Ancient secrets of love and happiness — set in stone across Arabian Peninsula

Across the Arabian Peninsula, written inscriptions offer clues to the Arab communities that lived in various areas. (Shutterstock)
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Updated 04 January 2022
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Ancient secrets of love and happiness — set in stone across Arabian Peninsula

  • Rock engravings are offering surprising clues about the Arabian Peninsula’s earliest cultures

MAKKAH: Ancient inscriptions on rocks throughout the Arabian Peninsula are helping to paint a picture of the earliest Arabic cultures, including economic and social conditions — and even people’s thoughts on love, marriage and happiness.

The engravings provide evidence of early religious belief and ritual performances, as well as details of professions, crafts and currencies, and also highlight the professionalism and skill of the engravers, according to Dr. Salma Hawsawi, professor of ancient history at King Saud University in Riyadh.
“Writing is an invention of man,” Hawsawi told Arab News. “It is a means of exchanging ideas and knowledge, as well as discussing it within societies, regardless of class, beliefs and sects.”
She added that historical information gleaned from these inscriptions can reflect the feelings of love, fear, longing, sadness and happiness felt by people at the time.
“That is why inscriptions are seen as a true witness of what the people of that era experienced, which highlights the region’s cultural depth.”
Hawsawi said that writing and engraving were regarded as professions. “Writing, in general, illustrates the level of civilization and education that Arab society reached, and also demonstrates writing’s role in the progress of humanity.”

The existence of writing in civilizations of all kinds is proof of their importance in codification, communication and relations between societies.

Dr. Salma Hawsawi

She said that writing developed through two stages — “the pre-alphabet stage, which is figurative writing, or depicting material things in the human environment to denote moral aspects through rock drawings. Then, after that, symbolic with syllabic sounds.”




Engravings also provided details of tribal names and locations, as well as professions and crafts, trade provisions, currencies, and exports and imports.

According to Hawsawi, cuneiform script spread throughout Mesopotamia from about 3,200 B.C. and was used until A.D.100.
Hieroglyphic script was in use in Egypt by 4,000 B.C., while Ugaritic script was used in northern Syria. Sinaitic script dates back to 1,400 B.C. and was invented by a group of Canaanites working in turquoise and copper mines in the Sinai desert.
Meanwhile, Phoenician script, which dates back to 1,000 B.C., and Punic script spread throughout North Africa from 300 B.C. until A.D. 300.
“The existence of writing in civilizations of all kinds is proof of their importance in codification, communication and relations between societies,” Hawsawi said.
Across the Arabian Peninsula, written inscriptions offer clues to the Arab communities that lived in various areas. Some of the inscriptions had a religious aspect, focusing on the names of gods and religious rituals, while others were more social, discussing personal status, marriage, divorce, and people’s names.
Engravings also provided details of tribal names and locations, as well as professions and crafts, trade provisions, currencies, and exports and imports.




The engravings provide evidence of early religious belief and ritual performances.

“On the political level, inscriptions included the names of kings and rulers, wars and the rise and fall of states,” she said.
“These inscriptions are an important source of historical and cultural knowledge of the region. The spread of these inscriptions and their large number give us an idea of the level of knowledge and culture reached by the societies and the attention they paid to writing and documentation.”
Hawsawi said that inscriptions can be found on rocks in an arranged or random manner, depending on the writer’s skill, as well as on the facades of temples, houses and even gravestones. Some depicted society through famous events or the aphorisms of its rulers.
In southern Arabia, Ancient South Arabian script was used from about 800 B.C. the A.D 600. Inscriptions are widespread, and can be found on stones, timber, and bones in eastern Arabia, Al-Faw, Najran and as far north as AlUla.
“The Zabur script also appeared in the south and dates back to about 500 B.C. Some say that the ancient South Arabian script and Zabur script emerged at about the same time,” Hawsawi said.
In the north of the Arabian Peninsula, Thamudic script was in use from 800 B.C. and consisted of 29 characters. Inscriptions have been found on rock facades along the trade route from the far south of the Arab world to the far north.
The Safaitic script is similar to the Thamudic script and dates back to the first century B.C. Dating back to the ninth century, the Aramaic script contains 22 letters, taken from Phoenician writing, and spread widely in the ancient world, especially in Mesopotamia, Iran, India, Egypt and the northern Arabian Peninsula.
Hawsawi pointed out that “the Dadanite and Lihyanite scripts date back to the sixth or fifth centuries B.C. and contain 28 letters, some of which resemble the Thamudic and ancient South Arabian scripts. It is written from right to left and the words are separated by a vertical line. The Palmyrene and Syriac scripts derived from Aramaic date back to the first century B.C. The Nabati script is derived from the Aramaic, however some of its letters have changed in terms of form and adding a dot, giving way to the Arabic script in which we write today.”
She said that writing in Arabian Peninsula societies differed from that of other cultures due to its distinctive scripts and range of topics.
“Life and related events were recorded, unlike other civilizations that focused on codifying political events,” she said.


Effat Film Festival celebrates emerging Saudi filmmakers

Updated 14 April 2025
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Effat Film Festival celebrates emerging Saudi filmmakers

  • More than 2,200 film submissions from 90 countries
  • Dr. Mohamed Ghazala: It’s not about the money; it’s about uplifting filmmakers and nurturing a vibrant community

JEDDAH: The 12th edition of a student film festival celebrating the creativity of up-and-coming Saudi filmmakers is taking place at Effat University in Jeddah.

The Effat International Student Film Festival, which ends on April 15, has attracted more than 2,200 film submissions from 90 countries, as well as entries from 10 Saudi universities.

The competition shortlisted a total of 89 films from 28 countries, with cash prizes totaling more than SR50,000 ($13,333) available to the winners.

This year’s festival, held under the theme “From Dream to Film,” recognizes notable figures in the film industry, including Saudi director Abdullah Al-Muheisen, Saudi actor Hassan Assiri, Saudi director Khalid Al-Harbi, British director Joanna Quinn, and Prof. Ghada Gabara, president of the Egyptian Academy of Arts.

Other honorees hail from Japan, the US, and China.

Dr. Mohamed Ghazala, head of the School of Cinematic Arts and festival director, told of his passion for the event by emphasizing the importance of community and creative storytelling.

He said: “Running a film festival is just like making a film. We’re fueled by passion and the incredible support of our volunteers, contributors, and arts funding.

“It’s not about the money; it’s about uplifting filmmakers and nurturing a vibrant community. While organizing a festival can be challenging, it’s an exciting journey filled with hard work and joy.

“You don’t need a massive budget, endless time, or extensive business expertise to start a small film festival, the audience will find you. What matters most is a genuine love for film, the courage to take risks, and the drive to share meaningful stories.”

Jala Jalal, the leader of the student club at the School of Cinematic Arts, reflected on the significance of the festival for students.

Jalal said: “The showreel is more than just a collection of films, it’s a celebration of our creativity and growth as filmmakers. It’s a reflection of our voices and visions.

“What I love most about this festival is the opportunity it gives us to connect with the film industry, both locally and internationally. Working on the showreel and seeing the final outcome fills us with pride, not just in ourselves, but also in being part of a university that provides us the platform to bring our visions to life.”

The festival’s jury members come from a diverse international background. Friedrich Kluetsch, president of the documentary film jury, told Arab News: “The Saudi submissions were marked by a palpable joy in discovering the filmmakers’ surroundings and their close connection to the protagonists.

“It was evident in the films’ self-reflection, with three of them exploring filmmaking itself, portraying established filmmakers and an abandoned cinema.

“We noticed slight differences between the Saudi and international entries, particularly in the use of commentary or a narrator’s voice, which was more common in the international films and helped express the filmmakers' perspectives.”

Dr. Haifa Jamal Al-Lail, president of Effat University, highlighted the festival’s broader mission to provide a unique platform for Saudi and international film students to showcase their work.

She said: “This festival plays a pivotal role in creating connections between young filmmakers worldwide. It aligns with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, fostering the country’s cultural movement and global presence in the arts.”

Dr. Asmaa Ibrahim, dean of the College of Architecture and Design at Effat University, underscored the growing international recognition of the festival, saying: “The increasing number of applications each year is testament to the festival’s growing status.

“It’s now the largest festival of its kind in the Arab world in terms of both the quality of films and the specialized focus on student filmmakers.”

Alongside film screenings, the festival features a range of seminars and workshops conducted by industry leaders, including representatives from Netflix, Sony, MBC Academy, and Toon Boom Animation.

Notable academic figures, such as professors from the University of Southern California, and the Communication University of China, were also scheduled to contribute lectures and workshops on topics like cinematography, directing, sound production, and film distribution.

An open discussion hosted by media personality Suha Al-Waal with actor and producer Hassan Assiri at Hayy Jameel also took place at the event.

Assiri, who was to be honored for his significant contributions to Saudi drama and production, shared insights into the evolving Saudi film industry, highlighting the growing opportunities for local talent and the increasing global recognition of Saudi productions.


Art Dubai to return for 18th edition with international lineup

Updated 14 April 2025
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Art Dubai to return for 18th edition with international lineup

DUBAI: Art Dubai — which is marking its 18th edition this year — is returning and brings together 120 galleries from across the Middle East, Asia, Europe and the Americas in what is expected to be one of the event’s most multicultural programs yet. Taking place from April 18-20, the event will host a calendar of daily talks, book launches, tours and other attractions.

Its diverse program includes Art Dubai Modern, curated this year by Magali Arriola and Nada Shabout, and Art Dubai Digital by Gonzalo Herrero Delicado and Bawwaba — which means “Gateway” — presenting 10 solo presentations by artists from various countries curated by Mirjam Varadinis and focusing on themes of migration, identity and displacement.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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The event’s digital section, the first of its kind in an art fair, organized in partnership with Dubai Culture, highlights the rising influence of artificial intelligence and immersive technology in artistic creation. Installations by Hybrid Xperience, Breakfast, and Ouchhh Studio are featured, as well as 22 digital platforms from Dubai and internationally.

Entitled “After the Technological Sublime,” Delicado told Arab News that the theme aimed to provide “an opportunity to rethink what sublime is today: the concept that we have inherited since the 17th century when explorers were going out to explore the world. Now we can contrast that moment with what we are living today in the age of information and social media.”

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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In light of 30 new participating galleries from around the world, Pablo del Val, the event’s artistic director, said: “The really exciting aspect of this fair is the quality of the artworks.

“I think that this year you can see the maturity of the participants and really understand the vocabularies and the formats and the media that sell well in the city.

“There’s also a lot of color. The works we are showing this year show the state of the world we are living in, from technological change to a desire for escapism.”


Sir Brian Clarke’s artwork in Bahrain depicts vision of harmony

Updated 14 April 2025
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Sir Brian Clarke’s artwork in Bahrain depicts vision of harmony

MANAMA: Symbolizing hope and beauty, an impressive stained-glass artwork by veteran British artist Sir Brian Clarke has been unveiled at Bahrain International Airport. Brimming with vibrant hues, brought alive by natural light shining through the glass, it is a visual symphony of geometrical details and natural elements, such as jasmine flowers, birds, and dragonflies. The work is called "Concordia" – the notion of living together in peace and harmony.

The work references Islamic geometry, and also features elements of medieval European tapestries and illuminated Christian manuscripts. (Supplied)

"What art does best is it transcends borders, speaks to everyone, brings us all closer together," Sheikh Salman bin Khalifa Al-Khalifa, Bahrain's minister of finance, said in the opening remarks at the April 10 unveiling event, attended by dignitaries including Bahrain's prime minister, Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa. "This visionary masterpiece by Sir Brian Clarke shines a light on the Kingdom of Bahrain's longstanding commitment to integrating our culture and heritage into national projects. But 'Concordia' is more than just a work of art. It is a symbol of Bahrain's openness, hospitality and ambition."

The work references Islamic geometry, and also features elements of medieval European tapestries and illuminated Christian manuscripts from the Books of Hours, prayer books from the Middle Ages. The work itself, standing tall at 34 meters in width and 17 meters in height, was an intensive labor of love that took more than two years to design, produce and install. 

The colorful glass of “Concordia” was crafted by a team of artisans in Germany over a period of 40 days. It took 43 days to install the 127 individual panel work at the airport. For Clarke — whose stained-glass pieces can be found in the UK, Spain and Japan, among other places — “Concordia” has a special place in his practice. 

It took 43 days to install the 127 individual panel work at the airport. (Supplied)

“I have always had a dream of making a composition in a building on a great rectangular scale that is like a view through to another world,” he said in a written statement shared after Arab News attended the unveiling event. "It’s something that in some ways unites the two parts of the world, the one that I come from and this region. Everything I have ever learned about stained glass is in some ways expressed in this window. I am very grateful that I am able to share my enthusiasms about paradise with anyone who sees this window.”


Arab designers shine at Milan Design Week

Updated 14 April 2025
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Arab designers shine at Milan Design Week

  • Several designers and firms from the Middle East presented creations with features highlighting Arab culture and heritage

DUBAI: Arguably the largest annual global gathering for interior and furniture designers, Milan Design Week, staged this year from April 7-13, saw several designers and firms from the Arab world present at the prestigious event.

One exhibition there, Gucci’s “Bamboo Encounters,” curated and designed by 2050+ and its founder Ippolito Pestellini Laparelli, explores the role of bamboo in the brand’s history, featuring specially commissioned pieces by contemporary designers from around the world.

In post-World War II Italy, raw materials were difficult to source and so the fashion house’s founder Guccio Gucci opted for the lightweight and resilient bamboo as an alternative handle for bags. Florentine artisans creating Gucci bags supported a design that incorporated bamboo. The result was the iconic Gucci Bamboo 1947 bag.

Views of Dima Srouji's "Hybrid Exhalations" for Gucci's Bamboo Encounters presentation during Milan Design Week 2025. (Courtesy of Gucci)

Among the various commissioned designers in “Bamboo Encounters” is Dima Srouji, a Palestinian architect and artist. Her bamboo-style baskets, “Hybrid Exhalations,” showcase basketry traditions of the Levant, incorporating hand-foraged bamboo with delicate blown glass by the Twam family in Palestine. The pieces evoke a sense of fragile beauty and resilience.

During her three months of research, Srouji fell in love with the history of basket-making.

“I really like this idea of time passing and the amount of time that it requires to weave baskets really slowly by these anonymous artisans from all over the world,” she told Arab News.

Views of Dima Srouji's "Hybrid Exhalations" for Gucci's Bamboo Encounters presentation during Milan Design Week 2025. (Courtesy of Gucci)

“Some of these baskets were found online, like on eBay. Some of them were from different auctions, and each one is from a different country. Some are even flower baskets from Japan; fish baskets and egg baskets from Philippines, one is a World War II hat from the UK from an English gentleman that got it from Vietnam in the 1940s.”

Srouji transformed them into playful, organic forms by combining them with blown-glass pieces that she made with Palestinian glassblowers; the Twam family that she has been working with for the past 10 years. They are based in Jaba’, a historic village located northeast of Jerusalem between Ramallah and Jerusalem.

“The combination of the glass and the baskets happened in my studio where I started weaving the glass into the already woven baskets and they became their own living creatures,” Srouji said. “They’re airy, playful, and each (piece) has embedded memories in them. Each one tells a different story from a different part of the world, and it’s an important moment to think about joy and celebrate the history of Palestinian tradition, and especially during such a dark time.”

Views of Dima Srouji's "Hybrid Exhalations" for Gucci's Bamboo Encounters presentation during Milan Design Week 2025. (Courtesy of Gucci)

At Isola Design Festival by Isola Design Group, which has offices in Dubai Design District (d3), several emerging designers from the Arab world presented their work. One is Jordanian designer Victoria Dabdoub who presented her first collection, “Stone Objects: A Study of Core Solids,” made of several hand-shaped stone masses connected by a brass piece. The result is elegant and playful candle-holders that invite the user to make their own display using several pieces.

“My work looks at local practices in Jordan and Palestine and aims to work with local artisans to develop contemporary pieces,” Dabdoub said. “My first collection is a collection of stone candle-holders that I made during two workshops in Amman, one involving metalwork and the other stonework.”

Candleholders by Victoria Dabdoub presented at the Isola Design Festival in Milan. (Photography by Hussam Hasan)

She added: “I think it is important to produce high-quality products locally. The stone is limestone from the south of Jordan and the brass is sourced in the market, likely from Italy or elsewhere. Whether I am working from Jordan or Palestine, it is important to try and incorporate local practices, especially given the war taking place and the number of voices that are unheard. Trying to say something through design, crafts and material and heritage is crucial.”

Etereo, the creative studio based between Dubai and Milan, returns to Milan Design Week with an immersive exhibition at Nilufar Depot, featuring its popular “Faraglioni” and “Grottesche” collections. The alluring forms, materials and colors of these pieces celebrate the synergies between design and nature, especially those found in the Mediterranean.

The making of Victoria Dabdoub's candleholders presented at the Isola Design Festival in Milan. (Photography by Hussam Hasan)

The “Faraglioni” collection, produced exclusively for Nilufar in a limited edition, showcases the essence of the sea within interior spaces through sculptural designs — a centerpiece table, dining table, coffee table, and two consoles that pay homage to the famous Faraglioni rocks of Capri that represent timeless natural wonders and heritage.


Cristiano Ronaldo, Georgina Rodriguez star in Saudi cruise campaign

Updated 11 April 2025
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Cristiano Ronaldo, Georgina Rodriguez star in Saudi cruise campaign

DUBAI: Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo and Argentine model Georgina Rodriguez appeared together in a new campaign for Saudi Arabia’s luxury cruise line, Aroya Cruises. 

In the video, the pair exchange a lighthearted moment in Arabic, with Rodriguez saying “yalla” after selecting the cruise on her phone and Ronaldo replying with a cheerful “yalla,” meaning “let’s go.” 

The campaign then transitions into scenes of the couple exploring the cruise experience, showcasing panoramic sea views, luxurious interiors, and their private accommodation on board.

Both Ronaldo and Rodriguez shared the campaign on their social media profiles, captioning the post: “Home isn’t just a place—it’s a feeling.” 

The Aroya cruise ship features a range of amenities, including a spa, multiple restaurants, a theater, water park, retail area, kids’ zone and several swimming pools.

Currently operating primarily from Jeddah, Aroya Cruises offers voyages across the Red Sea, with stops at destinations such as Sharm El-Sheikh in Egypt, Aqaba in Jordan and Jabal Al-Sabaya Island.

Starting June 2025, the cruise line will expand its operations to the Eastern Mediterranean, with new itineraries departing from Istanbul and visiting ports in Greece and Turkiye, including Mykonos, Rhodes and Antalya.