Bonjour Saudi presents fresh travel and culture experiences for tourists
Updated 11 July 2024
Nada Alturki
RIYADH: In the heart of Diriyah’s Samhan district is an old Najdi-style house that’s been given a new lease of life as Bonjour Saudi — a ‘travel and experience design house’ and a local offshoot of UAE-based Bonjour Middle East.
“At Bonjour Saudi we focus on being a bridge between foreigners, expats, tourists and Saudi culture by creating experiences that showcase different parts of that culture — like cuisine, art, and tradition,” French co-founder Cecilia Pueyo told Arab News. “It’s very important for me to work routinely with Saudis to make this happen.
Whether guests are signing up for a multi-day journey around historical sites or for a two-hour cooking or art workshop, though, the aim is the same: to leave them with a better understanding of Saudi culture and history. (AN Photo/ Abdulrhman Bin Shalhuob)
Pueyo is a crafting enthusiast herself, and noticed a gap in the market when she visited the Kingdom and found it hard to access workshops on traditional Saudi crafts such as Sadu weaving, palm weaving, or Kabsa cooking. So, she wanted to create a space for such workshops. It also includes House of Artisans — a store showcasing local handicrafts like candles, abayas, handbags, jewelry, and more, giving guests an opportunity to take a piece of Saudi home with them.
And Bonjour Saudi also provides guided tours across the country to popular spots including Jeddah, Abha, and AlUla.
Whether guests are signing up for a multi-day journey around historical sites or for a two-hour cooking or art workshop, though, the aim is the same: to leave them with a better understanding of Saudi culture and history.
In the heart of Diriyah’s Samhan district is an old Najdi-style house that’s been given a new lease of life as Bonjour Saudi. (AN Photo/ Abdulrhman Bin Shalhuob)
“Even though it’s relatively new for the Kingdom to welcome foreigners and expats, (it’s clear that) people want to showcase their culture and share it with you, as well as their hospitality and generosity,” Pueyo said.
“Now, we are in a very important moment and shift in Saudi,” she continued. “This is what I think Bonjour Saudi is about; how we want to make an impact on people. Even if they only have one hour, we can connect them with the right person to deliver a message about the country, about the culture — about their passion — and I hope the guests will understand his or her vision of the Kingdom.”
Kuwaiti adventurer Yousef Al-Refaie’s quest to document the planet’s most extreme environments
The Kuwaiti adventurer discusses his upcoming docuseries ‘Earth’s Extremes’
Updated 8 sec ago
Hams Saleh
DUBAI: Kuwaiti mountaineer and adventurer Yousef Al-Refaie doesn’t make it easy for himself. For his upcoming documentary series “Earth’s Extremes,” Al-Refaie decided to visit the hottest, driest, wettest and coldest inhabited places on Earth.
Set to air in the first quarter of 2025, the series will consist of four 45-minute episodes and showcase Al-Refaie’s insatiable curiosity, which has driven him to explore the most extreme environments on the planet.
The series will consist of four 45-minute episodes and showcase Al-Refaie’s insatiable curiosity. (Supplied)
That curiosity began back in childhood, Al-Refaie tells Arab News. “I was a very curious child,” he recalls. “I would open any magazine I could find and tear apart toys to see how they worked.”
Growing up, he had access to a vast library of adventure books and National Geographic magazines. “I was fascinated by pictures of mountains and exotic places,” he says.
The show is set to air in the first quarter of 2025. (Supplied)
After dropping out of law school, he came across an Instagram post about climbing Africa’s highest peak.
“I told my parents I wanted to go before starting my new major,” he explains. “I ended up climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, and although I initially hated the experience — living in a small tent and enduring the climb — I eventually caught the adventure bug.”
He went on to complete a double major in political science and public administration but, he says, during every vacation, “instead of traveling with friends or family, I would go to mountains.”
Dallol, previously believed to be the hottest inhabited place, lies 125 meters below sea level. It's a harsh environment where no life can exist anymore due to grueling heat and toxic gases emitted from the volcano. (Supplied)
So far, Al-Refaie and his team have completed filming on three episodes of “Earth’s Extremes.” The “Wettest” episode was shot in July 2023 in the rain-soaked landscapes of Mawsynram and Cherrapunji in India; the “Hottest” episode was filmed in December 2023 in the scorching Afar region of Ethiopia; and the “Driest” episode in the Atacama Desert in Chile, in April and May of this year.
The team meticulously researched and analyzed maps, discovering that many locations they would visit were either just names, with no information readily available, or ruins of abandoned towns.
“We live in an era where everything is at our fingertips; I can search for anything and find the answer. But that was not the case for the Atacama Desert and Quillagua (an oasis in Chile recognized by Guinness World Records as the driest place on Earth),” he explaines. “We had to go to every station near Quillagua and gather all the records from the 1960s and 1970s. The most recent records they had were from 2003 and 2004.”
The team and local historian Fedal Arinsiva standing on the ancient Inca road in Inca del Oro, which dates back to the 15th century as part of the Qhapaq Ñan, spanning approximately 30,000 kilometers across South America. (Supplied)
Another significant challenge he encountered in Chile was the language barrier. “The first time (we went), I couldn’t pronounce the name of any of the towns,” he says.
Meticulous preparation is key for all Al-Refaie’s expeditions, he stresses. “Planning, reading, and asking people questions are the three most important things to do before our trips,” he says. “Locals, especially, play a big role in this. I’ve met scientists and meteorologists, but the most valuable information I’ve received came from a former prisoner of the old dictator of Chile. He owns a museum now. He does not have a degree and he did not study, but he knows the area extremely well. You’d be surprised at the insights you can gain from the people you might least expect to. It’s like a puzzle, and my role is to piece everything together to make the journey successful.”
Al-Refaie walking inside Erta Ale Volcano. (Supplied)
Combining insights from experts and locals ensures a well-rounded understanding of each location, he adds.
Despite being the wettest place on Earth, when Al-Refaie and his team arrived in Mawsynram and Cherrapunji, there was no rain for two weeks. “That opened up a new aspect of the expedition — the world is really changing. If there’s no rain in the wettest place on Earth, there’s definitely something wrong,” he says. “The weather is becoming unpredictable, and those communities rely heavily on agriculture. For eight months of the year, they have rain, but outside of those eight months, they have to buy water from other villages because they do not have dams. They live in extreme conditions, and this is a lesson in resilience and adaptability.”
Faisal Al-Karam (director), Yousef Al-Refaie (producer and host), and Cristian Ordenes (logistics and guide) from left to right, exploring unprotected archaeological sites around Chañaral. (Supplied)
The final episode will take Al-Refaie to Oymyakon in Siberia, the coldest inhabited place on the planet. Filming is scheduled for December.
In addition to the documentary, the adventurer plans to release an accompanying book and photobook. All proceeds from the photobook sales will be donated to support communities living in these extreme environments.
And with the documentary nearing completion, Al-Refaie is already gearing up for his next major challenge: an ambitious endeavor, set for 2026, that will see Al-Refaie and his team attempting to summit three peaks in Asia, rumored to be volcanoes.
Al-Refaie with fellow explorer James Allen from Australia in the village of Kosowat. (Supplied)
“One of our primary goals is to determine whether these mountains are actually volcanoes,” he said. “If they turn out to be, it would mean the current Volcanic Seven Summits list — which has been completed by more than 30 individuals, including myself — is incorrect. The highest volcano in Asia is currently considered to be Mount Damavand in Iran, but these peaks could change that.”
Al-Refaie’s team for the trip, who come from the UK, Hungary, the US and Kuwait, is diverse, comprising not just mountaineers but also geographers, geologists and filmmakers. “This expedition is not just about climbing; it's about discovery and potentially correcting a significant aspect of mountaineering history,” he says.
Al-Refaie encourages other adventurers to break away from conventional paths and seek unique experiences. “Sadly, I always see the same things being done over and over,” he said. “People often think of adventures as climbing Mount Everest, a mountain that has been summited over 7,000 times. Instead, think outside the box. Do what intrigues you.”
Al-Refaie believes true exploration involves venturing into the unknown and bringing back new information. “Exploration is about going to a place and discovering something new. There is no sense of accomplishment in doing something that has already been done countless times,” he says. “If you really want to explore, you have to step out of your comfort zone and seek out the unknown.”
Egyptian screenwriter Mariam Naoum to mentor young Saudi female filmmakers
Netflix’s Saudi Female Future Filmmakers Program will launch in September
Updated 22 min 13 sec ago
Shyama Krishna Kumar
JEDDAH: Fifteen new and emerging female filmmakers from Saudi Arabia are about to get the opportunity of a lifetime: mentorship from famed Egyptian screenwriter Mariam Naoum, as part of a new training program from Netflix run in partnership with Naoum’s Sard Writing Room and NEOM Media Industries.
The first of the Saudi Female Future Filmmakers Program’s two phases will launch in September.
“The first phase is an intense introduction to the processes of writing, directing and production. It will involve extensive time being spent with all the participants taking them through the basics,” Naoum tells Arab News. “And then the second phase will be more hands-on work done in groups. The participants will be separated or grouped into teams of four or five, and each group will write their own projects or their own short film.”
Mariam Naoum. (Supplied)
Participants will then be given the opportunity to pitch their scripts to a panel of experts in a simulation pitch exercise at the upcoming Red Sea International Film Festival. They will also be guests at the festival, attending workshops and panel discussions as well as networking events.
Sard, or the Sard Writing Room, was founded by Naoum in 2016 and is a “dedicated hub” for scriptwriters that has so far spawned 17 TV series and a feature film. Sard is billed as “a safe space for aspiring screenwriters to develop their projects, improve their writing skills, and practice their creative freedom.”
Netflix previously partnered with Sard to launch the Because She Created writing program in Egypt to train women in writing and develop their storytelling and creative expression skills.
“Sard believes that expressing oneself through writing is the first step to self-discovery and we’re proud to have discovered talent through this program that we feel will one day become the scriptwriters of the future,” Naoum said at the time.
When asked about the kind of talent they are looking to attract for the new Saudi-based program, Naoum said: “We are looking for passionate participants. We want to discover indie filmmakers or women who are now looking at filmmaking as a career option and are looking to discover their abilities to express themselves through writing, directing and production.
The first of the Saudi Female Future Filmmakers Program’s two phases will launch in September. (Supplied)
“We are looking for women who want to tell their own authentic stories, and through the application process, we are trying — through the questions — to discover that with them. The application form features questions like their favorite films, their favorite books, their favorite story that changed the lives, a moment in their life that they appreciate… We are trying to discover them as humans and discover their passion and the reason behind why they are looking into this.”
Naoum — known for her work on films like “One-Zero” and “Between Two Seas,” as well as TV series including “Take Care of Zizi” — has garnered acclaim for writing stories that focus on issues facing everyday people, especially women. Most of her work is based on true stories.
“I think this is my way to reflect on what is happening in the region and my feelings toward the society I am living in. I’m always reflecting on current happenings, how we arrived here — how did Egyptians end up at this point in this kind of situation in society? And then I want to share my thoughts with the audience,” she says.
Naoum is bullish about the prospects for the Saudi entertainment industry. “I think it has great potential because there is a will for doing things and creating opportunities and there is a true wealth in terms of a young generation of filmmakers. And I can see how they are investing in studying cinema with workshops and more. And I think this will lead to a new wave,” she says.
Applications for the Saudi Female Future Filmmakers Program are open until August 10 for women aged 21 and over, residing in Saudi Arabia with no prior experience working in the film and TV industry.
Rana Banafa, Saudi founder of MrayaBeauty, on her cruelty-free cosmetics
Updated 31 min 20 sec ago
Hams Saleh
RIYADH: Saudi entrepreneur Rana Banafa, founder of the vegan cosmetics brand MrayaBeauty, has used her pharmaceutical expertise to develop products that are particularly useful for those with sensitive skin.
“I have sensitive skin myself, so I thought, ‘Why not use my background and create my own products?’” she told Arab News. “I love skincare and beauty products, and — given my scientific background — I knew the ingredients and how to mix them to create something safe and effective.”
MrayaBeauty offers a range of vegan makeup products for the face, eyes, and lips, along with makeup brushes. All of its products are billed as halal-friendly, cruelty-free, free of parabens and sulfates, and packaged sustainably.
It hasn’t been a straightforward journey, Banafa explained. While her products are made in China, finding certified manufacturers to work with cruelty-free ingredients was a significant challenge.
“The products are made from plant derivatives. Nothing is derived from animals or tested on animals,” she noted.
Making sure that the packaging is sustainable was also crucial for her. “Our goal is to create products that are safe and protect our customers’ skin. To achieve this, we must also care for the environment,” she said.
Banafa envisions a future where her products are manufactured in Saudi Arabia. “The beauty industry in Saudi Arabia is booming,” she said. “Through my research, I learned that people are very conscious consumers. They focus on quality and ingredients.” This awareness, she explained, drives brand owners to create products with high standards and quality to meet customer expectations.
This focus on quality and ingredients is integral to the concept behind MrayaBeauty. Mraya means “mirror” in Arabic, and symbolizes Banafa’s belief in reflecting inner and natural beauty.
“We understand that makeup should emphasize the uniqueness you already possess. Our brand is designed to be a tool that enhances your individuality, allowing your true beauty to shine through,” Banafa said. “I want Mraya to be inspiring every woman to achieve and pursue her goals.”
Villa Hegra celebrates a year of cultural exchange in the heart of AlUla
The CEO of the Saudi-French cultural hub discusses its achievements so far and plans for the future
Updated 01 August 2024
Zeina Zbibo
DUBAI: The Saudi-French cultural institution Villa Hegra — intended as “an incubator for artists and creators” — celebrated the first anniversary of its pre-opening program in July. It has been a year marked by a wide range of cultural activities and concerts, artistic retreats and research programs in the heart of AlUla as part of Villa Hegra’s first pre-opening cycle, which runs until the end of this year.
Villa Hegra was officially established in an intergovernmental agreement signed on Dec. 4, 2021, by Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Abdullah Al-Saud and Jean-Yves Le Drian, then-French minister of foreign affairs, now president of AfAlula (the French Agency for AlUla Development). One of Villa Hegra’s goals is to foster cultural dialogue between Saudi Arabia and France.
Artists from the Opera National de Paris met with students of the AlUla Music Hub, as part of the Villa’s recent partnership with the opera. (Supplied)
“It is not a private initiative. It is a state-to-state initiative that represents the willingness of two parties to collaborate at the cultural level,” Fériel Fodil, CEO of Villa Hegra, told Arab News’ French edition. “The villa will be a cluster of three assets: the cultural center, where the artist residencies will take place, and which will include a school for tourism and hospitality (Firendi AlUla); an apartment hotel with 80 rooms; and the villa itself.”
The ultimate aim is to foster dialogue between both international and regional artists, local communities, and the oasis of AlUla.
“When I think about architects, I go back to their ethos around working with nature rather than against it. When I think about the villa, I want to build humble yet impactful programs (for it),” Fodil said. “Architects in Alula add, complete, and transform. They build around trees to preserve the oasis.”
American-Saudi artist Sarah Brahim and French artist Ugo Schiavi were the first of Villa Hegra's artists to travel to AlUla in July 2023, as part of the Villa's first preopening cycle. (Supplied)
Villa Hegra will be home to spaces for the performing arts, dancing, research, a digital studio, visual arts exhibitions, and yoga and fitness. It will also host artist residencies. The cultural center and the artist residencies are scheduled to launch towards the end of 2026, following the year-long second cycle of the pre-opening program. The hotel and Firendi AlUla should open in 2027.
Part of Villa Hegra will also be dedicated to a regeneration of the town’s oasis, and the 10-hectare site itself will connect two fundamental elements of AlUla's landscape: the urban and the natural.
“We are not (an add-on), we are rooted within the town,” said Fodil. “It is a very dense plot, and then very scattered in the oasis part. That (design) is going back to the heritage of AlUla where you have a winter farm and a ‘rihla’ — or journey — between the winter farm and the summer farm.”
Villa Hegra has already initiated research into the cultural and socio-economic impact of cultural activations by the Royal Commission for AlUla on the local community. “The cultural center’s main objective is to engage with the community. We are working on the cultural program to reach the villa’s local and international ambition equally,” Fodil said.
“We are trying to have a number of pre-opening programs — exhibitions for artist residencies, and public outreach activities, around podcasts, publications, and cinema,” she continued.
Naturally, French culture will play a major role. Following a successful concert organized by Villa Hegra at Maraya Concert Hall in January, the Opéra national de Paris will be back in AlUla to perform and to hold further workshops. The villa’s partnership with the Opéra national de Paris is in line with the Kingdom’s cultural ambitions, with the Royal Diriyah Opera House set to open in 2028.
And over the past year, Villa Hegra has partnered with several leading French institutions to offer unique cultural initiatives, enrich AlUla’s cultural landscape, and facilitate the exchange of knowledge between Saudi Arabia and France. More than 20 French and Saudi artists have been collaborating and sharing knowledge at the villa, and more than 300 children and teenagers from the local community have participated in multidisciplinary workshops. There have also been talks given by experts in the fields of music, cinema, visual arts, architecture and the performing arts.
As part of its second pre-opening cycle, along with the performance from the Opéra national de Paris, the villa will also host a science and arts workshop for children and teenagers, and a week of initiation into moviemaking and the history of cinema.
The distinctiveness of the villa lies in its duality — Saudi and French, urban and oasis, open to children and adults, and with a local and international outreach.
Partnerships are essential to the cultural identity of Villa Hegra. Whether through student exchange programs, research, or live events, the objective is to build momentum around art in the region.
“We are also trying to find partners from the Saudi side, such as Hayy Jameel in Jeddah,” Fodil said. “We are looking for partnerships that have a look and feel of dialogue and have a training component to them, while bringing the best of both French and Saudi expertise.”
Saudi graphic designer Shoug Almutairi on her prize-winning work
‘Posters need to be built not on aesthetics, but logic,’ Almutairi says
Updated 01 August 2024
Rawaa Talass
DUBAI: Ever since she was a child, Saudi graphic designer Shoug Almutairi has had trouble expressing herself verbally, she tells Arab News.
“I have been diagnosed with ADHD (Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder), so conveying anything is not very easy for me,” the Riyadh-based Almutairi says. “It’s easier to use visual tools to express myself.”
Shoug Almutairi’s winning poster is an ode to her father. (Supplied)
Born in 1999, Almutairi grew up in a family of engineers and finance experts. “I’m the only design person in the family,” she says. “But I never thought of myself as a person who would indulge in the arts. Since childhood, I was really focused on math, logic and science. I never thought that I could combine all of these components and utilize them in a different visual language.”
Almutairi had dreams of pursuing architecture, since she believed it was the perfect fit — combining art and math. However, by 2017 she was studying graphic design at Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University in Riyadh.
“My perspective on graphic design is, always, function above aesthetics,” she explains. “To me, aesthetics don’t mean a thing if they don’t have any justification behind them. Posters that are impactful are the ones that can reach people as fast as possible and can convey the message as fast as possible. They need to be built not on aesthetics, but logic.”
Shoug Albutairi’s ‘One to One Slideshow.’ (Supplied)
During her college days, Almutairi launched an online platform called “Dar Mdrban” (the second word means ‘gateway’ in Bedouin Arabic) with the aim of creating a visual library that reflects Saudi Arabia’s typography landscape, contemporary culture, storied heritage and intangible culture.
“I started this project because, growing up, I didn’t see myself being represented in culture,” Almutairi, who works under the Diriyah brand in the Kingdom, says. “I wanted it to be a gateway for contemporary design and experimentation.”
One of Almutairi’s illustrations is currently on view at a group exhibition, running until Aug. 30, in Dubai’s ICD Brookfield Place Arts Space. Inspired by personal memories and cultural treasures, the show is called “Memory Box,” acting as a third iteration of the venue’s annual Tasmeem (which means design in Arabic) initiative. Tasmeem is a graphic design and poster show that highlights up-and-coming designers and illustrators from the region.
“As we transition from childhood to adulthood, the experiences and narratives we encounter shape our existence,” reads a statement published by organizers. “This year’s exhibition explores the folkloric tales, dances, music, proverbs, and games integral to our upbringing, revealing the shared experiences that thread through our lives.”
For this project, Almutairi was inspired by her father, and her winning poster is something of an homage to him. One day, she came across his old suitcase, full of personal items close to his heart — cameras, photographs and other personal documents, including one of the invitations to his wedding.
“I wanted to my explore my father’s history,” she says. “I wanted to explore his suitcase and the adventures that he had and to dissect the secrets that he had in his childhood.”
The monochromatic artwork has a central text, executed in cursive Arabic calligraphy, which reads, “Every home has its secrets.” Almutairi knows that the phrase has a negative connotation, but she wanted to create a relatable work.
“I wanted something that would touch every household, not just mine,” she says.
Made up of a variety of geometric shapes, the image is — intentionally — heavily pixelated to give a retro feel, harking back to a time when typography wasn’t exact. In the center, a suitcase is wide open, with components based on what Almutairi found among her father’s belongings spilling out. The camel pictures, for instance, are based on images she took with her father on a trip.
“He has his whole life in this suitcase,” she says. “I see my father’s life scattered throughout this poster.”
