RIYADH: Saudi Arabia and Turkey have reaffirmed their desire to restore and rebuild the historic Hejaz Railway that linked Damascus with the holy city of Madinah by a narrow-gauge rail line. The Hejaz rail line was used by pilgrims traveling from Istanbul to the Prophet’s Mosque via the Syrian capital. “The plan envisages restoration and modernization of the railway line by the Turkish government within its territory, while it calls on Syria and Jordan to rebuild the tracks on their sides,” said Turkish Transport Minister Binali Yildirim during a high-profile business meeting addressed by Turkish President Abdullah Gul here yesterday.
RIYADH: A mega inter-school cricket tournament sponsored by Arab News and organized by Riyadh Cricket Association (RCA) opens here today. The opening and succeeding matches in the event dubbed Fourth Arab News Inter-school Tournament will be played at RCA grounds in Sulay District near Exit 18 in Riyadh. “A meeting of the RCA office bearers and members as well as physical instructors of the participating schools discussed the arrangements made for the tournament,” said RCA adviser Raza Ur Rahman. A total of 13 school teams entered the event, which has generated much enthusiasm and interest among the cricket lovers of the capital city. The teams are divided into two age groups, Under-15 and Under-19.