DHAHRAN: Saudi Arabia is presenting “Good Water” at the London Design Biennale, which runs until June 29 at the UK capital’s Somerset House. 

The Saudi National Pavilion — commissioned by the Architecture and Design Commission supported by the Ministry of Culture, and presented under the leadership of commission CEO Sumayah Al-Solaiman — examines water systems, accessibility, equity and scarcity. 

“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,” Al-Solaiman said in a statement. “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 this team, we don’t have specific roles,” Jamal told Arab News. “We all collaborated on everything. For example, 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; it’s more of a democratic process and there’s no strict guidelines.” 

At the heart of “Good Water” 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 recenters it as a contemporary, working object. Visitors are invited to fill their cups 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 short 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. 

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

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

Jamal’s aim is for visitors to the pavilion to reach 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.” He noted that the sabeel in London will dispense locally sourced water, not imported.  

A 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 and 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 symbol of 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 phenomenon 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 explained. “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 objective 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 sizeable outdoor workforces. 

“People are on the go, so they need something convenient,” he said. “I don’t think water bottles have killed off sabeels completely. A lot of the workforce in Saudi still use it all the time. It’s not just drinking water, it’s cold drinking water, and in Saudi that’s very important.” 

DUBAI: The 10th edition of the SAFAR Film Festival launches on Wednesday with a newly restored screening of the 1972 Egyptian classic “Watch Out for Zouzou” by Hassan Al-Imam at Ciné Lumière in London. 

The festival will run until June 28, concluding with the UK premiere of “Sudan, Remember Us” (2024) by Hind Meddeb. 

This edition of SAFAR will take place across cinemas in London and nine other UK cities, showcasing a broad range of feature films, documentaries and shorts from the South West Asia and North Africa region. 

A complementary online programme, curated by the Lebanese nonprofit cultural organization AFLAMUNA, will run throughout the month, exploring works that respond to the Lebanese civil war — 50 years after it began.

Audiences can expect films that explore themes of migration, political empowerment, conflict, creativity and joy. 

Among this year’s highlights is “A State of Passion,” documenting the work of British Palestinian reconstructive surgeon Dr. Ghassan Abu Sittah in Gaza. Directed by Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi, the film delves into the emotional toll of his work. 

Veteran Palestinian actor, director and documentarian Mohammad Bakri will be a special guest, delivering a masterclass and appearing for screenings of “Upshot” (2024) by Maha Haj and his landmark 2002 documentary “Jenin, Jenin,” which was banned by the Israeli Film Board. The film features testimonies from survivors of the 2002 Israeli military assault on the Jenin refugee camp.

Among other notable titles is “Seeking Haven for Mr Rambo” (2024) by Khaled Mansour, an emotive thriller that follows Hassan on a mission to protect his best friend and dog. The film previously won the Grand Prize at the Red Sea International Film Festival. 

“Red Path” (2024) by Lotfi Achour, based on a true story, recounts the harrowing experience of 13-year-old Achraf, who is forced to carry the severed head of his cousin back to their village after a terrorist attack. 

In “Saify” (2024) by Wael Abu Mansour, a middle-aged trickster sells tapes of banned Islamic sermons in hopes of quick profit, offering a sharp social commentary on the pursuit of wealth. 

Directors of all three films will be present at SAFAR for post-screening discussions.

Also part of this year’s programme is Laila Abbas’s dark comedy “Thank You for Banking With Us!” (2024), where two estranged sisters reunite to claim their inheritance before the authorities discover their father’s death and transfer it to their brother.

SAFAR will also present “Palestine – A Revised Narrative,” a 30-minute silent film compiled from 35mm archival footage shot by British forces in Palestine between 1914 and 1918. Commissioned by ALFILM, this screening will feature a live score by composer Cynthia Zaven and sound design by Rana Eid, re-examining the British imperial narrative at a pivotal moment in Middle Eastern history.

The festival includes environmental programming through “Biodiversity and Cinema,” an initiative launched in 2023 that brings together Lebanese filmmakers and ecologists to create short documentaries on ecosystems and microorganisms. A selection of these films will screen under the title “Rooted Resistance,” with filmmakers in attendance.

“The Brink of Dreams” (2024) by Nada Riyadh and Ayman El-Amir also features in this year’s line-up. Shot over four years in southern Egypt, the film follows a group of girls who form a street theatre troupe to challenge the expectations of their conservative village.