Where We Are Going Today: Polaris North, an outdoor adventure in Riyadh

Where We Are Going Today: Polaris North, an outdoor adventure in Riyadh
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Polaris North takes hikers to the King Khalid Royal Reserve in Thumamah, to explore the region’s pristine natural beauty and diverse wildlife. (Supplied)
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Updated 29 January 2025
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Where We Are Going Today: Polaris North, an outdoor adventure in Riyadh

Where We Are Going Today: Polaris North, an outdoor adventure in Riyadh

Polaris North in Riyadh offers an ideal way to connect with nature and experience some tranquility away from the hustle and bustle of the capital. This hiking group provides a tailored outdoor adventure, making it a perfect getaway.

Polaris North takes hikers to the King Khalid Royal Reserve in Thumamah, to explore the region’s pristine natural beauty and diverse wildlife.

The first adventure package, aptly named Polaris Hike, is an opportunity to experience the fertile landscapes of Najd along varied trails. Guided by experienced locals, the routes traverse mountains and valleys in an area that has remained protected for 50 years.

The experience includes walking along deep valleys and towering peaks, with knowledgeable guides sharing insights about the area’s natural history and wildlife.

To keep energy levels up, fresh fruit and water are provided. Additionally, there is access to Polaris North’s camp facilities, where games are played that create a festive atmosphere.

For a more relaxed experience, the Polaris North camp offers a serene environment to unwind amidst nature. Here, indoor sessions can be enjoyed with stunning views. There is also comfortable outdoor seating for basking in the winter sun.

The spacious Bayt Al-Sha’ar tent adds a touch of culture to the experience.

For a private and luxurious retreat, there is also a VIP package offered. The entertainment options include a large screen for movies and shows, a gaming console, and hot drinks around a cozy fire.

Prices range from SR150 ($40) to SR865, making the experience widely accessible.

Whether it is adventure, relaxation or luxury being sought, there is something for everyone at Polaris North.


Saudi artists ‘embrace the process’ at Tuwaiq sculpture exhibition

Saudi artists ‘embrace the process’ at Tuwaiq sculpture exhibition
Updated 20 February 2025
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Saudi artists ‘embrace the process’ at Tuwaiq sculpture exhibition

Saudi artists ‘embrace the process’ at Tuwaiq sculpture exhibition
  • Visitors flock to Roshn Front to check out latest creations by 30 international, local artists
  • Saudi artist Rawan Al-Shehri’s piece, titled Spontaneity, is composed of three large, curved pieces crafted with two different stones

RIYADH: At the sixth Tuwaiq International Sculpture Symposium — a Riyadh Art initiative to beautify the city with public artworks — visitors have flocked to Roshn Front to check out the latest creations by 30 international and local artists.

This year’s theme, “From Then to Now: Joy in the Struggle of Making,” has pushed artists to widen the idea of what a completed artwork really is, and encouraged them to consider ways in which the process of creation could be more engaging to a public audience.

During the opening of the symposium last month, at which 30 artists began their sculpting journey on raw stone, co-curator Sebastian Betancur-Montoya told Arab News: “Art tends to be this idea of the artist as a sort of genius and the ideas are kind of obscure. It’s not clear where things come from, or how things are made.

“I thought it was very interesting to create a space — this event — where the interest was not in the final product, but the whole creative, physical, and intellectual process behind those pieces.”

Saudi artist Rawan Al-Shehri’s piece, titled “Spontaneity,” is composed of three large, curved pieces crafted with two different stones. The piece is designed to promote playfulness and invite public interaction.

She told Arab News: “My work focuses on how artists can sometimes believe they must produce the perfect art piece, but I think the focus should be the process of building an art piece — the joy in it and being more natural, or in our element, during our work.

“We could be faced with challenges or hurdles that change or enhance, even, the work itself and make it unique.”

Rather than keeping the viewer at bay, she hopes that the work will pull them in, adding: “They can sit on parts of it, slide on a corner, or even climb on a piece.”

Saudi artist Ali Al-Tokhais’ sculpture “Care and Interest in the Content” draws inspiration from the positive and cohesive relationship between the leadership of the Kingdom and society.

The 3-meter sculpted piece of granite resembles a spiral, with 13 lines marking its center to symbolize the number of regions in the Kingdom — each rich in cultural, economic, and social diversity.

He told Arab News: “This sculpture embodies the spirit of Saudi Arabia in all its regions, with a forward-looking vision led by Vision 2030, which has focused on the development of both people and place, with the homeland becoming a safe haven for the diversity and multiplicity that distinguish the Kingdom’s regions within a unified national framework.”

Al-Tokhais’ art journey began with creating wood figures using carpentry and blacksmithing techniques. From there, the passion evolved, leading him into the world of stone sculpting in which he said he found “a means of expressing ideas and emotions” in the material.

He added: “I began to explore new dimensions of art that reflected both cultural and human identity.”

The exhibition is an invitation to explore the cultural and creative world embodied in each sculpture.

Al-Tokhais said: “It is a gathering where we share moments of beauty and deep reflection, further enhancing Riyadh’s position as a global destination for arts and creativity.”

He emphasized the importance of local and international art forums in enriching the art scene and enhancing the exchange of experiences among sculptors worldwide, adding: “Art forums have always provided exceptional opportunities for growth and development, as they allow artists to explore new methods and expand their creative horizons.

“Through my various contributions, both in Saudi Arabia and internationally, I have been able to develop my artistic vision and refine my techniques, which are reflected in my works and my unique style in sculpture.”

The exhibition mirrors the public engagement program of the live sculpting phase, which featured panel discussions, workshops, masterclasses, and guided tours — prompting visitors to further engage with the artists’ creative processes and the significance of contemporary sculpture until the event’s conclusion on Feb. 24.

Co-curator Dr. Manal Al-Harbi said at the opening: “The forum is not limited only to displaying sculptures, but rather provides a rich interactive experience through community activities that give the public the opportunity to learn about sculpting techniques, speak with artists, and participate in the creative process, which enhances interaction with the arts and makes them part of daily life.”


REVIEW: ‘The Gorge’ — Apple’s sci-fi horror is shallow, fluffy nonsense

REVIEW: ‘The Gorge’ — Apple’s sci-fi horror is shallow, fluffy nonsense
Updated 20 February 2025
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REVIEW: ‘The Gorge’ — Apple’s sci-fi horror is shallow, fluffy nonsense

REVIEW: ‘The Gorge’ — Apple’s sci-fi horror is shallow, fluffy nonsense

LONDON: There’s something reassuring about the fact that “The Gorge” exists. After all, it’s premise — that a pair of snipers are sequestered in remote observation towers and tasked with guarding a massive ravine that contains hordes of ghoulish monsters — is so schlocky and ridiculous that it sounds more like a Syfy movie-of-the-week than a glossy big-budget flick from Apple.

This B-movie idea has got A-list star power, too — “The Gorge” is directed by Scott Derrickson (“The Black Phone”, “Doctor Strange”) and stars Miles Teller, Anya Taylor-Joy and Sigourney Weaver. And with Apple money behind it, “The Gorge” boasts effects that elevate it above the usual streaming sci-fi fodder, as well as a strikingly luxurious soundtrack from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.

With so many heavy hitters willing to back this idea, it’s even more of a crying shame that the film isn’t a slam dunk. Because while the first hour of “The Gorge” is pretty entertaining, once the action descends into the titular ravine itself, the movie buckles under the weight of its own — let’s be honest, pretty dumb — idea.

Levi (Teller) and Drasa (Taylor-Joy) make for fun sparring partners. Both broody snipers are carrying a lot of psychological trauma, so an assignment that sees them spending a year alone – with only occasional CGI-heavy bouts of monster bashing to break the monotony – could have been mined for some interesting psychological drama. Instead they make eyes at each other across the yawning chasm, and after Levi falls into the gorge, Drasa unflinchingly hurls herself into the void to rescue a man she barely knows. At the bottom, the (annoyingly lame) secret behind the monsters is revealed, and the two must rely on each other to escape.

Teller and Taylor-Joy take it sort-of seriously, to their credit, and Derrickson puts together some decent set pieces, but the premise as a whole (just the two guards for such a monstrous secret?) feels like it was never developed past the “Wouldn’t it be cool if… ?” stage.

“The Gorge” looks great, and thanks to Reznor and Ross it sounds great, but there’s really no point to it. Good-looking people shooting nicely rendered beasties is fine, for a while, but “The Gorge” could have been more than just another monster movie.


Diriyah Islamic Arts Biennale: The making of ‘On Weaving’ — winner of the inaugural AlMusalla Prize 

Diriyah Islamic Arts Biennale: The making of  ‘On Weaving’ — winner of the inaugural AlMusalla Prize 
Updated 20 February 2025
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Diriyah Islamic Arts Biennale: The making of ‘On Weaving’ — winner of the inaugural AlMusalla Prize 

Diriyah Islamic Arts Biennale: The making of  ‘On Weaving’ — winner of the inaugural AlMusalla Prize 
  • The award — part of the Diriyah Islamic Arts Biennale — was given to a design inspired by regional weaving traditions

JEDDAH:  Currently situated under the expansive canopies outside Jeddah’s Western Hajj Terminal is “On Weaving,” the winning design of the inaugural AlMusalla Prize — an international award for the design of a musalla, a place for prayer and contemplation that is open to Muslims and non-Muslims alike.  

The winners of the inaugural edition of the award — which is part of the Diriyah Islamic Arts Biennale — are a collective including Dubai and Beirut-based EAST Architecture Studio, structural engineer Christopher Blust from AKT II, and Beirut- and San Francisco-based artist Rayyane Tabet. They designed a modular structure inspired by regional weaving traditions and constructed from sustainable local materials such as date palm waste and palm fronds and fibers. The space was immediately popular with visitors during the opening days of the biennale, with many heading inside to one of the smaller rooms to pray.  

The modular structure used engineered, glue-laminated palm-wood composite, which is the product of the waste of 150 palm trees — proof of the ability to use local, sustainable materials to create lasting architectural structures. 

A summary of “On Weaving” on the biennale website states: “The double-sided pedestal is staggering in its ascent and thinning out as it reaches towards the sky. Its form resembles a loom, paying homage to tangible and intangible cultural heritage of weaving traditions and craftsmanship. It is autonomous, but also modular to suggest multiple uses — acting as structure, function, and ornament. The earthy colors that make up the musalla’s exterior are energized with color within the structure’s interior, where natural dyes made from local and regional plants are used to create bright reds, blues, greens and yellows. The musalla’s open courtyard invites visitors to sit, gather or pray, individually or communally.”  

“The brief for the competition called for a collaborative team that brings together an architect, an artist, and a structural engineer and fabrication expert,” Nicolas Fayad, co-founder of EAST Architecture Studio, told Arab News. “From the very first moment, we worked together conceptually and philosophically on what it means to build a musalla today — knowing that musallas, unlike mosques, are largely nomadic in nature; they were built by Bedouins in the desert (and could be) moved from one place to another.” 

AlMusalla 2025, Drawing courtesy of EAST Architecture Studio. (Supplied)

So Fayad and his collaborators set out to create a structure that could easily be assembled, disassembled and rebuilt elsewhere (indeed, after the biennale ends on May 25, it will be moved to another location). It features an open central courtyard and prayer spaces and somewhat resembles a loom, addressing ideas of togetherness and proximity — core tenets of prayer in Islam. The façades were created by weaving together palm fronds and fibers, and the gaps let in natural light, as well as allowing the musalla to be incorporated into its surroundings. 

“Our musalla looks at the legacy of cultural typologies in spaces of worship, coupled with weaving as a craft,” Fayad explained. “(It also serves) as a structural performance that uses local material — most importantly, waste that comes from a natural material. We have identified throughout our research that there’s a lot of waste that comes from palm trees in Saudi Arabia.” 

The modular structure used engineered, glue-laminated palm-wood composite, which is the product of the waste of 150 palm trees — proof of the ability to use local, sustainable materials to create lasting architectural structures. 

What is so striking about the structure is not just the materials used to make it and the way in which it was created, but the literal and metaphorical tribute the structure pays to weaving.  

“On Weaving,” Fayad explained, is a metaphor for creativity and a reference to a material culture long dominant in the region,” adding that the design of the space readapts the narrative of woven textile as both an art and a functional design element. 

Weaving is itself a meditative ritual, of course, so here it serves as both an important part of the design process while also reflecting spirituality and the cultural heritage of the Kingdom and the wider Gulf region. 

“(We are presenting) the idea of weaving not only as a craft or as a way of making, but also as a way of holding art, architecture and engineering together as part of a continuous tradition,” said Fayad.  


‘The Tale of Daye’s Family,’ starring Saudi actress Aseel Omran, has European premiere

‘The Tale of Daye’s Family,’ starring Saudi actress Aseel Omran, has European premiere
Updated 20 February 2025
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‘The Tale of Daye’s Family,’ starring Saudi actress Aseel Omran, has European premiere

‘The Tale of Daye’s Family,’ starring Saudi actress Aseel Omran, has European premiere

DUBAI: Egyptian-Saudi co-production “The Tale of Daye’s Family,” by filmmaker Karim El-Shenawy and featuring Saudi actress Aseel Omran, made its European premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival.

The film marks Omran’s debut in Egyptian cinema and also stars Islam Mubarak, Badr Mohamed and Haneen Saeed, with guest appearances by Ahmed Helmy, Mohamed Shahin, Mohamed Mamdouh and Amina Khalil. 

Screening as part of the Generation 14 plus category, the film — which opened the fourth edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah last year — tells the story of Daye, a 14-year-old Nubian albino child blessed with a beautiful voice.

Daye’s family, recognizing his talent and his goal to become like his idol, Egyptian icon Mohamed Mounir, decide to travel to Cairo to audition for talent program “The Voice.”

The Berlin International Film Festival, also known as Berlinale, runs until Feb. 23.
 


‘Art of the Kingdom’ exhibition arrives in Riyadh after Brazil debut

‘Art of the Kingdom’ exhibition arrives in Riyadh after Brazil debut
Updated 20 February 2025
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‘Art of the Kingdom’ exhibition arrives in Riyadh after Brazil debut

‘Art of the Kingdom’ exhibition arrives in Riyadh after Brazil debut

RIYADH: The travelling exhibition of Saudi contemporary art, “Art of the Kingdom: Poetic Illuminations,” will open at the Saudi Arabia Museum of Contemporary Art on Feb. 24 following its successful debut in Rio de Janeiro, where it had more than 26,000 visitors. The show includes works by 17 prominent Saudi artists.  

Curator Diana Wechsler told Arab News: “Few people know what is happening in the artistic field in Saudi Arabia. Information circulates — everywhere and about any topic — in a very fragmented way and this affects the image that people have of a country or a society.”  

Detail from Sarah Abuabdallah's and Ghada Al Hassan's 'Horizontal Dimensions.' (Supplied)

The show’s Rio debut, she said, was a great success. “Why? Because it opened up views and perspectives, it surprised colleagues, specialists in art history and contemporary art, as well as surprising and greatly interesting the general public. It must also be said that the artists and works of art selected are very interesting and powerful and, at the same time, quite different from other contemporary proposals.”  

Wechsler carried out exhaustive research when selecting the featured artists. She visited workshops, conducted interviews, and explored the artists’ cultural references. 

 Works from 'The Art of the Kingdom - Poetic Illuminations' in Rio de Janeiro last year. (Supplied)

“From this research emerged the concept of ‘poetic illuminations,’ which shows how art is capable of participating in a cultural tradition and, at the same time, forms part of the present,” she said. “The exhibition — and, in particular, the selected artists — are part of the process and continuity of a dynamic construction of cultural identity, with a great commitment to their roots and, at the same time, with an interesting contemporary perspective.” 

There are certain elements of Saudi culture that run through the exhibition. Perhaps the most powerful, Wechsler suggested, is the image of the desert, which “appears in different ways in practically all the selected artists’ works.”  

Another theme is the tension between the past and the present. “The imagination of the future is found in these artists,” Wechsler said. “This is one of the most fascinating aspects offered to me by the exploration of the Saudi artistic and cultural (scene).”  

The Riyadh exhibition will feature newly created site-specific works as well as some pieces from the Ministry of Culture’s collection. Its main challenge is to adapt to the local public, who will have a better understanding of the culture explored by the artists.  

“In Rio the challenge was to show how Saudi Arabia manages its cultural processes and how artists work between different pasts and presents. In Riyadh, the situation is different,” said Wechsler. “The challenge is to capture the attention of the public and reflect on their cultural traditions from a current perspective. I think this is one of the objectives of contemporary art in general.”  

 Muhannad Shono's 'The Ground Day Breaks.' (Supplied)

As Saudi artists continue to face new frontiers, through this exhibition and their growing prominence in the global art sphere, it is necessary, Wechsler believes, “to be attentive to the experiences of contemporary life, to be able to contribute their perspective to point out invisible aspects, to highlight imaginary dimensions which, as we know, are often those that allow us to think about the present from a new perspective.” 

The Riyadh show will run until April 25 before the exhibition makes its way to the National Museum in China, marking the 25th anniversary of the establishment of Saudi-Chinese diplomatic relations.