The Saudi Weekend Wrap 🇸🇦

August 22, 2026

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Hala guys! 👋🏼

Saudi had a pretty eventful weekend. Trade is moving again between Lebanon and Saudi, a young student opened up about bullying at school, and a Saudi diver’s very unexpected career story has people talking. 🇸🇦

Plus, a Saudi creator stepped in to help an ambulance through traffic in Indonesia, Buraidah’s dates carnival hit nearly SAR 100 million in sales, and Saudi Arabia and Sudan launched a new coordination council. 🌴🚑🤝

Let’s get into it! 👇🏼

LOVIN NEWS

  • Lebanon has resumed land exports to Saudi Arabia after new scanning and inspection measures were introduced at the Masnaa border crossing 🇸🇦🤝🏼🇱🇧

  • The move is part of wider efforts to strengthen border controls while getting trade between the two countries moving again.

    💡 Summary:


    Land exports from Lebanon to Saudi Arabia are back, with tighter inspection measures now in place at the border.

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LOVIN NEWS

  • A blind Saudi student has shared his experience of being bullied at school, saying some classmates have mocked his eyesight and appearance.

  • He says he has repeatedly reminded his classmates that everyone is created differently, but often finds himself sitting alone in the classroom.

  • His father, who is also blind, said he experienced similar bullying when he was younger.

  • 🏫 A New School Year, A Chance To Do Better:
    The story has sparked conversations around inclusion, kindness and making sure no student feels left out simply because they look or live differently.

    💡 Summary:


    A young Saudi student’s story is highlighting the impact of bullying and the importance of making schools more inclusive.

LOVIN COMMUNITY

  • Saudi diver Ahmed Al Jaber has gone viral for the unexpected story behind his career.

    His first-ever salary at 19 was reportedly SAR 45,000, but things went much further after he left medical studies to pursue professional diving.

    He later trained in South Africa and moved into saturation diving, one of the most specialised areas of commercial diving.

    💰 The numbers get wild:
    Al Jaber says his first salary in saturation diving reached SAR 150,000, while a seven-month project in the Gulf of Mexico reportedly earned him SAR 1.5 million.

    ⚠️ But it’s far from easy money:
    Saturation divers work under extreme pressure and can operate at depths of 100 metres or more, with Al Jaber also describing dangerous incidents during his career.

    💡 Summary:


    Medicine → professional diving → saturation diving → SAR 150,000 first salary. Definitely not the career path most people expected.

LOVIN COMMUNITY

  • Saudi creator Mashhur Al-Ruwaili caught attention in Indonesia after stepping into heavy traffic to help an ambulance get through the congested roads of Puncak, Bogor.

  • Rather than simply watching, Al-Ruwaili ran ahead of the ambulance and helped direct drivers to clear a path.

  • The moment was later featured on Indonesian broadcaster tvOne, bringing even more attention to the footage.

    💡 Summary:


    A Saudi visitor in Indonesia stepped in when an ambulance was struggling to get through traffic — and the moment quickly gained attention online.

LOVIN COMMUNITY

  • Dates are big business in Qassim and the numbers from this year’s Buraidah International Dates Carnival prove it.

  • The carnival recorded SAR 98.02 million in date sales during the first 15 days of August.

    📦 2.08M+ packages traded
    🚗 12,377 vehicles arrived
    🌴 Around 8,264 tonnes of dates moved through the market

  • 🌾 Qassim’s bigger picture:
    The region has around 11 million palm trees and produces more than 580,000 tonnes of dates every year, accounting for roughly half of Saudi’s total date production.

  • The carnival runs for 75 days, from August 1 to October 14, and has been recognised by Guinness World Records as the world’s largest date carnival.

    💡 Summary:


    Qassim’s date industry is much bigger than a seasonal market, it’s a major agricultural and commercial business.

 🍿 Sharable bits and tips!

REGIONAL FAVORITES

  • UAE Vice-President and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has responded to an emotional appeal from the mother of Katia, a 1-year-old Jordanian girl living with spinal muscular atrophy.

  • After her mother shared a plea for help, Sheikh Mohammed stepped in to cover Katia’s treatment at Al Jalila Children’s Hospital in Dubai.

  • The treatment can cost up to $2.4 million and includes a gene therapy injection that is not available in Jordan.

    💡 Summary:


    A mother’s desperate plea turned into hope after Sheikh Mohammed stepped in to help her young daughter receive the treatment she needs.

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