronaut Ali Alqarni shares image of Riyadh from the International Space Station

May 29, 2023

Saudi Astronaut Ali Alqarni who went to the International Space Station (ISS) last 22nd of May via Axiom Space’s Ax-2 mission, just a picture of Riyadh from the International Space Station (ISS). The image is a photo of a shining Riyadh at night. Astrounaut Ali Alqarni also shared a picture of the flag of Saudi Arabia inside the ISS.

The Saudi Crew are currently conducting educational outreach and conduct innovative research experiments while in orbit. The Axiom Space’s Ax-2 mission crew are currently in orbit and are scheduled to return early June 2022.

Crew of Axiom Mission 2 checks in before their flight to the International Space Station

May 22, 2023

The Axiom Space’s Ax-2 mission crew checks in before their long flight to the International Space Station. The 4-man crew is composed of Saudi Nationals Rayyanah Barwani and Ali Alqarni joined by Americans commander Peggy Whitson and pilot John Shoffner.

From ArabNews;

Rayyanah Barwani, who is the first Arab woman to reach orbit, graduated from the University of Otago, New Zealand with a BA in biomedical sciences, and obtained a master’s degree in biomedical sciences from Alfaisal University.

Ali Alqarni graduated from King Faisal Air Academy with a BA in aeronautical science and obtained a diploma in aeronautical science from Vance Air Force Base in the US. He is a captain in the Royal Saudi Air Force with more than 12 years of experience as a jet pilot.

Mission commander Peggy Whitson is the most experienced, having three previous trips to the ISS under her belt and 665 days in space. John Shoffner will serve as the pilot of the Dragon crew vehicle. The Axiom Space’s Ax-2 mission crew is scheduled to reached the ISS on Monday morning at around 9:16AM ET and they will be in orbit for 10 days.

Axiom Space’s Ax-2 mission is the second all-private human spaceflight mission to the International Space Station. The Ax-2 crew will participate in educational outreach and conduct innovative research experiments while on the orbiting laboratory.

Public Investment Fund (PIF) launches Riyadh Air, a new national carrier to expand Saudi’s local and global aviation industry

March 15, 2023

His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Prime Minister and Chairman of the Public Investment Fund (PIF) just announced the launching of a new national airline Riyadh Air. Wholly owned by PIF, Riyadh Air will leverage Saudi Arabia’s strategic geographic location between the three continents of Asia, Africa and Europe, enabling Riyadh to become a gateway to the world and a global destination for transportation, trade, and tourism.

Riyadh Air will be chaired by His Excellency Yasir Al-Rumayyan, Governor of PIF, while Tony Douglas, will be its Chief Executive Officer. Douglas brings more than 40 years of experience in the aviation, transportation and logistics industries.

The newly established airline is expected to add US$20 billion to non-oil GDP growth, and create more than 200,000 direct and indirect jobs.

Ramadan 2023 working hours announced for Saudi Arabia’s Private and Public Sector

March 15, 2023

Ramadan, one of the Five Pillars of Islam, is just less than 10 days away and all workers in both public and private sector will have shorted working hours.

As announced by Saudi’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD), the working hours in the public sector will reduced to 5 hours a day, from 10 AM to 3 PM, while those working in the private sector, it will have a 6 hours workday, flexible time from 9 to 10 in the morning and 3 to 4 in the afternoon.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting, prayer, reflection and community.

Source: Saudi Gazette 1, 2

Yellow iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus now available for Pre-Order in Saudi Arabia

March 11, 2023

The recently announced ‘yellow’ iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus is now available for pre-order in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The pricing of the Yellow iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus are as follows;

iPhone 14

  • 128 GB – SAR 3,799.00
  • 256 GB – SAR 4,299.00
  • 512 GB – SAR 5,299.00

iPhone 14 Plus

  • 128 GB – SAR 4,199.00
  • 256 GB – SAR 4,699.00
  • 512 GB – SAR 5,899.00

You can place your pre-order to your favorite retailers; Jarir, Extra, Xcite and Virgin Megastore.

Happy Bear MilkTea, an authentic taste of bubble tea from Taiwan to Saudi Arabia

March 6, 2023

Craving for milktea?

If you’re in Riyadh, KSA you can checkout Bubble TEA, a milktea shop that started as a home business and now a full blown business with 4 partners around the country. Their shop in Riyadh is located in the Sulimaniyah district, less than 1 km from Prince Sultan Medical City.

This is their location via Google Maps – https://goo.gl/maps/esVNSkkax3RdX6rj7

Happy Bear MilkTea offers dine-in or take-out.

You can checkout their full menu here.

Saudi Arabia to celebrate Flag Day on March 11 every year

March 5, 2023

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud announced in a royal decree that the Kingdom will celebrate March 11 every year as a special day for the Saudi flag named “Flag Day”.

Here’s the full text of the royal decree;

The decree said that this is based on the value of the national flag extending throughout the history of the Saudi state since its founding in 1139 AH corresponding to 1727 AD, which symbolizes the testimony of monotheism (There is no God but Allah) in its middle which is the message of peace and Islam on which this blessed state was based; and the sword symbolizes strength, dignity, the height of wisdom and status. For nearly three centuries, the flag is a witness to the country’s unification campaigns waged by the Saudi state, and the citizens of this country have considered it as a banner of pride and lofty out of belief in the great importance of the flag as a manifestation of the state, its strength, sovereignty, and a symbol of cohesion, coalition and national unity.

Whereas, the 27th of Dhu al-Hijjah 1355 AH corresponding to March 11, 1937 AD, is the day when the Founder late King Abdulaziz endorsed the flag in the form that we see today fluttering with its great connotations that refer to monotheism, justice, strength, development and prosperity.

Steamdeck now available in Saudi Arabia

February 13, 2023

Steamdeck is now available in Saudi Arabia. You can purchase Valve’s handheld gaming computer – Steamdeck from Xcite, which from a quick lookup, appears to be the only local retailer to sell the gaming device. Before, if you want to purchase Steamdeck, you can either need to contact someone from the United States or buy it from the gray/black market.

The Steamdeck is a handheld gaming computer developed by Valve Corporation. Released on February 25, 2022, the Steam Deck can be played as a handheld or connected to a monitor in a similar manner to the Nintendo Switch. Steamdeck is designed to designed for playing Steam-based game, but can also support third-party storefronts like Epic Games Store, Ubisoft Connect, or Origin. The user can also replace the preinstalled SteamOS with a different operating system entirely, since it supports multi-booting.

Here are the pricing of Steamdeck, based on Xcite’s website listings;

  • SAR 2,498.99 – Steamdeck 64GB eMMC
  • SAR 3,199.00 – Steamdeck 256GB NVMe SSD
  • SAR 4,199.00 – Steamdeck 512GB NVMe SSD

Here’s the full specs of the Steamdeck;

Compute
Processor AMD APU
CPU: Zen 2 4c/8t, 2.4-3.5GHz (up to 448 GFlops FP32)
GPU: 8 RDNA 2 CUs, 1.0-1.6GHz (up to 1.6 TFlops FP32)
APU power: 4-15W
RAM 16 GB LPDDR5 on-board RAM (5500 MT/s quad 32-bit channels)
Storage 64 GB eMMC (PCIe Gen 2 x1)
256 GB NVMe SSD (PCIe Gen 3 x4 or PCIe Gen 3 x2*)
512 GB high-speed NVMe SSD (PCIe Gen 3 x4 or PCIe Gen 3 x2*)

Controls and Input
Gamepad controls A B X Y buttons
D-pad
L & R analog triggers
L & R bumpers
View & Menu buttons
4 x assignable grip buttons
Thumbsticks 2 x full-size analog sticks with capacitive touch
Haptics HD haptics
Trackpads 2 x 32.5mm square trackpads with haptic feedback
55% better latency compared to Steam Controller
Pressure-sensitivity for configurable click strength
Gyro 6-Axis IMU

Display
Resolution 1280 x 800px (16:10 aspect ratio)
Type Optically bonded IPS LCD for enhanced readability
Display Size 7″ diagonal
Brightness 400 nits typical
Refresh Rate 60Hz
Touch Enabled Yes
Sensors Ambient light sensor

Connectivity
Bluetooth Bluetooth 5.0 (support for controllers, accessories and audio)
Wi-Fi Dual-band Wi-Fi radio, 2.4GHz and 5GHz, 2 x 2 MIMO, IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac

Audio
Channels Stereo with embedded DSP for an immersive listening experience
Microphones Dual microphone array
Headphone / mic jack 3.5mm stereo headphone / headset jack
Digital Multichannel audio via DisplayPort over USB-C, standard USB-C, or Bluetooth 5.0

Power
Input 45W USB Type-C PD3.0 power supply
Battery 40Whr battery. 2 – 8 hours of gameplay

Expansion
microSD UHS-I supports SD, SDXC and SDHC
External connectivity for controllers & displays USB-C with DisplayPort 1.4 Alt-mode support; up to 8K @60Hz or 4K @120Hz, USB 3.2 Gen 2y

Size and Weight
Size 298mm x 117mm x 49mm
Weight Approx. 669 grams

Software
Operating System SteamOS 3.0 (Arch-based)
Desktop KDE Plasma

Images and video from steamdeck.com

Current pricing of the new Samsung Galaxy S23 phones in Saudi Arabia

February 5, 2023

If you’re in Saudi Arabia, below are the pricing of the just announced Samsung Galaxy S23 phones;

Galaxy S23
8GB RAM + 128GB storage – TBA
8GB RAM + 256GB storage – SAR 3,499.00

Galaxy S23+
8GB RAM + 256GB storage – SAR 3,999.00
8GB RAM + 512GB storage – SAR 4,399.00

Galaxy S23 Ultra
8GB RAM + 256GB storage – TBA
12GB RAM + 256GB storage – SAR 5,199.00
12GB RAM + 512GB storage – SAR 5,699.00
12GB RAM + 1TB storage – SAR 6,699.00

Samsung announced the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra with Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23+ last Feb 1, 2023 at their Galaxy Unpacked 2023. In a nutshell, the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23+ are the same phones with different screen size while the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is the premium version that supports S-Pen and features a 200 MP camera.

You can read more about the new Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23+ here.

Changes to Passport Renewal Process at the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh this New Year

January 4, 2023

Philippine Embassy in Riyadh just announced that there will be changes in the passport renewal this 2023. The announcement took effect last Jan 3, 2023, the Consular Section of the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh will only receive regular passport renewal application through VFS Global both in Riyadh and in Al Khobar. Walk-ins are allowed adn no need for an appointment.

Philippine Embassy in Riyadh will still provide the following services;

  1. Passport applications for newborns
  2. Issuance of emergency travel documents
  3. Resolutions of issues with passport applications
  4. Civil Registry (Reports of Birth, Marriage and Death)
  5. Application for marriage and solemnization of marriage
  6. Correction of entries in birth certificates and marriage contracts registered at the Embassy
  7. Notarial
  8. Visa

Saudi Arabia beats Messi’s Argentina (2 – 1), one of the biggest upset in World Cup History

November 22, 2022

In what can be considered as one of the biggest upset in World Cup History, Saudi Arabia beats Argentina, 2 – 1, this is the first time a team in the Arab country has beaten Argentina in the FIFA World Cup.

It was all Argentina in the 1st half of the game, where Messi scoring the one and only goal of Argentina via penalty kick. Then in the second half, the Saudi’s lead by Saleh Al-Shehri and Salem Al-Dawsari, both scored in a span of five minutes to secure Saudi’s first win the tournament.

Saudi Arabia now leads Group C that includes Mexico, Poland and Argentina. Their next game will be against Poland this 26th of November, then Mexico on the 30th of November. Teams in each group are playing one another in a round-robin, with the top two teams advancing to the knockout stage. While Argentina will face Mexico on November 26th and then Poland on November 30th.