Saudi calligraffiti artist rewrites tradition using bold strokes

Inspired by the expressive potential of the written word, Ahmed Sl-Sulaimani began experimenting, blending calligraphy with bold and dynamic graffiti. (AN photo by Huda Bashatah)
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Inspired by the expressive potential of the written word, Ahmed Sl-Sulaimani began experimenting, blending calligraphy with bold and dynamic graffiti. (AN photo by Huda Bashatah)
Saudi calligraffiti artist rewrites tradition using bold strokes
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For Saudi artist Ahmed Al Sulaimani, his unique blend of Arabic calligraphy and graffiti-inspired techniques is more than just an artistic endeavor - it's a way to share the beauty and depth of Islamic culture with the world. Al-Sulaimani's work is infused with powerful Quranic verses and Islamic themes, serving as a captivating gateway for viewers to explore the profound meaning behind the intricate calligraphic forms. (AN photo by Huda Bashatah)
Saudi calligraffiti artist rewrites tradition using bold strokes
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Inspired by the expressive potential of the written word, Ahmed Sl-Sulaimani began experimenting, blending calligraphy with bold and dynamic graffiti. (AN photo by Huda Bashatah)
Saudi calligraffiti artist rewrites tradition using bold strokes
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Inspired by the expressive potential of the written word, Ahmed Sl-Sulaimani began experimenting, blending calligraphy with bold and dynamic graffiti. (AN photo by Huda Bashatah)
Saudi calligraffiti artist rewrites tradition using bold strokes
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For Saudi artist Ahmed Al Sulaimani, his unique blend of Arabic calligraphy and graffiti-inspired techniques is more than just an artistic endeavor - it's a way to share the beauty and depth of Islamic culture with the world. Al-Sulaimani's work is infused with powerful Quranic verses and Islamic themes, serving as a captivating gateway for viewers to explore the profound meaning behind the intricate calligraphic forms. (AN photo by Huda Bashatah)
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Updated 15 August 2024
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Saudi calligraffiti artist rewrites tradition using bold strokes

Saudi calligraffiti artist rewrites tradition using bold strokes
  • Ahmed Al-Sulaimani’s works are shining a light on the rich cultural heritage of Saudi Arabia

RIYADH: Saudi artist Ahmed Al-Sulaimani is redefining the boundaries of traditional art forms by blending Arabic calligraphy and graffiti-inspired techniques.

The Riyadh-based artist’s journey into the realm of calligraffiti began during an Arabic calligraphy course in school where he discovered his passion for the intricate art.

Inspired by the expressive potential of the written word, Al-Sulaimani began experimenting, blending this ancient art form with bold and dynamic graffiti.




The Riyadh-based artist designed Arabic signage for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. (Instagram/asofficial___ )

“Calligraffiti is a fusion of Arabic calligraphy and graffiti art,” Al-Sulaimani told Arab News. “While graffiti typically uses the English language and letters, calligraffiti combines Arabic calligraphy with graffiti techniques. I form Arabic letters using graffiti-inspired styles and methods.”

This approach has not only captured the attention of art enthusiasts but has also opened doors to remarkable opportunities, including a mural collaboration with Jeddah Municipality that marked his first foray into large-scale public art.

“This project allowed me to showcase my skills in integrating Arabic calligraphy into large-scale murals,” he said. “It caught the attention of many and inspired me to continue exploring the use of Arabic calligraphy in public art.”

HIGHLIGHT

Ahmed Al- Sulaimani’s projects include a mural collaboration with Jeddah municipality that marked his first foray into large-scale public art.

Following that project, the ministry selected Al-Sulaimani to design and produce large-scale murals in 10 cities across the Kingdom, including on bridges, towers, and public spaces.

The pinnacle of his achievements, however, came with the opportunity to design Arabic signage for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Tasked with creating towering structures featuring Qur’anic phrases, Al-Sulaimani’s work brought the beauty of the Arabic language to the global stage.

“The towers, some reaching 40 meters in height, featured Qur’anic phrases that emphasized the diversity of the human experience,” he added.




Ahmed Al-Sulaimani's work is infused with powerful Quranic verses and Islamic themes, serving as a captivating gateway for viewers to explore the profound meaning behind the intricate calligraphic forms. (AN photo by Huda Bashatah)

Beyond his mural work, Al-Sulaimani has also shared his expertise with international audiences. He has facilitated workshops teaching Arabic calligraphy to Harvard students visiting Saudi Arabia, introducing the art form to those unfamiliar with the Arabic language.

“I aim to bring this unique art form to the forefront and showcase the richness and versatility of the Arabic language,” he noted.

He is also working on launching his own Arabic font that will “combine elements from various calligraphic styles” and reflect “a distinct Saudi identity.”

I aim to bring this unique art form to the forefront and showcase the richness and versatility of the Arabic language.

Ahmed Al-Sulaimani, Saudi artist

The artist said: “This project is a reflection of my desire to create a font that is uniquely representative of the Saudi culture. The font will be out by the end of this year and will be used digitally as well.”

Al-Sulaimani noted that his works are more than just an artistic endeavor; they are a way to share the beauty and depth of Islamic culture with the world. His calligraffiti is infused with Qur’anic verses and Islamic themes that encourage viewers to explore the meaning behind the words.

Despite the challenges he has faced, including the reluctance of established artists to mentor beginners and misconceptions about the legitimacy of his approach, Al-Sulaimani remains undeterred. He has found creative ways to overcome these obstacles, including inventing his own tools and techniques.

With unwavering dedication and innovative spirit, the Saudi artist is shining a bright light on the rich cultural heritage of the Kingdom and leaving a meaningful mark on the world of contemporary art.

 

Decoder

What is Calligraffiti?

“Calligraffiti is a fusion of Arabic calligraphy and graffiti art,” says Saudi artist Ahmed Al-Sulaimani, whose work has captured the attention of art enthusiasts and opened doors to remarkable opportunities, including the chance to design Arabic signage for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.


EU delegation reviews Saudi efforts to combat extremism

EU delegation reviews Saudi efforts to combat extremism
Updated 26 November 2024
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EU delegation reviews Saudi efforts to combat extremism

EU delegation reviews Saudi efforts to combat extremism
  • Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology’s secretary-general, Mansour Al-Shammari, received the delegation and addressed several topics of mutual interest in combating extremism
  • EU members were briefed on the center’s strategy and its efforts to combat extremist ideology as well as mitigate its impact and messages

RIYADH: Members of the EU’s Political and Security Committee, including its chair, Delphine Pronk, paid an official visit to the Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology in Riyadh.

The center’s secretary-general, Mansour Al-Shammari, received the delegation and addressed several topics of mutual interest in combating extremism.

The EU members were briefed on the center’s strategy and its efforts to combat extremist ideology as well as mitigate its impact and messages, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday.

They also learned about the community initiatives and international partnerships that promote the principles of tolerance and a culture of moderation.

The meeting was attended by EU Special Representative for the Gulf Luigi Di Maio, European External Action Service Managing Director for the Middle East and North Africa Helene Le Gal, EU Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Christophe Farnaud and Saudi Ambassador to the EU Haifa Al-Jedea.

Earlier, the EU delegation visited the Gulf Cooperation Council’s headquarters in Riyadh and met Secretary-General Jasem Al-Budaiwi to discuss mutual interests and joint efforts to address global challenges.

Topics included regional issues such as Israel, Gaza, Lebanon, Gulf security, Iran, maritime security in the Red Sea, Iraq, Sudan, the Horn of Africa and Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.

The delegation also met Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Climate Envoy Adel Al-Jubeir to discuss climate change, environmental cooperation and strengthening joint efforts in these areas. They also reviewed recent foreign policy developments in Europe and the Middle East.


Riyadh exhibition explores palm’s role in ancient cultures

Riyadh exhibition explores palm’s role in ancient cultures
Updated 26 November 2024
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Riyadh exhibition explores palm’s role in ancient cultures

Riyadh exhibition explores palm’s role in ancient cultures
  • Experts discuss challenges and innovations in date farming

RIYADH: The “Palm Tree in Civilizations” pavilion at the International Dates Conference and Exhibition in Riyadh, running until Nov. 28, highlights the historical significance of the palm tree across ancient cultures.

The pavilion explores how date palms supported food and economic sustainability, offering a historical journey through the ages.

It also showcases the palm’s importance in ancient Egypt through carvings and murals depicting its role in daily life and religious rituals, as well as in agriculture, construction, and fertility practices.

Organized by the National Center for Palm and Dates under the theme “World of Dates,” the exhibit also highlights the palm’s significance in Mesopotamia and the Levant, featuring ancient texts like the Code of Hammurabi, which protected palm cultivation, along with carvings illustrating their role in trade and society.

The 'Palm Tree in the Civilization of the Nile Valley' section garnered the attention of many visitors. (Supplied)

Artifacts from the Dilmun civilization highlighted the reliance of ancient Arab societies on palms for agriculture and trade.

The pavilion also showcases the palm’s symbolic role in the Levant, particularly among the Canaanites and Arameans, with depictions from historical sites like Palmyra emphasizing its importance in religious and artistic traditions.

Saad Alnajim, vice president of the Antiquities and Heritage Association in the Eastern Province, said: “Beyond providing food, medicine, and shade, the palm symbolizes belonging and pride, reflected in its place on Saudi Arabia’s national emblem.”

Saad Alnajim, vice president of the Antiquities and Heritage Association in the Eastern Province.

Abdulaziz Al-Tuwaijri, chairman of the National Committee for Environment, Water and Agriculture, said that dates are central to the Saudi economy, with Vision 2030 aiming to make the Kingdom the world’s largest date exporter.

He added: “Today, the Kingdom is the largest producer and exporter of dates, thanks to the clear vision of the crown prince, whose efforts we are now benefiting from.”

According to the UN Comtrade database, Saudi Arabia exported dates worth over SR1.4 billion ($373 million) to 119 countries by the end of 2023.

The Saudi General Authority for Statistics reported production exceeding 1.9 million tonnes, reflecting a 152.5 percent increase in export value since 2016, solidifying the Kingdom’s position as the world’s largest date exporter.

Meanwhile, a panel of global climate and agriculture experts discussed the impact of climate change on date palm cultivation.

The session focused on challenges such as delayed fruit maturation, reduced yields, pests, and pollution, and explored innovative solutions to address these issues. The panel emphasized the need for international cooperation and sustainable farming practices.

Abdulaziz Al-Tuwaijri, chairman of the National Committee for Environment, Water, and Agriculture.

The discussion highlighted global best practices, including improved irrigation and smart agricultural techniques, as well as the importance of farmer education and technical support.

Recommendations included enhancing international collaboration, supporting research on climate-resistant varieties, and promoting awareness for sustainable date palm cultivation.

The exhibition offers a variety of entertainment activities, including folklore shows, regional poetry, and cooking competitions.

It also features a museum that takes visitors on a journey through the history of palm trees and dates over the past 1,000 years.

Additionally, a live cooking area brings together local and international chefs to prepare a variety of date-based dishes.


Saudi Arabia’s NEOM gigaproject a ‘generational investment,’ minister says

Saudi Arabia’s NEOM gigaproject a ‘generational investment,’ minister says
Updated 26 November 2024
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Saudi Arabia’s NEOM gigaproject a ‘generational investment,’ minister says

Saudi Arabia’s NEOM gigaproject a ‘generational investment,’ minister says
  • The world’s top oil exporter has poured hundreds of billions of dollars into development projects through the kingdom’s $925 billion sovereign fund

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s NEOM gigaproject, a futuristic region being built in the desert, is a “generational investment” with a long timeline, the country’s investment minister told Reuters on Monday, adding that foreign investment will pick up pace.
“NEOM was not meant to be a two-year investable opportunity. If anybody expected NEOM to be foreign investment in two, three or five years, then they have gotten (it) wrong — it’s a generational investment,” Minister Khalid Al-Falih said on the sidelines of the World Investment Conference in Riyadh.
“The flywheel is starting and it will gain speed as we go forward, as some of the foundational assets come to the market,” he said.
The world’s top oil exporter has poured hundreds of billions of dollars into development projects through the kingdom’s $925 billion sovereign fund, the Public Investment Fund (PIF), as it undergoes an economic agenda dubbed Vision 2030 to cut dependence on fossil fuels.
NEOM, a Red Sea urban and industrial development nearly the size of Belgium that is meant to eventually house 9 million people, is central to Vision 2030. Saudi Arabia has scaled back some lofty ambitions to prioritize completing elements essential to hosting global sporting events over the next decade as rising costs weigh, sources told Reuters earlier this month. NEOM announced this month its long-time chief executive, Nadhmi Al-Nasr, had stepped down, without giving further details.
Asked what effect the departure would have on investors, the minister said the executive had done “a respectable job” but that “there is a time for everybody to pass on the baton.”
Asked if PIF will continue to do much of the spending on NEOM until more foreign funds come in, Al-Falih said it was not binary.
“I think foreign investors are starting to come to NEOM, they’re starting to channel capital. Some of the projects that the PIF will be doing will be financed through global capital pools, through some alternative and private capital. That’s taking place as we speak,” he said.
“So I urge you not to look at NEOM as being 100 percent PIF and then suddenly there will be a cliff and it will go private.”
Saudi Arabia, which is racing to attract $100 billion in annual foreign direct investment by the turn of the decade — reaching about a quarter of that in 2023 — has recently seen more co-investment deals between state entities and foreign investors.
“It’s always been the intent,” Al-Falih said of foreign inflows alongside state funds.
He noted that foreign investors were at times “still looking, still examining, still sometimes questioning,” but that now there was confidence in the profitability of investment opportunities and that “the risk-return trade-offs are very, very fair and positive to them.”


Saudi crown prince extends condolences to Kuwaiti counterpart on death of Sheikh Mohammed Abdulaziz Al-Jarrah Al-Sabah

Saudi crown prince extends condolences to Kuwaiti counterpart on death of Sheikh Mohammed Abdulaziz Al-Jarrah Al-Sabah
Updated 26 November 2024
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Saudi crown prince extends condolences to Kuwaiti counterpart on death of Sheikh Mohammed Abdulaziz Al-Jarrah Al-Sabah

Saudi crown prince extends condolences to Kuwaiti counterpart on death of Sheikh Mohammed Abdulaziz Al-Jarrah Al-Sabah

RIYADH: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman sent a cable of condolences to Kuwaiti Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah on the passing of Sheikh Mohammed Abdulaziz Hamoud Al-Jarrah Al-Sabah.
In the cable, the crown prince extended his deepest sympathy to Sheikh Sabah and the family of the deceased.


Saudi tech diplomat meets Iraqi PM to discuss digital cooperation

Saudi tech diplomat meets Iraqi PM to discuss digital cooperation
Updated 25 November 2024
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Saudi tech diplomat meets Iraqi PM to discuss digital cooperation

Saudi tech diplomat meets Iraqi PM to discuss digital cooperation
  • Deemah Al-Yahya, head of the multilateral Digital Cooperation Organization, commended Iraq’s investment in human capital as driver for growth and expansion of digital economy
  • Iraq has been working in recent years to develop a strategy for digital transformation to help support the private and public sectors and grow the economy

RIYADH: Saudi senior tech diplomat Deemah AlYahya, the secretary-general of the multilateral Digital Cooperation Organization, held talks on Monday with Iraq’s prime minister, Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, about support for Baghdad’s plans to develop its digital business and artificial intelligence sectors.

They discussed Iraq’s strategy for digital transformation, and the need to create and develop a workforce with the tech skills required to help grow the Iraqi economy effectively, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Though Iraq is not a member of the DCO, an international body that focuses on the digital economy, Al-Sudani said his country is keen to work with the organization to meet the nation’s needs for a skilled workforce in the business sector.

AlYahya commended Iraq for the progress it has already made in terms of investment in the human capital needed to develop the digital skills that are essential to drive growth in a digitized economy.

Iraq has been working in recent years to develop a strategy for digital transformation to help support the private and public sectors and grow the economy. Authorities this month organized the first Digital Space Iraq Forum, which focused on the use of advanced technologies, including AI, to help build a comprehensive digital economy.

The DCO says that since it was founded in November 2020, it has been at the forefront of efforts to curate policies and initiatives to support the digital economy in several countries. Currently, 16 nations are members, including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Pakistan, Bahrain, Bangladesh and Oman. It also has 39 observer partner organizations.

DCO member states have a collective gross domestic product of $3.5 trillion and serve a combined market of nearly 800 million people, more than 70 percent of whom are under the age of 35.