Dr Mark C. Thompson

Senior Research Fellow, Head of Socioeconomics Program King Faisal Center for Research & Islamic Studies, Riyadh 🇸🇦 🇸🇦 🇸🇦 🇸🇦 🇸🇦 @KFCRIS @kfcris_en

[Dr Mark C. Thompson @ThompsonMarkC]

It is always a special moment when you receive the hardback copies of a book for the first time! In this case, my new edited book ‘Realizing Saudi Vision 2030: Governance, Institutions and Human Capital Development’. Many thanks to @EditorSophie and @BloomsburyBooks IB Tauris, and especially @KFCRIS @KFCRIS for all their support throughout this project. Special thanks to my wonderful chapter contributors without whom this book would not have happened: Khulood Basha, Abdullah Almuqrin, David Jones, Radhika Punshi, Gauri Gupta, Abdullah Alabdulkarim, PhD, Adam Daoud, May Al-Baz, Saleh Al Nashwan, Hanaa Almoaibed, PhD, Neil Quilliam and David Des Roches.

ebook editions of this book are available to download free (Open Access) under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence on https://t.co/QDBn3OTsdV. and a hardcover version is also available to purchase. Open Access was funded by the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies:

https://t.co/Lt98ZtNWNT

[Haidy Hamdan @haidy_hamdan]

Al Shaqiqah Dunes in Unaizah Governorate, Al Qassim Region🐪🏞️

[محمد ناصر الخليفة @desertlover79]

لقطات من مدينة الخبر في المملكة العربية السعودية ١٩٤٩-1٩٥٤ م

[المملكة @thekingdom_ksa]

جمال يأسر القلوب وتنوع يدهش الأبصار.. المملكة العربية السعودية لوحة طبيعية وثقافية فريدة تزخر بالمشاهد الخلابة في كل اتجاه. 🇸🇦✨

[Arab News @arabnews]

The #FIFAWorldCup kicked off late last night and fans across #SaudiArabia gathered to celebrate at local cafes that have prepped for the event weeks in advance to welcome football enthusiasts https://t.co/DPEO32Jxoy

[سنعوس 🐪🇸🇦 @San3os1]

ياذكر الله على الشايب والطفل وعلى بقية الخيالة اللي في المقطع 👍

#الحويطات #تبوك 🇸🇦

[CIC Saudi Arabia @CICSaudi]

Saudi Arabia is heading to its 7th FIFA World Cup and 3rd in a row! The Green Falcons will play in Group H.

[Colin McCarthy @US_Stormwatch]

The hottest ocean water on the planet right now is located just south of the Strait of Hormuz.

Sea surface temps off northern Oman are approaching 95°F (35°C), bathwater-warm, and the reason the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman produce some of the most insufferable humidity on Earth.

[محمد ناصر الخليفة @desertlover79]

��نظر لمنارة مسجد الحنفي مأخوذه من زقاق ابو الخيور في مدينة جدة في المملكة العربية السعودية 1920-1930 م

[Saudi Magazine @SaudiMagazine]

Photo by @abrahimalswena #SaudiArabia

[Aseel Swaid @aseelswaid9]

Date market in Saudi Arabia

[Archaeo - Histories @archeohistories]

The Elephant Rock - a true icon of AlUla - Saudi Arabia 🇸🇦

The elephant shaped rock formation stretches up 52m into the sky, its warm-hued sandstone shaped by wind and water erosion over the course of millions of years. Known in Arabic as Jabal AlFil, Elephant Rock is particularly magical at dusk when the fading sun casts a bewitching deep crimson light over the trunk and body of AlUla’s famous geological pachyderm.

As you step foot and see the Elephant Rock beyond its geological significance, the Jabal Alfil greets you with carvings and inscriptions dating back to ancient civilizations. These intricate markings tell the stories of the region's rich history, shaped organically by the forces of nature over millions of years.

Embarking on an exploration of the cultural wealth of the Elephant Rock, visitors can witness rock carvings that unfold a visual narrative of ancient civilizations. You can encounter weathered pottery and tools, dating back to local legends and folklore surrounding AlUla’s identity.

To truly soak up the natural spectacle of Elephant Rock as the evening approaches, visitors are encouraged to find a seat nearby and warm themselves at a welcoming fire pit to combat the desert chill while enjoying something to eat and drink.

🎥© UNESCO / rcu_ksa

© Discover Arabia

#archaeohistories

[بشار إبراهيم داغستاني @DaghstaniBashar]

مسجد القبلتين، المدينة المنورة

Qiblatain Mosque, Al Madinah Al Munawwarah

[Dr Mark C. Thompson @ThompsonMarkC]

First Saudi Water Week to shape future of regional and global water sector  | Arab News https://t.co/bkbyUxiU8p

[Saudi Magazine @SaudiMagazine]

Photo by @bns3d10 #SaudiArabia

[beautiful Arab⁦⁦ @arab11__]

The Prophet's Mosque
Where beauty meets tranquility.

[جاسر الرياحي 🇸🇦 @JasserAlRiyahi]

من حائل إلى الوشم والمجمعة 🇸🇦

نقوش نجدية تحكي جمال التراث وأصالته

[The Holy Mosques @theholymosques]

Preparations are underway at the Kiswah factory, where the truck that will carry the Ka’bah's Kiswah is being prepared..

[CIC Saudi Arabia @CICSaudi]

Saudi Wonders | Mount Tamya rises through Qassim's desert as solid geology wrapped in cultural memory.

[Saudi Magazine @SaudiMagazine]

Photo by @Marhoum #SaudiArabia

[𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻 @HaramainInfo]

The annual replacement of the Kiswah of the Kabah was traditionally carried out on the Day of Arafah each year.
In recent years, however, this practice has changed, and the replacement is now scheduled to take place on the 1st of Muharram 1448 AH.

#HaramainInfo #dhulhijjah #1447H