Saudi Arabia is calling Hajj 2025 the best in five decades—and they’ve got the numbers to back it up. Minister of Hajj and Umrah Tawfiq Al-Rabiah announced that this year’s pilgrimage achieved an impressive 91% satisfaction rate, marking a major milestone in the Kingdom’s ongoing efforts to elevate the Hajj experience.

Speaking at the 5th Hajj Conference and Exhibition, held under the theme “From Makkah to the World”, Al-Rabiah said this year’s success reflects the country’s unified efforts and meticulous planning.

Big Names, Big Plans

Held at Jeddah Superdome and inaugurated by Deputy Emir of Makkah Prince Saud bin Mishaal on behalf of King Salman, the event brought together ministers, scholars, and speakers from over 150 countries.

Prince Saud highlighted how the Kingdom’s commitment to serving pilgrims—initiated by King Abdulaziz—remains stronger than ever. He credited the seamless organization of Hajj 2025 to the coordination among government agencies, calling it a reflection of Saudi Arabia’s “continuous dedication to comfort and care for visitors of the Two Holy Mosques.”

rom Faith to History

Adding a historical layer to the event, Prince Faisal bin Salman launched the first-ever History of Hajj and the Two Holy Mosques Forum, a collaboration with the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah and the Doyof Al Rahman Program.

The forum aims to document the evolution of Hajj—from ancient times to the modern Saudi era—using verified records and scientific research. Prince Faisal emphasized that the Hajj has always represented unity and devotion, symbolizing “humanity’s shared journey toward faith.”

Tech Meets Tradition

Minister Al-Rabiah also shared updates on Vision 2030-driven projects designed to enhance future pilgrim experiences. He revealed that preparations for the next Hajj season began right after the last day of Hajj, with 60% of contracts already finalized and half of the holy sites ready.

The Kingdom is also integrating AI technology into the Nusk app, which now has over 40 million users worldwide. The new “Nusk AI” feature aims to personalize pilgrim experiences and streamline digital services.

On top of that, 71 historical and cultural sites in Makkah and Madinah have been developed, attracting over 3 million visitors with a 95% satisfaction rate.

Building on the Momentum

The Jeddah conference—running until November 12—features 143 sessions and workshops focused on innovation, service quality, and cross-country collaboration. Several agreements and MoUs were signed to further improve technology, operations, and services for pilgrims.

With this year’s success being hailed as the best in 50 years, Saudi Arabia seems set on turning the Hajj experience into a model of both faith and future-forward efficiency.

The Desert’s Grand Stage, the Liwa International Festival, will return from 12 December 2025 to 3 January 2026, bringing 23 days of culture, adventure, motorsports, music, and family fun to the golden dunes of the Al Dhafra Region.

Set against the backdrop of the 300 metre Tal Moreeb, the UAE’s tallest dune, the festival has become one of the country’s most anticipated annual events, where heritage and adventure blend with the warmth of quality time with family and friends.

Since its debut in 2001, the Liwa International Festival has grown into Abu Dhabi’s ultimate winter experience, offering something for everyone, from world-class racing and dune sports to immersive cultural moments and lively entertainment.

This year, the festival opens with the Forsan Al Emarat show, the official aerobatics demonstration team of the United Arab Emirates Air Force, and a captivating display of fireworks, light shows, drone shows, and more set to light up the desert sky.

Each winter, Liwa becomes the beating heart of motorsport in the region, and this year’s edition promises even more action and excitement. The festival kicks off with Freestyle Drift on 12 to 13 December and 22 to 23 December, followed by the Spartan Race Liwa on 13 December and Bike Drag Racing on 14 December. The excitement continues with Falconry from 15 to 17 December, showcasing precision and heritage, followed by the Car Stunt Championship on 19 to 20 December. A first-time event, Extreme Mudfest, will also take place on 19 and 20 December, bringing the biggest and most exhilarating motorsport experience amid the desert sands.

The Liwa Running Challenge follows on 20 December, together with the Liwa Cycling Race and Liwa UTV on 21 December. From 23 to 24 December, the Pigeon Hunt Competition takes place, leading into the high-energy Liwa Burnout Championship on 25 December.

On 26 and 27 December, the desert will roar to life with Liwa Drift, Monster Jam, and the Tal Moreeb Running Challenge on 26 December, while the Liwa Padel Championship and Liwa Cycling Challenge run from 26 to 28 December and on 27 December. Motorsport fans can also enjoy the Sand Wrestling Championship on 26 to 27 December, followed by the return of the Car Stunt Championship on 28 to 29 December.

The festival continues with the Electronic Freestyle Championship on 30 December, and the Tal Moreeb Car Championship from 31 December 2025 to 3 January 2026, featuring multiple racing categories. The lineup also includes Football and Padel every weekend, as well as Boxing from 15 to 21 December.

The Jetour Travel Conference will also take place on 19, 20, and 21 December.

Throughout the festival, visitors can also enjoy daily Dune Projection Shows and Drone Shows and Hot Air Balloons every weekend, transforming the Liwa desert skyline each evening into a spectacular display of light, sound, and motion. Water Karting and Mini Tank Paintball will also be available daily from 12 December 2025 to 3 January 2026, offering a thrilling experience for visitors looking for some action. Fireworks will illuminate the desert sky during the opening ceremony, weekends, New Year’s Eve and the closing ceremony, creating memorable moments throughout the festival.

At the heart of the festival lies Liwa Village, a lively hub of entertainment and discovery designed for all ages. Families can enjoy water karting, carnival rides, skill games, pony rides, and two exhilarating ziplines (one for children and one for adults). The Classic Car Museum, Auto Zone, Horror Escape Room, and Smash Room add extra excitement, while younger visitors will love the Pony Grove and petting zoo.

Attractions this year include the Souk Zone and Pop-Up Heritage Shops for handmade crafts and local treasures, while the Performance Stage hosts live music, cultural acts, and daily entertainment.

Foodies can savour both Emirati favourites and global cuisines across the festival’s many F&B and retail outlets.

New Year’s Eve at Liwa International Festival is set to be unforgettable. On 31 December, the Tal Moreeb Car Championship begins its three-day run, setting the stage for thrilling motorsport as 2025 turns to 2026. Visitors can enjoy a special New Year’s Eve concert, followed by a magnificent fireworks show lighting up Liwa’s vast desert sky.

This celebration invites visitors to welcome the new year surrounded by music, adventure and the breathtaking landscape of Al Dhafra Region.

Liwa International Festival celebrates the UAE’s proud heritage and traditions. From falconry and handicrafts to Souk Liwa and the pigeon shooting championship, the festival connects the spirit of the desert to the nation’s enduring love for culture, community, and innovation.

REPORTED BY -WAM

Korea’s Leading Digital Content Companies Shine at GITEX Global 2025 – K-Digital Contents Pavilion

Dubai, UAE – October 2025:

Eight of South Korea’s most innovative digital content companies are showcasing groundbreaking technologies at GITEX Global 2025 in Dubai. Their mission is to attract international investors, explore strategic partnerships, and demonstrate the nation’s leadership in global digital transformation.

Under the supervision of the National IT Industry Promotion Agency (NIPA) — one of Korea’s leading governmental bodies — these companies were carefully selected to represent the forefront of Korea’s AI-powered creativity and immersive content industries.

The K-Digital Contents Pavilion, located in Hall 15 (Booths H15-110 to 118) at the Dubai World Trade Centre from October 13–17, 2025, features the newest advances in extended reality (XR), artificial intelligence (AI), and next-generation content creation.

South Korea continues to assert its global position as a hub for digital innovation — merging AI, XR, Web3, and spatial computing into scalable business models that inspire collaboration across borders.

The 8 Companies Featured at the K-Digital Contents Pavilion

dob Studio Inc.

An AI-driven creative company specializing in hyper-realistic digital faces, virtual humans, and immersive video experiences. Its proprietary Multi-Stylizer technology enables real-time AI-based style transformations through its Live Styler SaaS platform.

dob Studio recently expanded to Japan and Europe, offering AI tools that enhance entertainment, advertising, and production pipelines with seamless automation and photorealistic rendering.

JL Standard

JL Standard leads the field of AI-powered digital memorial solutions, bridging emotional connections beyond time through its SoulLink and LifeLink platforms. The technology offers photo restoration, AI-video generation, and advanced voice cloning to preserve human memories interactively.

Its mission is to humanize AI by allowing users to relive treasured memories with loved ones, blending ethical innovation with empathetic design.

GLOBEPOINT

A global EdTech innovator combining education and XR technology to create immersive learning environments. The company develops VR-based educational tools and web-interactive courses used by schools and universities worldwide.

With over a decade of experience, GLOBEPOINT collaborates with research institutions to design content for K–12, higher education, and special-needs training, supporting personalized learning globally.

Toonimotion Corp.

A creative powerhouse that transforms webtoon intellectual properties into high-quality animated short series. Using its proprietary AI-enhanced digital cut-out method, Toonimotion accelerates animation creation eight times faster at one-third of the cost.

Its team — with 20+ years of experience in animation and sound design — provides one-stop services from planning to global distribution, turning Korean storytelling into exportable entertainment.

Stellarvision Inc.

A leader in satellite data intelligence, specializing in Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) analytics and AI-based earth observation. Its Stellar Space Hub SaaS platform integrates data from over 300 satellites, offering real-time analysis for defense, environmental, and disaster management sectors.

The platform’s SAR-to-EO colorization and dark vessel detection features help governments and enterprises make data-driven decisions with speed and accuracy.

Studio EON

The world’s first and largest full-production studio built entirely on Unreal Engine, integrating AI across all stages of 3D content creation. Studio EON reduces production time and cost by up to 90% while maintaining cinematic quality.

It offers real-time rendering for virtual production, animation, and immersive media projects in entertainment, gaming, and digital twin industries worldwide.

Flitto

A leading provider of domain-specific AI translation and language intelligence solutions. Flitto uses massive multilingual datasets to deliver hyper-personalized translations tailored to each user’s communication style.

Its global data network helps enterprises localize products, enhance AI translation accuracy, and improve cross-cultural communication — making it one of Asia’s fastest-growing AI language platforms.

DEEP IN SIGHT Co., Ltd.

A pioneer in embedded AI camera solutions, integrating artificial intelligence directly into camera systems for real-time analysis in mobility, construction, and healthcare.

Its flagship products — CAMOSYS and DIMENVUE Pro — deliver in-cabin monitoring and 3D scanning capabilities. With global partnerships and compliance with international standards, DEEP IN SIGHT is redefining edge-based visual intelligence.

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About NIPA

The National IT Industry Promotion Agency (NIPA) is a government-affiliated organization under Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT. It drives the growth of Korea’s ICT and digital industries through policy development, R&D acceleration, and international cooperation programs — positioning South Korea as a global leader in digital