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Saudi Arabia Plans Huge Adventure Tourism Oil Rig Facility
THE RIG is located 40 km offshore, close to Al Juraid Island and the Berri Oil Field in the Arabian Gulf.
Saudi Arabia has unveiled plans for a groundbreaking adventure tourism project known as THE RIG, which takes inspiration from offshore oil platforms, and is poised to become the world’s first adventure tourism hub. The development is led by the Oil Park Development Company (OPDC), and is set to revolutionize marine sports and global adventure tourism.
Aligned with the goals of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 initiative, THE RIG aims to strengthen the nation’s tourism sector, create job opportunities, attract investments, and diversify the economy. The expansive facility, covering an area of 300,000 square meters, is strategically positioned approximately 40 kilometers off the coastline, near Al Juraid Island and the Berri Oil Field in the Arabian Gulf.
Raed Bakhrji, CEO of OPDC, envisions THE RIG as a magnet for an estimated 900,000 visitors annually by the year 2032, drawing individuals from domestic, regional, and international backgrounds.
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THE RIG will feature three hotels, collectively offering 800 rooms, along with 11 dining establishments, a marina, helipads, and an extreme sports and adventure park. The extensive array of water-based activities comprises a diving center, amusement park, splash park, eSports center, immersive theater, and a versatile arena, ensuring a multifaceted and exhilarating experience for all visitors.
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Nano Banana 2 Arrives In MENA For Google Gemini Users
Google brings its latest image model to Gemini and Search, adding 4K output and tighter text control for regional users.
Google has opened access to Nano Banana 2 across the Middle East and North Africa, pushing its newest image model into everyday tools rather than keeping it inside the exclusive (and expensive) Pro tier.
The rollout spans the Google Gemini desktop and mobile apps, and extends to Google Search through Lens and AI Mode. Developers can also test it in preview via AI Studio and the Gemini API.
Nano Banana 2 runs on Gemini Flash, Google’s fast inference layer. The focus is speed, but also control. Users can export visuals from 512px up to 4K, adjusting aspect ratios for everything from vertical social posts to widescreen displays.
The model maintains character likeness across up to five figures and preserves fidelity for as many as 14 objects within a single workflow. This enables visual continuity across scenes, iterations, or edits — supporting projects like short films, storyboards, and multi-scene narratives. Text rendering has also been improved, delivering legible typography in mockups and greeting cards, with built-in translation and localization directly within images.
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Under the hood, the system taps Gemini’s broader knowledge base and pulls in real-time information and imagery from web search to render specific subjects more accurately. Lighting and fine detail have been upgraded, without slowing output.
By embedding the model inside Gemini and Search, Google is normalizing advanced image generation for a mass audience. In MENA, where startups and marketing teams are leaning heavily on AI to scale content across languages and borders, that shift lands at a practical moment.
The move also folds creative tooling deeper into search itself, so that image generation is no longer a separate workflow. It now sits right next to the query box.
Nano Banana 2 Arrives In MENA For Google Gemini Users
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