Art Jameel announces opening date for Hayy Jameel cultural complex in Jeddah

The long-awaited Hayy Jameel has announced it will finally open the doors this winter. Supplied
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Updated 29 June 2021
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Art Jameel announces opening date for Hayy Jameel cultural complex in Jeddah

  • The 17,000-square-meter cultural complex will open in Jeddah this winter, 2021

DUBAI: In another win for the Saudi art scene, the long-awaited Hayy Jameel has announced it will finally open the doors to its sprawling 17,000-square-meter cultural complex in Jeddah in winter 2021. Hayy Jameel, which derives its name from the Arabic word for “neighborhood,” intends to be exactly such — a space for collaboration and creative exchange. The new cultural complex adds to the growing list of new cultural enterprises launched in the Kingdom over the last several years as Saudi Arabia continues its mission to push for a “creative economy.”

“Hayy Jameel is set to be a home-from-home for Jeddah’s creative community — a dynamic, multidisciplinary complex created specifically to support the art scene and nurture next-generation talent,” Antonia Carver, director of Art Jameel, told Arab News.




Hayy Jameel three-storey render. Supplied

“This is a hugely exciting, new era for Saudi culture, in general. Now, complementing and supporting the dynamic and large-scale developments led by the Ministry of Culture and government-affiliated entities, we have the first major not-for-profit, private sector contribution and one with a wholly civic purpose,” she added.

Located in a three-story edifice in the residential area of Al-Mohammadiyyah in north Jeddah, Hayy Jameel will include the launch of Hayy Cinema, a 200-seat cinema that marks Saudi Arabia’s first independent cinema; Hayy Arts, a 700-square-meter exhibition center; Hayy Studio, an artists’ studio; Fenaa Hayy, a multi-purpose space for performances, workshops and talks; Hayy Learning, a community-focused education platform featuring a program that offers in-person and virtual learning, research and apprenticeships; and Hayy Residents, a space that will bring together pioneering creative businesses from Jeddah, ranging from contemporary art and performance to design and publishing, as well as baking institutes, new cafes and restaurants.




The the interior space is open and centered around Saha. Supplied

The complex is designed by waiwai, a Dubai and Tokyo-based architectural studio, also the creator of the Jaddaf Waterfront Sculpture Park in front of Dubai’s Jameel Arts Center. The cinema is designed by Jeddah-based Bricklab, a commission awarded to the firm after an international design competition staged by Art Jameel.

Jeddah has long been known for its creative scene, with its annual 21’39 festival that has taken place throughout the city since 2013; its Athr Gallery and Hafez Gallery, two of the Kingdom’s most renowned art galleries; and its host of emerging and established Saudi artists. The city will also play host to the inaugural Red Sea International Film Festival in November 2021. What has been lacking in the scene, however, are spaces in which to create and incubate artistic production.




Hayy Arts render. Supplied

In many ways, Hayy Jameel has arrived as the missing ingredient in Jeddah’s cultural mission. It is distinct from Dubai’s Jameel Arts Center in that its purpose is not solely to act as a museum or place to exhibit the Jameel family collection but to nurture cross-cultural dialogue and creative production.

“We think of Jameel Arts Center as a contemporary visual arts museum and Hayy as a multidisciplinary creative hub,” added Carver. “Both embrace creative dialogue, while Hayy focuses more on artistic production.”




Hayy Cinema render. Supplied

Such ideas are reflected in its architecture. Its three-story structure is characterized by tall façades that reflect the intimacy of a private home, while the interior space is open and centered around Saha, a communal courtyard meant to be a re-interpretation of the traditional courtyard typology with surrounding landscaping rooted in sustainable and green practices. The structure’s airy ambiance is supported by natural light, which streams in from all sides, further enhancing the space as a place for easy dialogue and creation. The building uses a steel structure with aluminum cladding and concrete flooring — elements that offer flexibility to the spaces, allowing them to be used in a versatile fashion for exhibitions, events, workshops and more.




Saha, a communal courtyard meant to be a re-interpretation of the traditional courtyard. Supplied

Hayy’s architecture and design are already the recipients of numerous architectural accolades, including Gold in the Hong Kong Design Awards; Silver in the New York Design Awards; and the Honor Award for Exceptional Design by the American Institute of Architects’ Middle East chapter. It has also been nominated for the 2A Continental Architectural Award as well as the London Design Awards.

Hayy’s inaugural show titled “Staple: What’s on your plate?” is co-curated with London-based partner the Delfina Foundation. Inspired by Jeddah’s diverse demographic, the exhibition will explore the relationship between food and memory, ecology, and place through the works of over 30 artists, thinkers, performers, researchers, filmmakers, and other creative practitioners.

The kickoff date for such conversations is set for November 2021 and will continue until April 2022, supported by a public program of talks, performances, and educational and film programs, with contributions from regional and international artists. Workshops will also be held for people of all ages, from children to the elderly, proving how art is accessible to all and the creative journey and knowledge acquired through it long-lasting.




Abdul Latif Jameel (center) with management, 1980s. Supplied

Hayy Jameel also marks the 75th anniversary of the Jameel family's global philanthropy.

Headquartered in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, the Jameel family has long been one of the Arab world’s biggest patrons. For decades, Art Jameel has supported artists and creative communities across the Middle East through exhibitions, commissions, research, and community-building, propelled by the belief that the arts can be open and accessible to all. Hayy is the next chapter in Art Jameel’s journey.

“Art Jameel was born in Jeddah, and Hayy is our most ambitious project to date,” Fady Jameel, chairman of Art Jameel, told Arab News. “This homecoming, at a time of unprecedented local interest and investment in the arts, is such a significant milestone moment for our family.”


International Prize for Arabic Fiction announces 2025 longlist

Updated 07 January 2025
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International Prize for Arabic Fiction announces 2025 longlist

DUBAI: The longlist for the 2025 International Prize for Arabic Fiction has been revealed, with 16 novels in the running for the $50,000 award, sponsored by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre.

While works from Bahrain and Mauritania have made the list for the first time, other nominated novels come from Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Algeria, Iraq and the UAE.

The longlist has been chosen from a total of 124 submissions by a panel of five judges chaired by Egyptian academic Mona Baker. Joining her on the panel are Moroccan academic and critic Said Bengrad, Emirati critic and academic Maryam Al-Hashimi, Lebanese researcher and academic Bilal Orfali, and Finnish translator Sampsa Peltonen.

In a statement, Baker said, “This year’s longlist is remarkable in its diversity of both theme and literary form. Some novels address women’s struggles to achieve their dreams in a patriarchal society that prevents them from living fulfilled lives. Others offer a nuanced portrait of religious and sectarian worlds, where extremism and dogma contrast with human empathy and understanding.

“There are a number of historical novels on the list which deal with both the recent and more distant past, such as the Abbasid era, or the Inquisition and persecution of Muslims in Andalusia. There are also semi-autobiographical books, and others which read like detective stories.

“Repressive regimes and their power to crush the hopes and lives of ordinary people are also explored; some novelists paint a stark picture of this reality, while others employ sarcasm and humour, rendering these difficult topics more accessible for the reader.”

The 2025 International Prize for Arabic Fiction longlist:
Aqeel Almusawi’s “The Weepers” (Bahrain)
Inam Bioud’s “Houwariya” (Algeria)
Rashid Al-Daif’s “What Zeina Saw and What She Didn’t” (Lebanon)
Ahmed Fal Al-Din’s “Danshmand” (Mauritania)
Jan Dost’s “The French Prisoner” (Syria)
Sausan Jamil Hasan’s “Heiress of the Keys” (Syria)
Iman Humaydan’s “Songs for the Darkness” (Lebanon)
Azher Jirjees “The Valley of the Butterflies” (Iraq)
Hasan Kamal’s “The Stolen Novel” (Egypt)
Taissier Khalaf’s “The Andalusian Messiah” (Syria)
Ahmed Al-Malawany’s “Happy Dreams” (Egypt)
Mohamed Samir Nada’s “The Prayer of Anxiety” (Egypt)
Nadia Najar’s “The Touch of Light” (United Arab Emirates)
Haneen Al-Sayegh’s “The Women’s Charter” (Lebanon)
Sumar Shihada’s “My Life Has Just Begun” (Syria)
Ayman Ragab Taher’s “The Lamplighter” (Egypt)


Saudi stars shine at Ivana Chubbuck’s Riyadh workshop

Updated 07 January 2025
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Saudi stars shine at Ivana Chubbuck’s Riyadh workshop

DUBAI: Saudi actresses Sumaya Rida, Adwa Bader and Mila Al-Zahrani participated in a workshop hosted by the California-based drama school Ivana Chubbuck Studio in Riyadh. 

The workshop is part of the Ministry of Culture and the Film Commission’s Filmmakers Program, which runs until the end of January.

Rida, known for her breakout television roles in “Another Planet” and “Boxing Girls” as well as her big-screen appearances in “Junoon” and “Roll’em” — among the first films to premiere in the Kingdom after cinemas reopened — took to Instagram to share behind-the-scenes moments from the workshop with her colleagues.

Sumaya Rida (right) took to Instagram to share behind-the-scenes moments from the workshop with Mila Al-Zahrani (left) and Adwa Bader (center). Instagram 

She also shared a clip of herself with Zahrani and later posted an Instagram Story featuring both of them, captioning it, “My scene partner.”

Ivana Chubbuck, founder and director of the studio, is a US acting coach and creator of the widely adopted Chubbuck Technique, known for its role in Oscar-winning and nominated performances. 

She heads the drama school in Los Angeles and conducts acting workshops worldwide.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Adwaء Bader (@adwaxox)

Chubbuck has worked with renowned actors such as Charlize Theron, Brad Pitt, Sylvester Stallone, Terrence Howard, James Franco, Jake Gyllenhaal, Elisabeth Shue, Catherine Keener, Halle Berry, and Jared Leto, among others. 

She is also the author of the best-selling book “The Power of the Actor,” published by Penguin Books’ Gotham division, which has been translated into 20 languages.

Chubbuck’s Riyadh workshop was also attended by Saudi actor and comedian Fahad Albutairi, who shared a carousel of images from the event on Instagram. Among the pictures was a signed note from Chubbuck that read: “Fahad, you are so talented and (I) look forward to continuing our journey together.”

The attendees received a certificate of participation after the workshop, which Albutairi also posted on his Instagram.

The Filmmakers Program collaborates with several international film universities and institutes to provide training opportunities and workshops for both amateur and professional filmmakers in the Kingdom.


Review: Palestinian poet Mosab Abu Toha writes against erasure, destruction

Updated 07 January 2025
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Review: Palestinian poet Mosab Abu Toha writes against erasure, destruction

JEDDAH: “Every child in Gaza is me,” writes Palestinian poet Mosab Abu Toha in the creed-like opening of “Forest of Noise,” setting the tone for the poems to come and establishing his profound connection to his people and Palestine.

The poems within the slim but impactful volume by the Palestine Book Award-winning poet blend personal narratives with the broader documentation of life under Israeli occupation, siege, and bombardment in Gaza.

Released amidst one of the most turbulent periods in recent Palestinian history, Abu Toha uses the art form to not only capture personal memory, but to document Israel’s atrocities committed against Palestinians and the resilience of the people living in a continuous state of emergency.

Written in clear, simple language that often evokes visceral, painful imagery, his poetry oscillates between moments of loss, destruction, and survival, and glimpses of peace that seem fantastical in their rarity.

In “Palestinian Village,” Abu Toha imagines a peaceful scene “where a canary never tires of singing” that feels like a distant memory or a dream in stark contrast to the harrowing reality on the ground. The poem, like others in the collection, is a reminder of the cultural and natural heritage that Palestinians are fighting to preserve amid what Amnesty International, as well as some regional states, have termed a genocide.

In “On Your Knees” he powerfully uses repetition of the line “on your knees!” to document the humiliating and horrifying experience of being abducted by Israeli forces as he attempted to cross the Rafah border with his family in November 2023.

Abu Toha resists physical subjugation with poetry as a form of resistance and memory — asserting the Palestinian self and narrative and highlighting the power of art to fight back against erasure.

In “After Allen Ginsberg,” the Palestinian poet draws from the American’s iconic work “Howl,” writing:

“I saw the best brains of my generation

protruding from their slashed heads.”

By adopting Ginsberg's confrontational style, Abu Toha’s unrestrained voice laments and protests Israel's ongoing assault that has claimed the lives of thousands of children, women, and men. 

The poet’s unwavering voice in “Forest of Noise” challenges readers to see Gaza not as a distant conflict but as a human tragedy that demands attention.


Eddie Redmayne, Lashana Lynch talk ‘The Day of the Jackal’

Updated 06 January 2025
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Eddie Redmayne, Lashana Lynch talk ‘The Day of the Jackal’

  • The series, streaming on OSN+, has been renewed for a second season

DUBAI: “The Day of the Jackal” — a 10-episode series written by Ronan Bennett available to stream in the Middle East on OSN+ — is a contemporary reimagining of Frederick Forsyth’s 1971 novel and the famed 1973 film, directed by Fred Zinnemann. 

UK film star Eddie Redmayne plays the titular Jackal, an extremely thorough and detail-oriented British assassin, often taking on intricate disguises and speaking several languages to get the job done.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by OSN+ (@osnplus)

“One of the thrills of this experience for me was that the Jackal kind of is an actor. And particularly in Ronan’s version of him now, he’s quite obsessive, and he loves the process.

“And so, the fact that he’s an artist, and he preps the prosthetics himself and he mimics the languages … The whole experience was a sort of actor’s playground, really. And I loved that element of it,” Redmayne told Arab News.

“What I found intriguing about the part was, normally, when I’m playing a part, I kind of reach out to the character, and there were many moments in this in which I was going, ‘OK, so if this guy’s an actor, and he’s quite a proficient actor, how would I navigate my way through this situation? If I had these formidable assassin skills, if I had to lie horrifically to my wife, if I had to manipulate things.’

“So, what’s odd is, of all the characters I played, much more so I found it was about trying to bring that character to me, rather than reaching out to him, which was helped by the fact that it’s the first character I played in 25 years in which he wears contemporary clothes. I’ve been stuck in tweeds and stiff collars. So, that was fun,” he said.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by OSN+ (@osnplus)

Starring alongside Redmayne is Lashana Lynch, who plays Bianca, an intelligence officer with firearms expertise and a similarly obsessive approach to her work. 

The thrilling series follows a tense cat-and-mouse chase across Europe, with Bianca hot on the heels of the Jackal, who is leaving a trail of bodies in his wake as he evades authorities.

The show traces an uncanny parallel between the two characters. They both have family lives, they are both exacting and skillful at their jobs, but chaos follows wherever they go, often with deadly consequences.

“For me as an actor, it was exciting to see a man and a woman in those positions. I’m very used to the films that I have come across over the years, seeing two men in those positions, and everyone being very excited that one’s going to oscillate between being good and evil,” Lynch said.

“Having a woman being potentially evil is really exciting because it breaks the parameters in a way that kind of re-educates the industry to continue to stay open minded with female characters, and that’s kind of what I’m all about. And to have a team like this that celebrated that and did it within the genre of espionage is special and very new for the kind of TV that I’m used to watching,” Lynch said.


Saudi couturier Mohammed Ashi dresses stars at the Golden Globes

Updated 06 January 2025
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Saudi couturier Mohammed Ashi dresses stars at the Golden Globes

DUBAI: Saudi couturier Mohammed Ashi dressed three stars at Sunday night’s Golden Globes in Hollywood, with Mindy Kaling, Kristen Bell and Ari Graynor showing off looks by the Paris-based designer.

Kaling showed off a gold column gown from Ashi Studio, hailing from the label’s Spring/Summer 2024 couture collection.

Mindy Kaling showed off a gold column gown from Ashi Studio, hailing from the label’s Spring/Summer 2024 couture collection. (Getty Images)

The first designer from the Gulf to take part in Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week, Ashi also dressed Graynor in a risque look complete with cutouts across the bodice. The all-black gown was plucked from his label’s Fall/Winter 2023 couture collection.

For her part, nominee Bell shimmered in a gold, beaded Ashi Studio gown that boasted a peplum and rounded neckline.

Kristen Bell on the red carpet at the Golden Globes. (Getty Images)

With some of Hollywood's most fashion-forward stars up for awards this year, it's going to be an eventful season. The Golden Globes gets it all started, with stars — and their stylists — marking their territory at one of Hollywood's splashiest events, the Associated Press reported.

“Wicked” star Ariana Grande showed off a pale yellow Givenchy haute couture look. The gown was in crafted in silk with a hand-beaded bodice — a vintage 1966 gown from what the designer calls the Audrey Hepburn era of Givenchy.

Ariana Grande showed off a pale yellow Givenchy haute couture look. (Getty Images)

Cate Blanchett looked like an awards statue come to life in a glistening gold gown with a ruched top by Louis Vuitton — one that she also wore at the Cannes Film Festival. New gold stones were added to the gown, designed by Nicholas Ghesquière, to freshen the look.

Cate Blanchett and Ari Graynor on the red carpet. (Getty Images)

Where Blanchett glistened in gold, Nicole Kidman sparkled in silver, in a daring, one-shoulder backless Balenciaga gown. The “Babygirl” star polished off the look with a chic, voluminous half-ponytail.

Nicole Kidman sparkled in silver, in a daring, one-shoulder backless Balenciaga gown. (Getty Images)

Globes host Nikki Glaser zeroed right in on Timothee Chalamet, one of the hottest stars in Hollywood, in her monologue, telling him: “You have the most gorgeous eyelashes on your upper lip.” As for the clothes on his body, Chalamet went more traditional than other recent trips to the carpet, wearing a sleek Tom Ford black suit with embellished jacket, a white shirt and a blue scarf tossed around his neck (or was it a tie?).

Zendaya in a custom Louis Vuitton ballgown paired with Bulgari jewelry. (Getty Images)

Always a winner on the red carpet, actress Zendaya provided yet another high fashion moment at the Golden Globes in a custom Louis Vuitton ballgown paired with Bulgari jewelry.