AlUla’s rich cultural heritage beckons travelers from far and wide
Geological diversity, inscriptions and rock carvings are attractions
Hegra, the UNESCO World Heritage site, features Nabatean tombs
Updated 26 August 2024
Arab News
JEDDAH: Culture is a fundamental component of the tourism offering in AlUla, which is situated in the Kingdom’s northwest, the Saudi Press Agency reported recently.
Every visitor to AlUla is eager to learn about the region’s ancient heritage, reflected in its rich history spanning thousands of years. This makes it a bucket-list destination for history and travel enthusiasts.
AlUla is centered around an ancient town that emerged in the 12th century, featuring around 900 houses built from mud bricks, the SPA reported.
In the past, trade caravans laden with incense passed nearby, overlooking palm oases with around 3 million trees.
A towering fortress, standing 45 meters tall, was constructed within it, serving as a watchtower and defensive fortification for the town’s wall, which included 14 gates, the report explained.
The town now has several local shops, restaurants and cafes, providing a retreat for families and tourists from various countries.
The old town of AlUla was selected as one of the best tourist villages in the world by the World Tourism Organization in 2022, among 32 from around the globe, for meeting all the selection criteria.
AlUla offers its visitors numerous tourism options. Amidst its natural landscape distinguished by geological diversity and stunning rock formations, visitors can experience desert trips, camping, stargazing in its clear skies, nature reserves, and mountain climbing.
Jabal Ikmah is one of the most prominent historical sites in AlUla, popularly dubbed “the largest open-air library” in the Arabian Peninsula due to its hundreds of ancient inscriptions and rock carvings.
At the same time, visitors can explore historical and archaeological sites, most notably the Hegra area, which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Here one can discover Nabatean tombs, various inscriptions, and excavation sites.
Every year, the Royal Commission for AlUla organizes several diverse artistic and cultural events, including the upcoming Winter at Tantora Festival.
The event features traditional sports of horseback archery and tent pegging, as well as exploratory tours, art and cultural exhibitions, including the Ancient Kingdoms Festival, and much more.
‘Fictional Landscapes’ exhibition brings together 28 women artists in Dubai
Updated 18 November 2024
Saffiya Ansari
DUBAI: Set to run until Dec. 15, art exhibition “Fictional Landscapes” features the work of 28 women artists from across the world at Foundry Downtown Dubai in the UAE.
The show brings together creatives from the UAE, Russia, Iran, Armenia, India, Pakistan, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Indonesia, Iceland, the US and beyond in a bid to explore the commonalities between women’s experiences.
Led by a three-person curatorial team — Nadine Khalil, Alisa Bagdonaite, and Serafima Kostrova — organizers made a point of working with women-led galleries.
The show “offers a platform for voices that have historically been underrepresented, particularly women artists interpreting landscapes through their own cultural lens,” Bagdonaite told Arab News, adding that the project aims to “(amplify) 28 women’s voices in a way that is recognized on a global scale.”
The exhibition features both established and emerging artists, including Anna Afonina, Maryam Ashkanian, Mary Badalian, Anna Fobia, Anna Komarova, Liudmila Konstantinova, Taisia Korotkova, Olya Kroytor, Lilia Li-Mi-Yan and Katherina Sadovsky, Katerina Lukina, Oksana Mas, Almagul Menlibayeva, Irina Nakhova, Lisa Olshanskaya, Alexandra Paperno, Vasilisa Palianina, Lidia Russkova-Hasaya, Diana Shliman, Sofya Skidan, Olga Tatarintsev, Irina Zatulovskaya, and Asia Zaslavskaya well as UAE-based artists Richi Bhatia, Olia Breva, Sophiya Khwaja, Sara Masinaei, and Fatima Uzdenova.
“Despite the varied geographical and socio-political backgrounds of the artists showcased in ‘Fictional Landscapes,’ a shared resonance emerges, creating a cohesive narrative that transcends individual origins,” Bagdonaite said.
Through a range of media, including textile, video, painting, and performance, “Fictional Landscapes” explores how environments extend beyond physical terrains to embody mental and emotional spaces shaped by memory, identity, and migration.
“(We) prioritized diversity in artistic medium and perspective, selecting artists from various regions who engage in both traditional and innovative forms … the artists were not only chosen for their aesthetic contributions but also for their commitment to examining challenging topics like migration, identity, changing landscapes and gender dynamics, all through the lens of womanhood and resilience,” Bagdonaite explained.
“What is so pertinent in ‘Fictional Landscapes’ is that the artists’ works collectively evokes a conversation around mutual discovery and understanding, enabling a richer, more intriguing experience,” she added.
When asked to share a particular piece that resonated with her, Bagdonaite pointed to Alexandra Paperno’s “Canceled Constellations.”
“(It) represents constellations that were once recognized and named but later ‘canceled’ by the International Astronomical Union in 1922. This project speaks to the human tendency to draw boundaries — even in the stars — while also reminding us of what remains beyond our control and unites us all.”
DOHA: A three-month art and architecture exhibition in Doha featuring the works of renowned Pakistanis from the 1940s to the present highlights the South Asian country’s diverse art scene and brings the evolution of art and architecture in the region to a global audience.
Titled “Manzar,” which can be translated from Urdu to mean scene, view, landscape or perspective, the exhibition includes more than 200 paintings, drawings, photographs, videos, sculptures, installations, tapestries and miniatures from celebrated Pakistani artists. It has been organized by an Art Mill Museum team and will run at the National Museum of Qatar until Jan. 31, 2025.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani and his sister, Sheikha Al Mayassa Al-Thani, inaugurated the exhibition in Doha last week.
“Pakistan’s art scene is less well known in the world compared to other art scenes and for us art historians it is absolutely fascinating to be able to share it with the world,” Caroline Hancock, senior curator of modern and contemporary art at the Art Mill Museum, told Arab News.
“We wanted to recount an expansive notion of this place, not limited by drawn and imposed borders, but true to the porosity and transnational interconnections of cultural expressions (in Pakistan).”
‘Flowers: Gardens of Paradise’ (2021) by Hamra Abbas at the ‘Manzar’ exhibition at Qatar Museums in Doha, Qatar. (Courtesy of Kuzey Kaya Buzlu)
Zarmeene Shah, director of graduate studies at the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture in Karachi, the co-curator for Manzar, described the exhibition as “exceptionally significant.”
“Because we never see such a body of noteworthy work come together in a single space, as most of these artworks live in private collections, inaccessible to the public, which is why Manzar offers an incomparable opportunity for audiences to engage with these masterpieces, and to explore how art and architecture have responded to, and reshaped, the nation’s social and political narratives,” Shah told Arab News.
“Our aim is to start a conversation and not provide a definitive showcase.”
The exhibition, designed by eminent Pakistani architect Raza Ali Dada, integrates architecture and art to chart the thought processes, resistance struggles and achievements of the artistic and architectural community of the South Asian country.
The exhibition runs thematically and opens with works by pioneering artists such as Abdur Rahman Chughtai and Zainul Abedin, who produced stellar works of art during British colonial rule from 1858-1947 and continued after Pakistan was born as a separate nation out of united India.
A video installation titled ‘Disruption as Rapture’ by Shahzia Sikander (2016), displayed at the ‘Manzar’ exhibition at the National Museum of Qatar in Doha. (Kuzey Kaya Buzlu)
Indeed, the partition of 1947 is a significant theme for many Pakistani artists at the exhibition, including Anna Molka Ahmed, Zarina and Bani Abidi. The exhibition also features the aesthetic experiments of artists such as Shakir Ali, Zubeida Agha, Murtaja Baseer and Sadequain, whose deeply personal modes of expression are rooted in the vibrant urban centers of Karachi, Lahore, Dhaka, and the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, which embody diverse artistic responses to historical and cultural shifts in the region.
Zahoor Ul-Akhlaq, Imran Mir and Rasheed Araeen — known for their multidisciplinary approaches, involvement in educational initiatives, and theoretical writings challenging Western art history and traditions at home and internationally — are also featured, as are influential figures of different generations such as Salima Hashmi, Quddus Mirza, Lala Rukh, Aisha Khalid and Durriya Kazi.
Important diaspora artists whose work is part of the exhibition include Naiza Khan in London, Ruby Chishti, Huma Bhabha, Iftikhar and Elizabeth Dadi and Salman Toor in New York, Bani Abidi in Berlin, Basir Mahmood in Amsterdam, Seher Shah in Barcelona and Khadim Ali in Sydney.
The exhibition also sheds light on contributions by foreign architects who reshaped Pakistan’s landscape and articulated the ambitions of its institutions through landmark projects. These include French artist Michel Ecochard, who designed the first university in the southern city of Karachi, and Greek artist Konstantínos Doxiadis, the lead architect who planned Pakistan’s capital Islamabad.
Manzar also explores Pakistan’s engagement with the debate on regionalism in architecture through the works of influential architects such as Nayyar Ali Dada and Kamil Khan Mumtaz from Lahore, alongside Yasmeen Lari, Habib Fida Ali, and Arif Hasan from Karachi.
The exhibition extends to the courtyard of the Palace of Sheikh Abdullah Al-Thani with a range of outdoor and indoor installations, as well as a film and video program. Renowned architect Yasmeen Lari, who works in the intersection of architecture and social justice, has exhibited bamboo shelters designed as emergency open-source housing for flood victims, in collaboration with the Heritage Foundation of Pakistan.
Additionally, the art collective Karachi LaJamia is exhibiting a project addressing the environmental crisis in the province of Sindh. Many of these contemporary projects emphasize the themes of sustainability and ecology, reflecting a growing urgency to address environmental issues through art and architecture.
“Manzar is an exhibition that truly reflects how everyone from the discourse of art and architecture seem in constant conversation, in dialogue about the environment, either the political environment or the ecological environment,” Karachi-based architect Marvi Mazhar said during a panel discussion, saying Manzar had brought into the spotlight the political and ecological changes the region has undergone through the decades.
“We have always faced heartbreaks, be it the partition, or the formation of East Pakistan (present day Bangladesh) or other movements such as the politics of land and water. Yet historically we collectively ride the tide, through forging diverse practices and sensitivity to their connection to the wider history of modern and contemporary art.”
Ayman Al-Zubaidi: Bringing authentic Saudi flavors to London’s culinary scene
The founder of London’s Hijazi Corner was hopeless in the kitchen, but his move abroad sparked a desire to recreate the cuisine of his homeland
Updated 15 November 2024
Scott Campbell
LONDON: Ayman Al-Zubaidi — the acclaimed chef behind Hijazi Corner, London’s first Saudi Arabian restaurant — has cooked for dignitaries, diplomats, celebrities and even the Kingdom’s royal family. But his most discerning critics were waiting for him much closer to home.
In 2021, after several years living in London, Al-Zubaidi came home to Jeddah. But instead of the football shirt his family had pictured him wearing after his UK studies in sports science, he returned in chef whites. It was a transformation that no one saw coming — least of all him.
Growing up in Jeddah’s Al-Sabeel district with his sister and three brothers, Al-Zubaidi could barely boil his own water. The kitchen was strictly his mother’s territory, and his late-night culinary ventures didn’t go far beyond packets of instant noodles. But now, the tables had turned, and his mother was seated as his guest.
Hijazi Corner is London’s first Saudi Arabian restaurant. (Supplied)
“When I first moved to the UK, I was clueless in the kitchen, so I called her for help,” Al-Zubaidi tells Arab News from his restaurant in London’s de facto Arab district of Edgware Road. It was her loving mentorship that laid the foundations for his culinary journey, shaping his path to becoming one of London’s most distinctive chefs.
“When any chef starts to speak about food, they talk about their mum. Her chicken kabsa is a bit oily, a bit shiny and looks amazing — even just talking about it now I become hungry,” Al-Zubaidi says. “But even if I had the same ingredients and made it the same way, hers would always taste better.”
Building on family recipes honed over decades by his ancestors in Yemen, Al Zubaidi’s Hijazi Corner is the only place in the UK capital where Saudis can find a true taste of home.
Lined with thick carpets and ornate window paneling evoking the buildings of Jeddah’s Al-Balad historical district, its menu is full of comforting favorites drawn from across the Kingdom’s western coastal region — chicken seelag, slow-roasted lamb haneeth and delicate, flaky samboosek.
Al-Zubaidi with Saudi Ambassador to the UK Prince Khalid and the latter's wife. (Supplied)
“From the richest person to the poorest person in Saudi Arabia, we eat the same food,” he says. “When we celebrate, when we grieve, when we are happy or sad, we get masoub (banana pudding) or motabbaq (thin layers of pastry stuffed with meat).”
Al-Zubaidi’s path to the kitchen was anything but conventional. As a teenager eager to learn English, he set his sights on the UK, drawn by what he called “a love for the accent,” and made the leap in 2017. After completing his language course, he switched tracks to study sports. But somewhere between lectures and life abroad, homesickness hit in the form of a craving for the familiar flavors of Arabia.
“In London, you can find plenty of Turkish, Kurdish, Indian, even Malaysian options — but nothing from Saudi,” he explains. “So I decided to make it myself.” He began recreating the comforting dishes of home in his small Clapham flat, selling them cash-in-hand to fellow Saudis in search of an authentic taste of the Kingdom.
But the secret didn’t stay a secret for long. Soon, his passion found a new platform — Snapchat.
Al-Zubaidi shared short videos of his cooking process, garnishing each clip with personal moments and mouth-watering close-ups of Saudi dishes. His humble videos quickly gained a loyal fanbase, and orders poured in from every corner of the city — particularly as COVID took hold in the early months of 2020.
“People from the Saudi embassy added me, people from Aramco working in London added me. Saudis living here, working here, growing up here — plus lots of foreign people who had been to my country and tried this food before.”
What started as a side hustle quickly evolved into a pop-up, and by 2023, into a brick-and-mortar restaurant where Londoners could finally experience the authentic flavors of Saudi Arabia.
During the pop-up stage, Al-Zubaidi’s Snapchat followers became more than fans; they became enablers of his culinary vision, bringing a piece of Saudi Arabia to his London kitchen. Whenever one of his followers planned a trip from Saudi to the UK, they’d reach out, asking if he needed any hard-to-find ingredients.
Al-Zubaidi’s requests were simple but essential — fragrant spices, fresh dill, and most importantly, the special pastry sheets that he just couldn’t source in London.
“I’d say ‘I need the real pastry for samosa.’ And they’d bring it for me,” he says.
The enthusiasm was mutual. His followers were just as eager to bring these reminders of home, knowing he’d transform them into the dishes they missed.
Yet not everyone was as supportive. As he juggled his studies and the pop-up, criticism began to surface, especially from former friends back home.
“They mocked me,” he recalls. “They’d say things like, ‘You went to the UK to study, and now you’re just selling food?’”
Influencers he approached for social-media support brushed him off with dismissive remarks. But Al-Zubaidi was undeterred, finding new friends and switching his studies from sport to cooking. With a network of loyal clients and the backing of a few new investors he had met along the way, he began seriously considering a restaurant.
One wealthy friend, who had seen the young chef’s determination, urged him to take the plunge. After months of hard work studying knife skills, mastering Saudi dishes, and learning the restaurant business inside out, Al-Zubaidi took the leap.
Two years after opening its doors, Hijazi Corner is a definite success, becoming one of London’s top-rated Middle Eastern eateries. It’s perpetually packed with diners, and has become a go-to spot for celebrities, diplomats, and dignitaries from the Arab world and beyond, all seeking an authentic taste of Saudi Arabia.
After showcasing Saudi cuisine at several festivals and events, on National Day this September, Al-Zubaidi received a special honor — an invitation to the Kingdom’s embassy in London.
The recognition came after HRH Prince Khalid Bin Bandar Al-Saud, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the UK, visited Hijazi Corner and was so impressed that he mentioned it by name in his National Day speech. Al-Zubaidi, overcome with pride, shed tears of joy.
“I am proud of what I’ve achieved, but I haven’t finished yet,” he says. “This is just the beginning—there’s so much more of Saudi culture I want to share with the world.”
Highlights from the winning entries in the Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Photography Award
Updated 15 November 2024
Arab News
DUBAI: Here are three highlights from the winning entries in this year’s Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Photography Award.
Youmn Mohammed Almanla
The Saudi photographer claimed second place in the ‘Color’ category of this year’s HIPA awards for this stunning image of horse riders firing rifles against a twilight sky — an example of the ancient Moroccan equestrian art known as ‘tbourida,’ which is included on UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage. It is, Almanla said in his statement, “a breathtaking display of skill, bravery, and the untamed spirit of the desert.”
Liping Cao
The Chinese photographer picked up the Grand Prize at this year’s awards (staged under the theme ‘Sustainability’) for this dramatic black-and-white shot he named “Quiet Power.” It shows an Australian wind farm. “The dry riverbed below the turbines adds depth, while serving as a reminder of the importance of sustainable practices,” a statement from HIPA reads.
Fatma Alzahra Shbair
The Palestinian photographer won first prize in the “Portfolio” category for a collection of scenes from the Gaza Strip taken over the months since Israel launched its assault on the enclave in October 2023. “Through telling the stories of others, the storyteller realized they were also sharing their own — an intertwined account of survival and collective suffering,” a HIPA statement reads.
Saudi digital artist Khaled Makshoush: ‘I chase an atmosphere’
Makshoush is one of the participants in the newly launched Diriyah Arts Futures
Updated 14 November 2024
Hams Saleh
DUBAI: Saudi Arabia’s Diriyah is now nurturing the Kingdom’s creative future. The UNESCO World Heritage site recently launched Diriyah Art Futures (DAF), an initiative aimed at empowering the next generation of Saudi digital artists.
Among the select few to join DAF’s Emerging New Media Artists program is Saudi pixel artist Khaled Makshoush, who is now part of a project designed to establish Riyadh as a global capital of new media art.
Cranes, 2024, Pixel Art. (Supplied)
The program, designed in collaboration with France’s Le Fresnoy Studio National des Arts Contemporains, provides artists like Makshoush with access to advanced equipment, production budgets, and mentorship from international digital art experts.
Reflecting on this opportunity, Makshoush told Arab News how meaningful it feels to exhibit and evolve his pixel art within his homeland.
“When I started creating digital art, especially pixel art, I never thought I would get an opportunity like this, with such a program and in my own city,” he said. “I am really grateful for that and to get the chance to actually put my pixel art out there.”
Among the select few to join DAF’s Emerging New Media Artists program is Saudi pixel artist Khaled Makshoush, who is now part of a project designed to establish Riyadh as a global capital of new media art. (Supplied)
Makshoush’s journey into pixel art began in 2015, when he and a friend explored the idea of creating video games. While his friend handled the programming, Makshoush took on the artistic side, initially choosing pixel art for its perceived simplicity.
Over time, that initial foray transformed into a deeper passion. By 2016, he was dedicating himself fully to the medium, honing his skills through a disciplined daily painting practice, which pushed him to continually explore new ideas and techniques.
“This forced me to ask myself, ‘What do I want to draw? What do I want to paint? And that, I think, was a big question. It kind of led me into a journey of discovering myself,” he said.
Today, Makshoush’s art often centers around the landscapes and cityscapes of Riyadh.
Petrochemical, 2020, Pixel Art. (Supplied)
“I focus on feeling the space. Like, how and why does it make me feel a certain way? When I’m outside and I see something interesting, I try to explore it,” he said.
For Makshoush, the power of pixel art lies in its ability to capture and convey a distinct impression — a quality that he strives to evoke in each piece he creates.
“I chase an atmosphere,” he explained. “My work represents my state of mind during the time that I create (an artwork).”
His personal connection to, and love for, Riyadh is evident in his work, which manages to be both contemporary, but somehow nostalgic at the same time, perhaps because of his retro graphics style.
Through the DAF program, Makshoush hopes to push his skills further by experimenting with larger scales as well as with new technologies.
Saturday Morning, 2023, Pixel Art. (Supplied)
The mentorship component of the program, he said, is particularly exciting for him, as it offers a chance to explore intersections between pixel art and other digital forms. He would love to explore techniques like programming or ways to exhibit his work interactively. He envisions his art evolving into installations that blend the virtual and physical, bridging the gap between the online world, where digital art typically lives, and tangible exhibitions.
“The idea of moving pixel art from the screen to the physical space is intriguing — finding a balance where it retains its digital essence while existing outside the internet,” he said.
Pixel art, so heavily linked to vintage video games from “Space Invaders” and “Pac-Man” to “Super Mario Bros,” has evolved significantly in recent years, Makshoush believes. He noted that, especially since the early 2010s, social media has helped push pixel art into new realms, with artists worldwide reimagining it and taking it beyond its nostalgic associations. He described a movement primarily driven by Japanese and Western artists, characterized by serene, almost cinematic scenes that evoke a quiet beauty.
“It’s about creating an atmosphere rather than reliving the nostalgia of video games,” he said.
With his newfound access to resources and mentors, Makshoush is eager to contribute to Saudi Arabia’s burgeoning digital art scene, which he sees as increasingly dynamic and influential.
“We have a lot of digital artists now in Saudi Arabia and it is only becoming bigger and bigger,” he said. “I hope my work can inspire others as I was once inspired.”
