Featuring miniature representations of Saudi cities from the past, these creations transport visitors through time
Artist and craft trainer Abdullah Al-Khazam, a native of Hail, presented a clay model of the ancient commercial area of Hail city at the event
Updated 14 July 2025
Arab News
RIYADH: The Beit Hail Festival, which runs until July 29, is showcasing unique works which reflect the region’s rich historic archaeological legacy, the Saudi Press Agency has reported.
Featuring miniature representations of Saudi cities from the past, these creations transport visitors through time, highlighting the details of daily life and the beauty of historic architecture.
Artist and craft trainer Abdullah Al-Khazam, a native of Hail, has presented a clay model of the ancient commercial area of Hail city at the event.
The model has attracted the attention of thousands of visitors and illustrates the techniques used to craft such works, enriching the festival’s depiction of the Kingdom’s heritage.
Al-Khazam based the model on historic sources, using precise measurements and conducting field visits. He also consulted historians, researchers, and elderly residents for accuracy.
The model features key landmarks, including Barzan Palace, a mosque, the commercial square, and various government offices, the SPA added.
Built with traditional materials such as clay and palm trunks, the model uses classic construction techniques and incorporates period ornaments and engravings, effectively recreating the city center of the past.
From Saudi Arabia to Uzbekistan — the travelling musalla
The winner of the Islamic Arts Biennale’s AlMusalla Prize on display in Bukhara
Updated 18 September 2025
Jasmine Bager
BUKHARA, UZBEKISTAN: A piece of Jeddah landed in the Uzbek city of Bukhara this month.
As part of the inaugural Bukhara Biennial, the Bukhara Archive welcomed the winning design of the inaugural AlMusalla Prize, first unveiled at the Islamic Arts Biennale in Jeddah in January.
The prize — for the design of a multi-faith space for prayer and contemplation — was awarded to the UAE- and Lebanon-based EAST Architecture Studio, engineering firm AKT II, and artist Rayyane Tabet for their design, “On Weaving,” which was constructed almost entirely from reused palm tree waste.
AlMusalla at the Bukhara Biennial. (Photo by Sara Saad, Courtesy Diriyah Biennale Foundation)
The design was conceived as a traveling pavilion, and its relocation from Jeddah to Bukhara reflects shared legacies — Jeddah as a gateway for pilgrims, Bukhara as a Silk Road hub.
“We designed it for deconstruction, to be able to be taken apart, to be able to be rebuilt. Because what we didn’t want was to save this waste only for it to go back into the landfill or be burned,” AKT II’s Christopher Blust told Arab News.
“(The musalla was) a structure that really followed nomadic cultures — very much present in the Gulf, and in Saudi Arabia in particular,” said Nicolas Fayad of EAST Architecture. “Unlike mosques, which are very much static, there was this idea of transience, which manifests very well in its presence at the Bukhara Biennial.
AlMusalla at the Bukhara Biennial. (Photo by Sara Saad, Courtesy Diriyah Biennale Foundation)
“I am someone who is very much in touch with that otherness — that layer that essentially protects us as individuals,” Fayad continued. “(This) is a project that speaks a lot to this otherness but also to the idea of spirituality and the dialogue that exists (within) the human being as an individual, but also what emerges in terms of spirituality when you are experiencing it as a group, as well. So, there’s this very interesting dialogue between plurality and individuality which manifests in this structure.”
Blust said the building process for “On Weaving” caused “some sleepless nights” — not just because of the tight deadline between being told their design had won and actually having to exhibit it at the Islamic Arts Biennale, but because, he claims, it is “a world first” in terms of creating a building from date palm waste.
“It’s an immense opportunity to educate others about what you can do with materials,” he said. “We built something out of waste — or what people think is waste. Everyone you tell the story (of how it was made) just (finds it) jaw-dropping. So what I’d like everyone to think about is: What other waste is out there that’s not truly waste? We just need to find a way of repurposing.”
“There’s always that element of surprise, which is very gratifying to see,” Fayad agreed. “Here in Bukhara, it feels that this pavilion is in direct conversation not only with the context but with the culture. Having walked very briefly in the old town, having looked at this weaving, craft and process on the streets and then looking back at the musalla here… really this conversation that exists not only in the material but also in the colors, in the proportions of the building and how it references, somehow, the proportions that are found elsewhere, almost makes you feel as if this pavilion has always existed here.”
Both men are excited to see where their project heads next.
“We know that the third chapter is coming, we don’t know where yet, but it is going to exist somewhere else after (this),” Fayad said. “Honestly, it’s the most beautiful thing to see this place inhabited. It gives it this intangible layer of making this space lived in and experienced; it almost makes it shine. This is not something the architect is in control of. It’s really the visitors.”
“And people come into this space not knowing the story,” added Blust.” Once they understand the full narrative and the (ideas) and the sustainability — even the economic justification behind it — I think it’s a jaw-dropping moment. We’re hoping to change people’s minds when it comes to culture, when it comes to waste, when it comes to looking at what is sustainable.”
Review: ‘Together for Palestine’ concert a moving night of music and solidarity
Artists, activists gather to support Palestinians facing Israeli assault
Hope to boost support like AIDS, Mandela concerts, says Brian Eno
Updated 18 September 2025
GABRIELE MALVISI
LONDON: British artist Brian Eno and company delivered a profoundly moving, and perhaps historic, night of music and solidarity for Palestine on Wednesday at London’s Wembley Arena.
The star-studded lineup of 20 artists for “Together for Palestine” achieved what many have failed to do: reignite a sense of humanity that has seemed dim after nearly two years of the Israeli regime’s arguably genocidal war on Gaza.
Guest speaks onstage during the Together For Palestine concert at Wembley Arena. (Getty Images)
International talents including Jamie XX, Faraj Suleiman, James Blake, Gorillaz, Saint Levante, the London Arab Orchestra and Damon Albarn accompanied by the Juzour Dance Collective, shared the stage with Hollywood stars, poets, activists, journalists, athletes, and medics.
There were inevitable comparisons with landmark events including the 1992 “A Concert for AIDS Awareness,” and the 1988 “Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute,” which took place while the South African leader was still imprisoned and branded a terrorist by several Western governments.
Eno himself said he hopes the event would have the same galvanizing effect.
The concert was a powerful testament to the strength of non-violent resistance in an era where brute force is deployed in the name of the few and language is increasingly weaponized to sow division and discord.
The concert closed with a poignant performance by Palestinian-Chilean artist Elyanna. Accompanied by her brother on the piano, she sang a song composed by their mother, encapsulating the sense of unity and resilience that few events in recent memory have managed to convey.
At a time when silence can be a sign of complicity with oppression and subjugation, “Together for Palestine” symbolized humanity’s civic duty and moral imperative to speak out.
Ultimately, the show was far more than a fundraiser — it was a resounding call for unity and dignity in the face of injustice.
Star-studded Gaza fundraiser to take place at London arena
Updated 18 September 2025
Arab News
DUBAI: A fundraising concert for Gaza will be held tomorrow at London’s OVO Arena, organized by Together For Palestine and produced by British musician Brian Eno.
The event, described as “a gathering of artists, musicians and people for whom silence feels impossible,” will be livestreamed exclusively on YouTube.
The concert, the largest Gaza fundraiser ever staged in the UK, features an extensive lineup of international names including Paul Weller, Damon Albarn, Portishead, Nadine Shah, Neneh Cherry, PinkPantheress, Bastille, Jamie xx and James Blake. Actors Guy Pearce, Benedict Cumberbatch, Florence Pugh, Jameela Jamil, Riz Ahmed and Ruth Negga are also scheduled to appear, alongside former footballer Eric Cantona and presenter Amelia Dimoldenberg.
Several Palestinian artists will take part as well, among them Elyanna, Saint Levant and El Far3i.
Proceeds will go to Palestinian-led organizations including Taawon, the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund and the Palestine Medical Relief Service.
Bukhara Biennial 2025 — reconnecting a city through craft and conversation
Updated 17 September 2025
Jasmine Bager
BUKHARA: In the heart of Uzbekistan’s ancient city, where the Silk Road once carried ideas as easily as the fabric that gives it its name, Bukhara Biennial 2025 is sparking a new kind of connection.
The inaugural biennial, which runs until Nov. 20, brings together local and international artists to celebrate the city’s heritage while fostering cultural and intellectual exchange.
The event’s creative director of architecture, Wael Al-Awar, told Arab News: “What we’re talking about is what excites me most in Bukhara; I think the biennial, to me, is an instigator of connections — reconnecting Bukhara to the world; not based on tourism, but reconnecting through craft and the exchange of ideas.”
The contemporary art event is taking place across newly restored historic landmarks in the city of Bukhara, a UNESCO Creative City of Craft & Folk Art. (Supplied)
Talking about the city’s history and younger members of the population, he said: “We need to show them the value of their history, identity and craft — they don’t know it.”
When it comes to the value of traditional crafts, Al-Awar cites local and global examples.
“I give the example of Murano glass,” he said. “At some point, it just became ‘glass for tourists’ and that craft is making a lot of money.”
There was a lively mix of both locals and tourists at the launch of the event. (Supplied)
He also highlighted local Suzani dressmakers, whose painstaking handwork has long been undervalued: “Today, they’re starting to realize that value.” He described one artisan whose hand-stitched dress took over a month to complete, initially priced too low. “They didn’t think anyone would pay more for it,” he said.
There was a lively mix of both locals and tourists at the launch of the event.
“At the opening, I saw the people coming — the locals mingling with the tourists,” said Al-Awar, praising Bukhara’s historically immersive culture: “They are used to talking to people; they’re not ‘the introverted society.’ We’re bringing the world to them, but what’s important is intellectual discourse,” he said, emphasizing the biennial was about more than tourism.
The contemporary art event is taking place across newly restored historic landmarks in the city of Bukhara, a UNESCO Creative City of Craft & Folk Art.
Cate Blanchett to be honored at El Gouna Film Festival
Updated 16 September 2025
Arab News
DUBAI: Australian actress and producer Cate Blanchett will be honored at the eighth edition of Egypt’s El Gouna Film Festival (GFF), set to run from Oct. 16 to 24.
She will serve as this year’s guest of honor and will receive the Champion of Humanity Award.
“From her iconic roles in ‘Elizabeth,’ ‘Blue Jasmine’ and ‘TÁR,’ to her remarkable collaborations with the world’s most celebrated directors, Cate Blanchett has left an indelible mark on global cinema,” an Instagram post by the festival read.
“Beyond her artistry, she continues to champion urgent humanitarian causes as a UNHCR Global Goodwill Ambassador, echoing the festival’s guiding vision: ‘Cinema for Humanity,’” the statement added. “To honor her work in centering the voices of refugees and those forcibly displaced, Blanchett will be receiving the Champion of Humanity Award by El Gouna Film Festival.”
Blanchett is also known for her stage work, having served as co-artistic director of the Sydney Theatre Company, and she is the co-founder of Dirty Films, a production company behind several award-winning film and television projects.
Beyond her work as an actress and producer, Blanchett has served as a Global Goodwill Ambassador for UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, since 2016.
In this role, she has used her platform to raise awareness on refugee issues and encourage support. She has visited refugee camps and host communities in countries including Jordan, Lebanon, Bangladesh, South Sudan, Niger and Brazil to meet displaced people and highlight their circumstances.
In 2018, she received the Crystal Award at the World Economic Forum in recognition of her efforts.
Amr Mansi, founder and executive director of GFF, said in a statement: “It is an immense honor to welcome an artist of Cate Blanchett’s caliber to the El Gouna Film Festival. Her unparalleled talent has captivated audiences for decades, and her dedication to humanitarian causes through her work with UNHCR is truly inspiring.
“The partnership with UNHCR and the Sawiris Foundation, including her visit, perfectly embodies our festival’s core mission of using the power of cinema to drive positive change and support humanity,” he added.
