Saudi Celebrates Argentina Making The World Cup Final, A 40-Year Journey & More!

July 19, 2026

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Hala guys! 👋🏼

We’ve got an incredible lineup for you today! First up, the streets of Saudi went absolutely wild as football fans across the Kingdom celebrated Argentina officially securing their spot in the 2026 World Cup Final! ⚽️🔥 Meanwhile, we're looking at a major moment of regional diplomacy as the Saudi Leadership sends their congratulations to the UAE on "Union Pledge Day" 🇸🇦🤝🇦🇪 Plus, we are diving into a heartwarming story about a Korean artist who fell in love with the Kingdom and decided to stay for nearly 40 years! 🎨🇸🇦

Let’s get into it! 🌟👇🏼

LOVIN NEWS

  •  🎨 Longtime Resident: South Korean artist Kim Seungbae first visited Saudi Arabia in 1985 and permanently settled in Khobar in 1990.

  • 📸 Early Inspiration: His fascination with the Middle East began in 1978 after he discovered images of the region featured in National Geographic.

  • 🖌️ Massive Portfolio: Over nearly four decades of living in the Kingdom, Kim has created more than 200 paintings inspired by the country.

  • 🌴 Cultural Focus: His artwork highlights the diversity of Saudi Arabia, documenting deserts, palm trees, traditional neighborhoods, and local daily customs.

  • 🎥 Documentary Feature: Kim's artistic journey was recently highlighted in "Fulan," a documentary series supported by the Saudi Cultural Fund.

     💡 Summary:

    South Korean artist Kim Seungbae, who permanently settled in Khobar in 1990 after falling in love with the region through a 1978 National Geographic feature, has spent nearly 40 years capturing Saudi Arabian culture. With over 200 paintings showcasing the Kingdom's diverse landscapes and traditions, his life and dedication to documenting Saudi life were recently showcased in the documentary series "Fulan".

LOVIN COMMUNITY

  • 🗣️ Main Character Energy: Saudi creator Barqat turned a regular match day celebration into a movie by appearing in the middle of a sea of passionate Argentinian fans in the US fan zones.

  • ✨ Vibe Check: Dressed in a traditional Bisht and carrying a drum, Barqat literally took over the Argentina fan club, leading the chants and matching their legendary football passion note for note.

  • 🙌 Crowd Favorite: The energy was so infectious that the Argentinian crowd went completely wild and ended the celebration by hoisting Barqat up on their shoulders.

  • ⚽ Final Bound: The massive celebration erupted after Argentina sealed their spot in the World Cup Final with a clutch, last-gasp goal in the dying minutes of the game, sending shockwaves of excitement through the crowd.

  • 💚 Pro Hype: The viral moment spread so quickly that even the professional players of Saudi Arabia's Al-Ahli Club couldn’t resist joining in on the celebration of the historic win.

    💡 Summary:

    Saudi creator Barqat went viral during the 2026 World Cup in the US after stealing the spotlight in a traditional Bisht and leading the chants for a massive crowd of Argentinian fans with a drum. Following a dramatic, last-minute goal that sent Argentina to the World Cup Final, the crowd celebrated by lifting Barqat on their shoulders, a historic hype moment that even caught the attention of Al-Ahli Club players.

LOVIN NEWS

  • 🇦🇪 Royal Congratulations: The Custodian of the Two Grand Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman sent heartfelt congratulatory messages to UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

    📜 Historic Milestone: Celebrated annually on July 18, Union Pledge Day marks the signing of the historic 1971 Union Document, which served as the foundation milestone for the United Arab Emirates.

    🤝 Unshakeable Bonds: In his message, King Salman highlighted the deep-rooted, exceptional brotherly relations and deep unity that uniquely tie Saudi Arabia and the UAE together.

    ⚙️ Enhanced Cooperation: The leadership emphasized a strong mutual commitment to continuously level up and expand bilateral cooperation across all fields.

    ✨ Wishes of Prosperity: The official messages extended warm wishes to the UAE's leadership and people for endless progress, growth, and continuous prosperity.

 💡Summary:

Saudi Arabia's leadership, including King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, extended warm congratulations to UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed on Union Pledge Day. Commemorating the July 18 signing of the historic 1971 Union Document that established the UAE, the messages underscored the unshakeable brotherly bonds between the two nations and a shared commitment to elevating cooperation across all sectors.

LOVIN COMMUNITY

  • 🗳️ SAFF Bid: Business leader Badar Al Raziza has officially announced his candidacy for the presidency of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF).

    📅 August 30th: Al Raziza broke his silence to target the upcoming federation elections scheduled for August 30th.

    💼 Proven Experience: Highlighting his background with Al-Qadisiah Club, he stated his run is fully backed by hands-on experience with the system's opportunities and challenges.

    🎯 Vision 2030 Alignment: His campaign focuses on developing the local game to match the high sports ambitions of the Kingdom's youth under Vision 2030.

    📣 Online Backing: The announcement has already sparked massive waves of support online from football fans and prominent sports figures.

     

    💡Summary:

Business leader Badar Al Raziza has officially entered the race for the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) presidency ahead of the August 30th elections. Backed by hands-on sports management experience at Al-Qadisiah Club, his bid aligns with Vision 2030 to advance local football and has already garnered widespread online support.

LOVIN COMMUNITY

  • 🇱🇰 Unexpected Link: A group of Saudi tourists visiting their driver's grandmother in Sri Lanka discovered she had previously spent years working in the Kingdom.

    ☕ Saudi Welcome: She greeted them with traditional hospitality, serving authentic Arabic coffee (Qahwa) and dates.

    🍛 Home Cooked: The grandmother prepared a full Saudi-style chicken kabsa served with traditional daqous sauce.

    🍉 Extra Touches: She rounded out the comfort meal by serving fresh slices of cold watermelon.

    ❤️ Pure Hospitality: The familiar flavors and warm reception gave the travelers a genuine piece of home far from Saudi Arabia.

     💡Summary:

    While traveling in Sri Lanka, a group of Saudi tourists visited their driver’s grandmother and discovered she had spent years working in Saudi Arabia. She treated them to full traditional hospitality, serving up authentic Arabic coffee, dates, and a homemade Saudi-style kabsa that brought a touching piece of home to their trip.

 🍿 Sharable bits and tips!

REGIONAL FAVORITES

🇧🇭Postal Deliveries In Bahrain Just Got A Huge Speed Up!

  • 📦 Postal Overhaul: The Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications has completely revamped Bahrain's postal delivery system.

    ⏱️ Times Slashed: Package processing times have been crushed, dropping from three working days down to just one working day.

    📲 Interactive Tracking: Once a parcel arrives in Bahrain, customers will receive an interactive text message to select their preferred collection method and schedule a convenient pickup time.

    🌐 Digital Transformation: The update automates tracking and simplifies pickup procedures, entirely eliminating endless waiting and confusing tracking pages to save everyone time.

    📬 Universal Application: These upgrades cover all domestic and international mail, express shipments, and parcels.

    💡Summary:

    Bahrain’s Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications has completely updated its postal delivery system, cutting package processing times from three days to just one working day. The revamp introduces digital upgrades, including automated tracking and interactive text messages that let users customize their pickup times, aiming to remove endless waiting times for domestic, international, and express shipments.

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