Intermix Residency artworks embrace multicultural identities within Saudi Arabia

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Interdisciplinary artist Tamara Kalo presents “Grounding Alysar,” a performative multimedia video deconstructing the idea of home, displacement, and home creation. The artist used found pieces of fabric to create a rope the length of her childhood compound’s parameters. (Supplied)
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Updated 03 March 2023
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Intermix Residency artworks embrace multicultural identities within Saudi Arabia

  • The two-day residency showcase, which concluded on February 28, aimed to encourage local and international artists to bridge gaps between various disciplines through innovation, transformation and sustainability

RIYADH: The second cycle of the Intermix Residency program challenged stereotypes related to multicultural identities within Saudi Arabia in its Open Studio event, creating a safe space for artists to discuss displacement, immigration and belonging in a showcase themed “Bodies as Landscapes.” 

The two-day residency showcase, which concluded on February 28, was a collaborative output of the Visual Arts and Fashion Commissions, both subsectors of the Ministry of Culture, aiming to encourage local and international artists to bridge gaps between various disciplines through innovation, transformation and sustainability.

The showcase invited public engagement with the works of the residents, including Omnia Abdelkader, Hatem Al-Ahmad, Safa Al-Belushi, Khadija Arif, Maria Florencia Carranza, Eduardo Cassina, Somaya Fallatah, Tamara Kalo, Sadaf Khan, Tra My Nguyen, Hayat Osama, Adrian Pepe and Angelo Plessas.




Resident artist Adrian Pepe displays a lifesize caste made of sheep's wool in his artwork "Sheddings," portraying funeral rituals as a form of rebirth. (Supplied)

Tara Al-Dughaither, the curator of the two cycles, told Arab News: “Saudi is a diverse place, and the diversity makes us special…I think any space that is thoughtful of the artists (and their) personal stories is a space where different conversations and dialogue can happen. Personal narratives, in general, are important themes in all of my work.”

Al-Dughaither is behind the platform Sawt Asura, a research project dedicated to archiving the history of Saudi women through vocal heritage. She said that much of the curation and ideation of the theme stems back to that. 

“Art is (curation),” she said. “I think that that’s a rare opportunity and a privilege to be able to bridge my own personal practice with my curatorial practice, which also comes from my personal narrative. And I think that’s why I can connect to artists.”

It is important for artists, especially those early on in their career, to embrace their identities before moving on to larger conceptual spaces, Al-Dughaither said. 

In “Looking Over,” visual artist and photographer Fallatah presents a series of self-portraits taken as part of an ongoing process to discover and understand her Nigerian heritage and culture, one that was shuttered from her growing up.

“I’m a third-generation Nigerian Saudi,” Fallatah told Arab News. “I became interested in understanding and learning more about the culture and heritage because it frustrated me how my family has distanced from the culture. I was always interested in colonialism, slavery, African art, and all of that, and I felt it was really important to understand that this is me. This makes me.”




In “Looking Over,” visual artist and photographer Somaya Fallatah presents a series of self portraits taken as an ongoing process of discovering her Nigerian heritage and culture, one that was shuttered from her growing up within Saudi. (Supplied)

Her studio is draped in a wall collage of fabrics printed with Nigerian designs and collected over the years, some of them passed down from family members.  

Al-Dughaither said of the curatorial process: “I told (Fallatah), ‘Don’t go too deep into your route — that’s a lifelong journey. Just express yourself where you are now so that you have a good start and express it through the medium that you want to perfect.’”

Using the fabrics as a means to further explore her heritage, Fallatah had some of the other residents drape them around her, as if she were seated within the cloth’s embrace, all documented in a series also displayed on the studio’s walls. 

Nearby was a display of images capturing her dancing to Hausa music, a genre native to Nigeria.

Interdisciplinary artist Kalo presented “Grounding Alysar,” a performative multimedia video deconstructing the idea of home and displacement. The artist used found pieces of fabric to create a rope the length of her childhood compound’s parameters.




Interdisciplinary artist Tamara Kalo presents “Grounding Alysar,” a performative multimedia video deconstructing the idea of home, displacement, and home creation. The artist used found pieces of fabric to create a rope the length of her childhood compound’s parameters. (Supplied)

“I think being in this residency has definitely helped me reflect a lot on my practice and the topics and ideas I’m interested in, but also it was a beautiful container for (the) cultural exchange of ideas and techniques,” Kalo told Arab News. 

The story is in conversation with Alysar, the Queen of Tyre, or modern-day Lebanon. She was exiled from her home after her brother murdered her husband, which led her to bring her people to a new land across the Mediterranean, landing in modern-day Tunisia and establishing Carthage. 

“This was a story that my grandmother told me and that got passed down from person to person, and somehow it’s something that I felt called to expand on and (relate) to my own experience...growing up in Riyadh in a compound called Cordoba, the compound where my parents (established) their own new community and recreated their own home,” she said. 

In the video, her mother wraps the rope, measured using the length of the artist’s arm, around her daughter. In comprehending her ownership of the space, Kalo uses the ritualistic act of movement and migration to gain agency over her own place in the world. 




In her video installation, artist Tamara Kalo uses the ritualistic act of movement and migration to gain agency over her own place in the world. (Supplied)

As a textile designer, Arif presents the hurdles of a new chapter in her life in the shape of a gown titled “Hool,” embellished with six types of flora found in the region: cactus, lily, jasmine, goldenrod, marigold, and baby’s-breath. 

In navigating motherhood, migration from Pakistan to Saudi, and the discovery of new land and culture, each flower is a qualitative piece within the mosaic of her journey: Cacti symbolize hardships, while marigolds stand for protection and support.

Arif told Arab News: “I’m a body here, and Saudi Arabia is the landscape…If we don’t go through the difficult parts, we can’t achieve happiness. Having a kid, being displaced and having the support of my husband is beautiful. 

“I’m extremely happy to see this conversion and transformation in Saudi Arabia. We’ve seen the negative depictions of Saudi…but one of the main reasons I’m showing flora is to show people it’s beautiful. I’m so grateful to be here and (grow).”


Early date harvest begins in Al-Ahsa

Updated 30 June 2025
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Early date harvest begins in Al-Ahsa

  • Harvest typically spans May 20 to July 20, marking an important period for both local agriculture and the national date market
  • Markets across Saudi Arabia are preparing to welcome over 20 varieties of premium dates cultivated in Al-Ahsa

JEDDAH: As temperatures rise, Al-Ahsa is witnessing the early signs of its annual date harvest, with farmers beginning to reap the season’s first rutab — dates in the soft, early-ripening stage of dates.

The harvest typically spans May 20 to July 20, marking an important period for both local agriculture and the national date market.

This year, markets across Saudi Arabia are preparing to welcome over 20 varieties of premium dates cultivated in Al-Ahsa, including the highly favored Khalas, Shishi, and Ghar varieties.

The Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture has confirmed the 2025 rutab season in Al-Ahsa signals a promising yield, with initial quantities already making their way across the Kingdom. 

Varieties such as Rutab Al-Tayyar, Majnaz, Ghar, Khneizi, Shishi and Khalas are expected to arrive at different stages throughout the harvest period, offering a steady flow of fresh produce. The harvest of the late-season rutab is set to begin in early July and will continue until mid-August, featuring prized varieties like Um Rahim, Zamli, Shahl, and Hilali.

Following the rutab season, Al-Ahsa will move into the full date (tamr) harvest from mid-August to early October, with popular varieties such as Shishi, Khalas and Raziz forming the core of this stage. 

In addition to fresh dates, Al-Ahsa is also known for producing some of the finest varieties for molasses (dibs), including varieties like Marzban, Hatemi and Shahl, highly valued for their rich flavor and syrupy texture.

Al-Ahsa, recognized as the largest palm oasis in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is home to more than 2 million palm trees. Each year, the region produces over 120,000 tons of dates, making it a cornerstone of Saudi Arabia’s agricultural landscape.

With its unique blend of fertile land, deep-rooted heritage, and diverse produce, it continues to be a global center for date cultivation and a vital contributor to the Kingdom’s cultural and economic identity.


Second round of GCC-Japan Free Trade Agreement negotiations to take place Monday

Updated 30 June 2025
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Second round of GCC-Japan Free Trade Agreement negotiations to take place Monday

  • Kingdom along with the GCC nations and Japan will address a wide range of topics
  • Negotiations were preceded by coordination meetings of the GCC technical negotiation teams on June 29

TOKYO: Saudi Arabia is set to participate in the second round of negotiations for the Free Trade Agreement between the Gulf Cooperation Council countries and Japan from June 30 to July 4.

Represented by the General Authority of Foreign Trade and led by Fareed Al-Asaly, the deputy governor for international organizations and agreements, the Kingdom along with the GCC nations and Japan will address a wide range of topics, including trade in goods and services, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, technical barriers to trade, financial services, telecommunications, the movement of natural persons, intellectual property, dispute settlement, general provisions of the agreement, rules of origin, and trade facilitation.

According to the Saudi Press Agency, the negotiations were preceded by coordination meetings of the GCC technical negotiation teams on June 29.

The first round of negotiations took place in Riyadh on Dec. 12 last year.


In Saudi Arabia’s ‘Year of Handicrafts,’ passion has no limits

Updated 30 June 2025
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In Saudi Arabia’s ‘Year of Handicrafts,’ passion has no limits

  • Local artisans receive government support as industry flourishes
  • Handicrafts association aims to bring pottery to a wider audience

RIYADH: Since Saudi Arabia announced 2025 as the “Year of Handicrafts,” the industry has seen a significant focus on artisans and artisanal crafts that showcase domestic and international ventures through festivals and programs, leading to a boost in confidence for aspiring craftspeople.

For artisan and entrepreneur Sheikha Al-Abdulkarim and her two sisters, their interest in pottery went from a weekend curiosity to a local cultural initiative — one of the many shaping the future of traditional crafts in Saudi Arabia.

The idea behind Herfah, which means craft in Arabic, was born out of a love for the ancient clay material as a form of creativity and connection to Saudi heritage.

Today, that passion has transformed into a fully fledged venture that trains aspiring artisans, sells handmade ceramic pieces, and helps preserve one of the Kingdom’s oldest traditions.

“We weren’t thinking about a business at first,” Al-Abdulkarim said. “It was just something we really wanted to learn. But once we started working with our hands, we realized this was more than a hobby.”

In late 2016, the sisters struggled to find pottery workshops in their area, so they contacted an American-Danish ceramic artist who they had discovered online.

That decision led to their first intensive training course and sparked a vision they had not imagined: Creating a space in Saudi Arabia where others could learn, experiment and reconnect with the art of pottery.

Raised in a home where heritage was part of daily life, Al-Abdulkarim credits her upbringing for planting the seed. She was surrounded by handmade textiles, traditional crafts and a family that valued artistry, but turning passion into something tangible was not easy.

“There weren’t many resources,” she said. “Finding materials, equipment, even knowledge — it was all a challenge. But honestly, that made us more determined.”

In 2021, their project Herfah took a turning point when it received backing from Saudi’s Cultural Development Fund, or CDF, a key initiative supporting creative projects across the Kingdom.

With that funding and guidance, the sisters were able to set up a dedicated workspace in the Eastern Province, invest in tools such as kilns and clay-shaping equipment, and offer structured training programs.

“Having that kind of support changed everything,” Al-Abdulkarim said. “It allowed us to dream bigger.”

She advises any aspiring artisan to take advantage of the resources and opportunities that are now abundant in Saudi.

Including CDF’s support programs, the Heritage Commission’s Artisan’s House program offers training courses that seeks to enhance the skills of Saudi artisans, promote innovative craft designs, and encourage participation in festivals and events that attract tourists and visitors from both within and outside the region.

One of the largest annual events in Riyadh is the Saudi International Handicrafts Week — known as Banan — which offers a wealth of live music, interactive experiences and artisanal works from around the world, in addition to Hail’s HARFA festival.

At Herfah, visitors can take part in workshops, experience hands-on pottery sessions, or simply browse handcrafted pieces that blend traditional design with modern aesthetics.

Inclusion is also a priority for the studio, making sure to host sessions for visually impaired participants and encouraging people of all ages and backgrounds to explore the craft of pottery.

Their journey reflects a broader movement burgeoning across the Kingdom that highlights the growing importance of cultural preservation, not only for its heritage value but for its economic potential.

The local traditional crafts sector and associated industries have reached an annual market value of SR1.5 billion, according to the Saudi Cultural Development Fund, with efforts to grow that figure through investment and training.

But for Al-Abdulkarim, what matters most is that more people are discovering the joy and meaning behind handmade work. What began as a search for a simple pottery class is now a mission to keep an ancient craft alive, one fired kiln at a time.

“Pottery has taught us patience, resilience and how to connect with our roots,” she said. “Our goal now is to take Herfah further to different cities, different communities, and to show the world what Saudi hands can create.”

As part of Vision 2030, the Saudi Cultural Development Fund continues to back creative businesses such as Herfah, helping to shape a sustainable ecosystem for artists, artisans and cultural entrepreneurs alike.


Saudi leadership extends condolences over death of Kuwait’s Sheikh Fahad Sabah Al-Nasser Al-Sabah

Saudi Arabia’s King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. (File/SPA)
Updated 30 June 2025
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Saudi leadership extends condolences over death of Kuwait’s Sheikh Fahad Sabah Al-Nasser Al-Sabah

  • Sheikh Fahad passed away at the age of 75 and his funeral took place on Monday morning, Kuwait News Agency reported

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman sent a cable of condolences to the Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah on the passing of Sheikh Fahad Sabah Al-Nasser Al-Sabah.

Sheikh Fahad passed away at the age of 75 and his funeral took place on Monday morning, Kuwait News Agency reported.

King Salman prayed for the deceased’s forgiveness and extended his condolences to Sheikh Fahad’s family, Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman sent similar cables of condolences to Sheikh Meshal and Kuwaiti Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Sabah.


Summer festivals in Baha, Najran offer wide array of cultural events

Updated 30 June 2025
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Summer festivals in Baha, Najran offer wide array of cultural events

  • Summer Festival 2025 inaugurated by Prince Hussam bin Saud
  • More than 500 events set to light up Baha festival

RIYADH: A vibrant summer of arts, music and cultural events has arrived in the Baha and Najran regions.

Prince Hussam bin Saud, the governor of Baha, has officially opened Baha Summer Festival, which features more than 500 events aimed at attracting some 2.5 million visitors.

He said everyone involved was working together to deliver an exceptional experience for both residents and those coming to the area.

The lineup for the Baha summer season, being held under the slogan “Color Your Summer,” includes artistic and musical performances, circus festivals, magic shows and a range of recreational and cultural activities.

Preparations for the festival included road maintenance, upgrades to parks and tourist sites, ample parking facilities, clear directional signage and the introduction of free Wi-Fi in public parks. Cleanliness, monitoring and safety measures have also been significantly enhanced across all venues.

Meanwhile, the Summer Festival organized by the Najran municipality begins on Tuesday under the banner “Our Summer is Great.”

Mayor Saleh Al-Ghamdi said preparations ahead of the season included equipping more than 160 parks, gardens, municipal squares and walkways to welcome those attending, carried out in coordination with various government and private entities.

He added the festival featured diverse events in several locations in Najran city and its governorates, which includes a shopping festival, horse shows, paragliding, classic car shows and family and children’s programs, as well as recreational and cultural activities, poetry evenings, sports competitions, handicrafts, plays, programs and training courses.

The activities will be held over 45 days and contribute toward the goals of Vision 2030, said Al-Ghamdi, highlighting that the Najran region’s unique nature and tourist sites made it a major attraction.