‘Warm and welcoming’: Global celebrities rave about Saudi Arabia’s food, culture

Sofia Vergara, DJ Khaled and Jackie Chan have all visited Saudi Arabia in recent years. (Instagram/AFP)
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Updated 27 September 2023
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‘Warm and welcoming’: Global celebrities rave about Saudi Arabia’s food, culture

  • Superstars from film, fashion, music, sports been part of influx into Kingdom
  • Saudi Arabia’s burgeoning cultural initiatives are attracting worldwide interest

DUBAI: Over the years, Saudi Arabia has opened its doors to celebrities and stars from across the world as the Kingdom made its presence known in the global entertainment space. Here are 10 superstars who have visited Riyadh and were left in awe of the Saudi capital.

Sofia Vergara

The US-Colombian actress, most famous for her role in “Modern Family,” is no stranger to Saudi Arabia and also brought her trademark glamor to a promotional video for the VIA Riyadh luxury destination in the Saudi capital earlier this year.

She also dazzled on the red carpet of the 2023 Joy Awards in Riyadh in January. “I would like to dedicate the award to all the amazing women in the Kingdom and to all the women in the Middle East who are building a better future for all the women. Your dreams can come true, and they will if you use the two most important things: your mind and your culture,” Vergara said after accepting the Personality of the Year Award.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by VIA Riyadh | (@viariyadh)

Lionel Messi

While there has been an influx of international football stars joining the Saudi Pro League this year, the Argentine sensation — who plays for Inter Miami — visited Riyadh this summer, along with his wife and kids, for a sightseeing trip.

“The best thing about holidays is spending quality time with our loved ones,” he wrote to his 480 million followers on Instagram. “Flashback to my visit to Riyadh, playing local games and making crafts with the warmest Saudi people.”

“If you are still planning your holidays, head to the cool mountains of (Asir) and chill at 17°C degrees,” he advised his fans.

The pictures feature the footballer playing with his sons and wife Antonella Roccuzzo.

He also shared an image of the picturesque mountains of Asir.

Messi visited the Kingdom in May and went to At-Turaif, the 300-year-old UNESCO World Heritage Site in Diriyah, and also explored some of Riyadh’s more contemporary attractions.

He also went on a guided tour in Diriyah and dined out at Al-Bujairi Terrace.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Leo Messi (@leomessi)

Jason Momoa

Back in 2017, “Game of Thrones” and “Aquaman” star Jason Momoa visited Saudi Arabia as part of the pop-culture convention Comic Con Arabia.

“The food in Saudi Arabia is good. I missed Thanksgiving at home, so this was a true substitute,” he told Arab News.

Mada Abdelhamid, WWE star and Momoa’s trainer, posted a photo of himself and Momoa on Instagram, posing in front of a huge plate of traditional Saudi delicacies kabsa and mansaf.

“The before and after. Now this is what I call a FEAST!!!!! Eating like kings over here in Saudi Arabia. We literally couldn’t move afterwards ... but we couldn’t stop eating either. Very fitting that we were over here during Thanksgiving. Our stomachs felt right at home #FeastForABeast,” Abdelhamid wrote.

Momoa also took to social media to write about his experience visiting Riyadh’s iconic Najd Village: “Mahalo Saudi Arabia you treated me like royalty. Aloha to the fans and new friends. I had so many amazing experiences. I’ll be back very soon. Mahalo omar for fattening me up, the food here is amazing @najdvillagesa aloha j,” he wrote, using the Hawaiian words for thanks (mahalo) and love (aloha).

The actor also visited Al-Thumamah National Park during the same visit.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by (@realdealmada)

Steve Aoki

US-Japanese DJ Steven Hiroyuki Aoki surprised fans at the MDLBEAST music festival in Riyadh in 2019 with a special remix of tunes by Saudi singer Mohammed Abdu.

“I love collaborating across cultures, it’s my favorite thing in the world,” Aoki told Arab News at the time.

Aoki, who also performed earlier that year at Jeddah World Fest, said he “loves” the people of Saudi Arabia and that he did not realize he had a huge fan base in the Kingdom.

“It is surprising and incredible … to see so many fans in Saudi Arabia … everyone is so loving and so kind. They are just beautiful people,” he said, adding that he was keen to return to the country for future performances.

“The people want it. You feel the energy in the crowd, they want this kind of music here,” he said.

Aoki also recently performed in Riyadh for a Gamers8 concert and gushed about his experience afterwards. “I love the Saudi crowd. I’ve been playing here since 2019… I did Jeddah, I did MDLBEAST three times. And the Saudi crowd, they’re full of life. They’re an explosion of energy and passion and excitement. And this is what an artist dreams to have... For fans to really express themselves,” he said.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Steve Aoki (@steveaoki)

DJ Khaled

Renowned artist and producer DJ Khaled made a surprise appearance at XP Music Futures in Riyadh in December 2022, ahead of his headlining performance at the region’s largest music festival, MDLBEAST SOUNDSTORM.

Coming to the region for the first time, his experience of the culture and people was unlike any other, he said. The quality of life and overarching excitement appealed to the artist. “When we were driving over here and I was looking around, I put my head out the window and somebody screamed ‘Khaled!’ and I appreciate the love, and I said ‘Joe, man, people here are just happy,’” he told Arab News.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by DJ KHALED (@djkhaled)

Katie Holmes

The popular US actress visited the Kingdom on a trip with British actor Idris Elba and retired French footballer Thierry Henry in 2018.

Holmes took to social media to share several snaps from her trip to Riyadh, waxing lyrical about the architecture in a caption for one photograph, and revealing, for another image, that she was “so grateful for this amazing and inspiring time.” During her visit, Holmes also had lunch with Princess Reema bint Bandar Al-Saud, along with Elba and Henry.

She also opened up about her trip, saying the country was “so beautiful.” “It was a long trip, but I really enjoyed it. I love the women that I met.” 

“It was really inspiring to see these women enjoying the new freedoms they now have and there is a sense of creativity that is happening,” she added.

John Travolta

US actor John Travolta, best known for his starring roles in “Saturday Night Fever” and “Grease,” made his first-ever appearance in Saudi Arabia in 2017 to discuss his career, during a two-day gala event.

Travolta answered questions from fans in the Saudi capital. “I have been completely touched by the warmth and embracing nature of everyone since I’ve arrived,” said the actor at the event titled, “A Night with Travolta,” organized by the Saudi Entertainment Authority.

Jackie Chan

The celebrated actor and martial artist Jackie Chan was in Riyadh in 2019 to accept a Joy Excellence award, and said that he was looking forward to filming movies in Saudi Arabia.

“It’s my first time in Saudi, and I know it’s a big country. After only a few hours (travelling) here and looking at locations I know there’s a good place for car chasing, explosions, action; so, next time, I hope to come back with my crew,” Chan said.

The movie legend — who also visited Jeddah for the Red Sea International Film Festival in 2022 — thanked Saudi Arabia for inviting him to the country, and expressed hopes the Kingdom would become a leading center of regional film and television production.

 

Shah Rukh Khan

The Bollywood superstar — who most recently shot his upcoming film “Dunki” in Saudi Arabia — visited the Kingdom for the first time in 2019 to accept a Joy Excellence award.

“We have been talking about the hospitality, the warmth, the goodness and the love that has been showered upon us … and for most of us, it’s our first trip to the Kingdom of Saudi,” Khan said at the event.

“Inshallah, we all wait with bated breath because cinema has opened up here in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. You have so many new stories to tell, and we as the world look forward to being of help in any which way we can be of help.”

Idris Elba

The British actor — known for his roles in “Luther” and “The Wire” — first visited Saudi Arabia in 2018 to speak at the launch of the $35 billion “Quality of Life” program of cultural, sports and entertainment initiatives.

“Saudi Arabia gave me an opportunity to make my film here. It made sense on an economical model,” Elba said at the event. “I would definitely be here — why not?”

“Saudi Arabia has an awesome opportunity to spread its culture through filmmaking,” he added.

The actor also reflected on his time in Saudi Arabia later in a podcast.

“I found Saudi was warm and welcoming to me, in a surprising way, if I’m honest,” the actor said during the inaugural episode of a talk show produced by the King Abdul Aziz Center for World Culture, or Ithra.

He went on to explain that it was, “surprising because I wasn’t sure if my work had ever resonated in Saudi.”

Naomi Campbell

British supermodel Naomi Campbell visited Saudi Arabia in 2019, appearing at several events including the Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah and a panel discussion titled “Diversity and Inclusion in the Fashion Industry” in Riyadh. 

“I had to actually pinch myself and say I am in Saudi Arabia at the Red Sea Film Festival, the first one ever, this historical event,” said Campbell at the time.

“It’s really about the change that’s happening around the world. I have been doing this for 35 years and I am really honored and happy to be here, still, in the business … and to see the change.”

During the fashion panel in Riyadh, the model discussed her love of humanitarian work, which began in 1993 in Africa with Nelson Mandela, and the resulting cultural influences she has experienced.

“There is a bridge between Saudi Arabia and Africa,” she said. “There are so many similarities and I really believe that Africa can teach the Middle East (about) textile and the Middle East can teach artisan work to Africa.”


Playwright Caryl Churchill pulls out of theater project over Barclays’ ties to Israel

Updated 05 June 2025
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Playwright Caryl Churchill pulls out of theater project over Barclays’ ties to Israel

  • Churchill, who is a long-time advocate for Palestinian rights, called on the Donmar Warehouse to cut ties with Barclays

LONDON: Acclaimed playwright Caryl Churchill has withdrawn from a project with a London theater over its sponsorship by Barclays and the bank’s links to companies supplying arms to Israel.

In a statement, Churchill, who is a long-time advocate for Palestinian rights, called on the Donmar Warehouse to cut ties with Barclays, The Guardian reported.

“Theaters used to say they couldn’t manage without tobacco sponsorship, but they do. Now it’s time they stopped helping advertise banks that support what Israel is doing to Palestinians,” she said.

The project had not yet been publicly announced but would have marked Churchill’s return to the Donmar for the first time since “Far Away” in 2020.

Her move has been backed by more than 300 artists and arts workers, including actors Harriet Walter, Juliet Stevenson, Alfred Enoch, Samuel West and Tim Crouch, who signed an open letter in support.

Barclays has faced increasing pressure from arts and activist groups over its provision of financial services to defense companies operating in Israel.

In 2023, the group Culture Workers Against Genocide published a letter condemning Barclays’ sponsorship of Sadler’s Wells, with signatories including Maxine Peake, an actress.

Last year, the Bands Boycott Barclays campaign led to the bank being dropped as a sponsor by several UK music festivals, including Latitude and The Great Escape.

Barclays declined to comment on Churchill’s withdrawal but said on its website: “While we provide financial services to these companies, we are not making investments for Barclays and Barclays is not a ‘shareholder’ or ‘investor’ in that sense in relation to these companies.”

Barclays CEO C.S. Venkatakrishnan defended the bank’s position in a 2023 Guardian article, writing: “These companies are supported by our democratically elected governments for their role in protecting the UK and allies in Europe. We will not undermine our own national security by de-banking them.”

Responding to Churchill’s decision, Culture Workers Against Genocide said: “Arts institutions have an ethical duty not to contribute to oppression and injustice. By continuing to accept sponsorship from Barclays, Donmar Warehouse is helping to launder the bank’s reputation as it profits from Israel’s genocide in Palestine.”

The Donmar, which lost its £500,000 ($679,355) annual government grant in 2022, has increasingly relied on private support, including corporate sponsorships. It has been approached for comment.

Churchill was previously stripped of a European lifetime achievement award in 2022 following criticism of her play “Seven Jewish Children” and her public pro-Palestinian stance.


Saudi pavilion makes a splash at London Design Biennale 

Updated 05 June 2025
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Saudi pavilion makes a splash at London Design Biennale 

DHAHRAN: “Good Water,” the Saudi National Pavilion that reimagines our relationship with water, is sure to be popular with visitors at the London Design Biennale, which opens today.

Examining water systems, accessibility, equity and scarcity, the pavilion was commissioned by the Architecture and Design Commission and supported by the Ministry of Culture. Presented under the leadership of commission CEO Sumayah Al-Solaiman, it marks the fourth time the Kingdom has taken part in the event.

“In a Biennale that explores the intersection of inner experiences and external influences, ‘Good Water’ reflects the spirit of inquiry we hope to share with the world,” said Al-Solaiman.

“With this pavilion, we are proud to support the next generation of Saudi practitioners and provide platforms that amplify their voices on the international stage.”

Saudi artists Alaa Tarabzouni, Dur Kattan, Fahad bin Naif and Aziz Jamal worked as co-curators, collaborating across various disciplines.

“In the team, we don’t have specific roles,” Jamal told Arab News. “We all collaborated on everything. So the video, we all shot together — we all wrote together. We all have different backgrounds in the arts sector but we’ve worked together (in the Saudi art scene) for the past five years and that’s actually how we came together; it’s more of a democratic process and there’s no kind of strict guidelines.”

Saudi artist Aziz Jamal worked as one of the co-curators. (Supplied)

At the heart of the Saudi contribution in London is the sabeel, a traditional water fountain usually placed and funded privately in a shaded outdoor communal space. It is meant for use by anyone in the community, free of charge. 

The sabeel is an enduring symbol of hospitality and generosity, deeply rooted in the Arabian Peninsula and found in many spots throughout the Middle East.

“Growing up in Dhahran, you would see sabeels everywhere. Our house didn’t have one, but there was a mosque in front of our house that had one,” Jamal said.

The London installation strips the sabeel of nostalgia and re-centers it as a contemporary, working object. Visitors are invited to fill their cups — literally and figuratively, as they pause to reflect on the often unseen systems, labor and energy that make the flowing “free” water possible.

Stacks of paper cups will be provided, bearing the message “Good Water: 500 ml = one AI prompt” in vibrant color. There will also be refillable water bottles so spectators can have a “water-cooler moment” to chat, sip and ponder. 

The pavilion also features four videos, filmed at an old water factory in Riyadh, showing the painstaking journey of water from droplet to distribution. The screens trace the production process across different sizes of bottles, with each film lasting under 10 minutes.

Jamal’s relationship with water shifted since he started working on this project. 

“I have to say, watching and going to visit the water factory (in Riyadh) and seeing the enormous effort that it takes to fill up one tiny water bottle — you don’t take that effort for granted anymore,” he said. 

“Before, if there was a little bit of water in my water bottle, I would just leave it, but now it’s like, I make it a point to drink (it) all … to finish my water bottle, because it’s not just a matter of just getting the water filled up, it’s testing it, going through inspection, doing all the mineral checks. It has made me more conscious of every drop.”

Jamal’s aim is for visitors to the pavilion to quench their thirst with that same realization.

“What I really hope for is for people to interact with the piece,” he said. “We want that act of generosity to come through and we want people to drink the water.”

The eco-conscious will be glad to know the sabeel will dispense locally sourced water — not any transported from Riyadh. It will also be indoors. 

A printed catalogue written by the curators will also be available, offering further context in the form of essays, research material and images of water infrastructure and sabeels from across the Middle East and North Africa region. 

Saudi Arabia is one of the most water-scarce countries in the world. Only 2.5 percent of the world’s water is freshwater, and even less is accessible for drinking. The Kingdom is the largest producer of desalinated water globally, supplying over 60 percent of its potable water, according to the Saudi Pavilion team’s research.

“We thought (the sabeel) was a perfect anecdote to describe the attitude and the general principle behind this concept of water as a human right and not as a luxury,” Jamal said. “It’s free drinking water, but it’s from a private source. So we felt it really encompassed this specific phenomenon in Saudi, of paying it forward and offering water to people who don’t have access to it.”

With “Good Water,” the Saudi National Pavilion puts this scarcity — and the labor behind everyday hydration — center stage.

“Our research was about water and access to water,” Jamal added. “When we were first conceptualizing the piece for the London Biennale, we were looking at the infrastructure and water and access and what’s the hidden cost of free water in Saudi — and specifically looking at the object(ive) of a sabeel: What does this act of generosity and act of making water into a human right mean, and what is the hidden cost of that?”

Though the widespread distribution of plastic bottles has displaced the sabeel to some extent, Jamal emphasized its enduring relevance, especially in a country with scorching summers and large outdoor workforces.

“I think people are on the go, so they need something convenient, but I think water bottles haven’t killed off sabeels completely,” he said. “A lot of the workforce in Saudi, who have more direct contact under the sun and the streets — they still use it all the time. It’s not just drinking water — it’s cold drinking water, and in Saudi that’s very important.”

Jamal joked that after nearly a year of working on this project, the team would raise a glass of water in celebration.

The pavilion will be open until June 29 at Somerset House.


REVIEW: ‘Dept. Q’ — Netflix’s cold-case thriller is fun but flawed

Updated 05 June 2025
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REVIEW: ‘Dept. Q’ — Netflix’s cold-case thriller is fun but flawed

DUBAI: Netflix’s latest police-procedural is set in Scotland, but based on the novels of Danish writer Jussi Adler-Olsen.

At its heart is detective Carl Morck (Matthew Goode). Morck is one of those cops; you know, great at his job but terrible with people, emotionally stunted, arrogant, divorced, et cetera. Morck and his partner — and best (only?) friend — James Hardy (Jamie Sives) are shot and wounded in a seemingly routine visit to a crime scene, leaving Hardy paralyzed and the junior officer who arrived first at the scene dead. Morck returns to work to discover that his boss has assigned him to head up a new department (established at the behest of her superiors) looking into cold cases — a good excuse to get the troublesome Morck out of the main office and into a dingy basement room where he can’t easily bother anyone.

He’s assigned some assistance: Akram (Alexej Manvelov) — a Syrian refugee who’s ostensibly an IT boffin, but, it quickly becomes clear, is also a very handy detective with some serious combat skills; Rose (Leah Byrne), an eager and capable cadet struggling with her mental health after a fatal accident at work; and, eventually, Hardy.

Their first case is the disappearance and presumed death of prosecutor Merritt Lingard four years previously. The last person to see her alive was her brother William, but he’s unable to communicate having suffered brain damage as a teen. The case’s many tangents lead off into conspiracies, organized crime and more. The truth of it, though, is considerably more prosaic.

The good news: “Dept. Q” — as you’d expect with Netflix money behind it — looks great, with a gritty, noir-ish feel. There’s a genuine chemistry between the members of the titular department, and it has an absorbing mix of dark humor and sometimes-horrifying violence. Sives, Manvelov, and Byrne, in particular, are compelling draws. Goode offers a largely convincing portrayal of a not-very-nice man attempting to become slightly nicer. It’s enjoyable and easy to binge.

But one suspects that “enjoyable and easy to binge” wasn’t the limit of the showrunners’ ambitions, and “Dept. Q” certainly shows the potential to be more than that. It’s let down, however, by some horribly clunky storylines, not least the relationship between Morck and his assigned therapist Rachel (a wasted Kelly Macdonald), which appears to have been lifted from a discarded rom-com pitch. And many will likely find that the ultimate solution to the case stretches credulity well beyond their limits.

Still, it’s clearly set up for a second season (and possibly many more), and there’s enough promise here to believe that “Dept. Q” will find its feet and become a must-see — rather than a maybe-see — show.


Highlights from the Venice Biennale of Architecture 

Updated 05 June 2025
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Highlights from the Venice Biennale of Architecture 

  • Following our in-depth coverage of this year’s Saudi and Qatar entries, here are three more must-see pavilions at this year’s biennale

Following our in-depth coverage of this year’s Saudi and Qatar entries, here are three more must-see pavilions at this year’s biennale.

Bahrain

“Heatwave” presents a meaningful and practical response to the climate crisis.

At first glance, Bahrain’s pavilion isn’t much to look at. A modest modular structure consisting of a raised platform, a suspended ceiling, and a central column, it lacks the artistic clout of other pavilions. And yet, this passive cooling installation designed for public spaces was awarded the Golden Lion for best national participation. 

“Heatwave” presents a meaningful and practical response to the climate crisis. By reimagining traditional Bahraini cooling systems, such as wind towers and shaded courtyards, it provides an innovative response to rising temperatures. The pavilion’s design integrates a geothermal well that draws in cool air from below the surface, paired with a solar chimney that releases warm air upwards. Together, these elements form what the designers describe as a “thermo-hygrometric axis,” a system that maintains a mild, regulated indoor climate.  

In the exhibition space, where excavation for a geothermal well was not feasible, the system relies on mechanical ventilation, drawing air through a canal-facing window and guiding it through a network of ducts and nozzles to create a controlled microclimate. Importantly, it is designed to be scalable and adaptable to a wide range of environments. 

Commissioned by Shaikh Khalifa bin Ahmed Al-Khalifa, president of the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities, and curated by architect Andrea Faraguna, the pavilion functions as a full-scale, inhabitable prototype. Aimed primarily at meeting the challenges faced by construction workers in the Gulf, the pavilion’s design was developed in collaboration with structural engineer Mario Monotti and thermomechanical expert Alexander Puzrin. 

Britain 

British Pavilion - Detail from PART's 'Objects of Repair.' (Courtesy of the British Council)

“I call this pavilion a reverse case because it also makes a statement against British colonial rule,” says Yara Sharif, one of the co-founders of the Palestine Regeneration Team (PART). “After all, they were the ones who initiated the exploitation of Palestinian resources. So having a platform within the British Pavilion is, in itself, a statement — a reverse case that says, ‘We are also here to occupy you.’ It’s also a way to challenge the mental occupation; the idea of portraying Palestinians as passive subjects.” 

PART’s “Objects of Repair” is a small but vitally important component within the British pavilion’s “Geology of Britannic Repair,” a UK-Kenya collaboration that seeks to expose and rework the entangled legacies of architecture and colonization. In a series of installations, the exhibition proposes earth-bound solutions that resist extractive practices and respond to climate, social, and political upheaval. The British Pavilion received a special mention for national participation. 

At the core of PART’s installation, created by Sharif, Nasser Golzari, and Murray Fraser, lies the Travelling Lab, a project inspired by Gazans’ reappropriation of rubble to create new architectural ‘skins.’ 

“The whole idea behind the Travelling Lab is that it continues to develop and evolve as it moves,” explains Sharif, who is also a co-founder of Architects for Gaza. “We call it a way to cultivate hope, but also to create a matrix of possibilities that may suggest new scenarios and aesthetics to challenge the ones we’re familiar with. The aim of the pavilion is not to create a beautiful object; it’s to provoke a collision, spark discussion, and to draw attention to a context that is continually being rendered invisible.” 

Uzbekistan  

“A Matter of Radiance,” the Uzbekistan pavilion’s exhibition. (Supplied)

One of the first things you see when entering the Uzbekistan National Pavilion is a heliostat – a mirror system designed to track the sun and reflect its light onto a fixed point. Beyond it lie a control room table, a monumental glass chandelier created by Irena Lipene, and a giant solar screen. All belong to — or are reconstructions of those found at — the Sun Institute of Material Science in Tashkent, one of the city’s Soviet-era modernist structures.    

The landmark building, originally known as the Sun Heliocomplex, is the inspiration behind “A Matter of Radiance,” the pavilion’s exhibition. Curated by GRACE studio’s Ekaterina Golovatyuk and Giacomo Cantoni, the exhibition explores the scientific and cultural relevance of the Heliocomplex. In particular, its potential as an international scientific hub. 

“This was a catalyst building for its time,” says Gayane Umerova, chairperson of the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation, who commissioned the exhibition. “The architecture was profound. The designers were given remarkable freedom, and I think it’s important for us to not only celebrate it, but also preserve it.” 

Opened near Tashkent in 1987, the Heliocomplex is one of only two major solar furnaces in the world designed to study how materials behave under extreme temperatures. It is also one of 24 key modernist sites spread across the capital, 21 of which have been granted national heritage status.  

“It’s important for us to show that this is not just a monolith,” says Umerova of the Heliocomplex, which is currently being used for civilian scientific research. “It’s an art object, in a way, but it’s a living structure.”  


Najran: A city of living memories 

Updated 05 June 2025
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Najran: A city of living memories 

  • The southwestern city may be one of the Kingdom’s fastest-growing, but its appeal is timeless 

JEDDAH: A dry wind carries the first sign: a curl of frankincense smoke, sharp and sweet, drifting over the desert flats. It seeps through windows, clings to clothes, lingers on skin. Najran once sat at the center of the incense trade, and the scent still clings to its streets like a memory too deep to wash away. 

In Najran’s Old City, sun-drenched alleys wind between mud-brick towers etched with delicate patterns. The buildings lean into one another like elders sharing secrets, their thick walls cool to the touch, smelling faintly of clay and ash.  

At the edge of town lies Al-Ukhdood — ancient ruins unfolding in silence, trenches cut through centuries, and soot-darkened stones bearing the scars of fire. There’s no ticket booth, no crowd, just wind brushing across fractured stone. This is where an infamous massacre once unfolded, a horror alluded to in the Qur’an. Now, goats graze nearby, and a boy scrolls through his phone against a wall that has seen empires rise and fall. Here, history doesn’t sleep, it hums softly beneath your feet. 

Further into town, the Thursday Market erupts like a drumbeat. The solemnity of the past gives way to present-day vibrance. Silver jambiya daggers flash from stalls, sticky dates glisten under the sun, and fabric bolts in electric blues and deep saffron flutter in the breeze. A vendor hands you a tiny ceramic cup filled with qishr (ginger coffee), fiery and fragrant. Its scent coils in your nose, the first sip stings your tongue, and a strange warmth begins to gather in your chest — a jolt from another time. 

Al-Aan Palace in Najran. (Getty Images)

Past the market, Al-Aan Palace rises above the palm groves. Its mud towers glow gold in the late light like a dream from another age. Climbing its narrow staircase, your breath shortens. At the rooftop, it stops altogether. Below, date farms stretch like green lace. Beyond, the Tuwaiq Escarpment flames red in the sinking sun. There is awe, and there is quiet.  

The road south of Najran curves, shimmering, into the desert. Follow it to Bir Hima, and you’ll find 7,000-year-old carvings on basalt boulders — hunters, animals, stories too old for language — and drink thick tea under the sun, sweet and dense as syrup, and imagine those long-ago artists tracing their lives into stone.  

To explore Wadi Najran, you can rent a bicycle. At first it rolls smoothly through scrub and stone, but then the asphalt ends and sand takes over. The wadi unfolds — vast, veined cliffs shimmer in the light. A shepherd leads his goats past, his voice rising briefly on the wind. The heat is heavy, the bike grows cumbersome, but the land invites you not to conquer it, only to notice. 

Prehistoric petroglyphs and inscriptions of Bir Hima. (Getty Images)

Evening comes with a slow hush. The air smells of dust and dry leaves. In the distance, the sky purples, gold slips behind the horizon. Najran lingers not just in your memory, but in your senses. The sting of ginger, the hush of carved stone, the smoke of incense soaked into your shirt. This is not a city you visit. It’s one you carry. 

And as night folds in, Najran reveals another layer. The souk’s date stalls, clay homes, and impromptu chai shops reveal not just trade but trust. You’re offered water without price, tea without expectation. A stranger gestures toward his car and home — unstaged, authentic hospitality. In one such home, beneath a full moon and garden perfumed by local incense, a conversation turns to life’s simplicity, peace, and the lies we often believe until we travel. There are no tours or tickets for this part of Najran. 

Spend a few days. Let the place press gently into you. Wander the alleys, share the tea, smell the smoke, and listen. You’ll understand why Najran is not simply visited — it’s remembered.