Fragrant tradition: Taif rose oil production season begins
Local farmer gives insights on production involving up to 550m roses annually
Meticulous process yields fragrant rose oil and rose water, both of which are widely used for perfuming, culinary applications and other purposes
Updated 07 April 2025
Arab News
JEDDAH: The production season for Tola, the renowned Taif rose oil, has begun in Saudi Arabia.
Almost 70 factories and workshops are now operating across the high peaks of Taif’s mountains, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The traditional distillation process is followed to extract and produce more than 80 derivatives of the Taif rose, which enjoy widespread popularity in local and international markets.
The region’s farms produce more than 550 million roses annually, making Tola a distinctive cultural and economic symbol.
According to local farmer Khalaf Al-Tuwairqi, families in the past began rose picking at dawn.
He learned the art of distillation from his father, who had established a traditional workshop on their farm.
In an interview with the SPA, Al-Tuwairqi said that Tola is extracted immediately after harvesting, with 80,000 to 100,000 roses placed each day into special copper pots. The quantity depends on the pot’s capacity and is measured using a scale.
The process begins by lighting a fire beneath the pot to produce steam, which passes through a pipe in the pot’s lid and into a container of water.
This cools and condenses the vapor into droplets, which then flow into a narrow-necked bottle known as “talqiyah,” capable of holding 20 to 35 liters.
The pure rose oil floats at the top of this container.
Al-Tuwairqi added that his ancestors mastered the techniques of rose oil extraction, with one Tola requiring about 70,000 roses.
Traditionally, this was done using fire pits built inside mud-brick structures ranging from one to three meters in length and about one meter in height.
The vapor from rose petals was condensed into liquid form, which dripped into a glass container. The resulting oil was then bottled in small glass vials.
The meticulous process yields fragrant rose oil and rose water, both of which are widely used for perfuming, culinary applications and other purposes.
Kevin Hart brings laughs and life lessons to Abu Dhabi with ‘Acting My Age’
Updated 03 May 2025
Dalal Awienat
ABU DHABI: Kevin Hart returned to the stage at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Friday with his signature energy and a new show, following his successful performance there in 2023.
“It’s good to be back,” Hart said, kicking off a night of relentless humor and heartfelt honesty.
As part of the Abu Dhabi comedy festival, Hart performed a classic American standup show mixed with a lot of self-deprecating humor.
Titled “Acting my Age,” the show is themed around understanding old age and realizing that aging is about gaining experience and wisdom.
With jokes about his endless injuries and health problems, Hart’s signature facial expressions and animated vocals brought the show to life, and left members of the audience in tears of laughter.
The show was targeted at an older crowd, and Hart was able to capture their attention with his personal anecdotes.
Crowd work and audience interactions were missing from his performance and some people yelled out to grab his attention, but he mostly ignored these callouts.
As usual, his line delivery was on point and he was able to easily transition from one story to the next while maintaining running gags throughout the show, which lasted about an hour.
Opening for Hart were a group of comedians who go by the name of “Plastic Cup Boyz.” The trio, consisting of Joey Wells, Will “Spank” Horton and Na’im Lynn, delivered an entertaining and captivating opener for the show.
Hart ended his performance with heartfelt sentiment, saying: “The win in life is old age. Old age is not guaranteed.”
Maya Akra on the Oscars and making space for Arab voices in Hollywood
Updated 03 May 2025
Hams Saleh
DUBAI: Lebanese actress and comedian Maya Akra has spent years carving out her niche across Beirut and New York. This year, that journey reached a new milestone when “Anora,” a film she appears in, won five Oscars, including Best Picture.
But for Akra, the recognition is just one part of a much longer story.
“I was raised by ‘Comedy Central’ (and) … ‘The Nanny.’ Fran Drescher was my hero,” Akra told Arab News. Her early love of performance was sparked at home, where her father, a filmmaker, recorded endless hours of her childhood on VHS. “Being in front of the camera has been my reality since I was a baby. I have hours of footage from my childhood, sometimes just talking endlessly like I was the host of my own show. Somehow that early lens shaped me,” she said.
She began performing on stage at a young age, often drawing from real-life experiences marked by grief, resilience and reinvention. After building her career in Lebanon — working behind the scenes at MTV, acting in student films and her comedy sketches going viral — Akra moved to New York to pursue acting and stand-up full-time.
Now part of the city’s vibrant improv and comedy scene, she has performed at venues such as The Stand, Stand Up NY and Broadway Comedy Club.
Her acting work includes short films, commercials and theater, often centered around stories of identity and migration. “I’m drawn to stories that spotlight the emotional and cultural struggles of Arab immigrants,” she said.
Akra is passionate about breaking the mold for Arab characters onscreen. “Arab talent is slowly gaining more visibility in Western media… (but) the industry still has a long way to go. Too often, the roles offered to Arab actors are still limited to certain tropes, like the villain, the terrorist or the oppressed woman.
“We have so many untold stories that reflect the diversity and success of Arabs in America,” she added.
While “Anora” was not an Arab story, being part of an indie project that defied expectations — and that went on to sweep the Oscars — was a powerful moment for Akra. She had been invited to the ceremony but did not attend.
“I didn’t even watch the ceremony. I had just moved into my apartment. I was in a really emotional place. I had just lost my aunt,” she recalled. “Then suddenly, I got a message: ‘You’re featured in the Best Picture of 2024!’ I was stunned. It felt completely surreal. I was so happy, and I couldn’t stop smiling.”
Looking ahead, Akra is focused on continuing to tell real, layered stories through both comedy and drama. “I carry Lebanon with me into every room,” she said. “I’ll be at the Oscars when I win my own one day. I’m claiming that.”
Ramy Youssef’s ‘#1 Happy Family USA’ comedy hits close to home
Focus on challenges facing Muslim Americans post-9/11
Stark reminder that today’s dystopia is no laughing matter
Updated 03 May 2025
Shaistha Khan
TORONTO: American-Egyptian comedian and actor Ramy Youssef’s first animated venture “#1 Happy Family USA,” on Amazon Prime Video, is a satirical take on the challenges faced by Muslim-American families in a post-9/11 world.
Created with Pam Brady of “South Park” fame, the eight-episode series opens with a darkly comic twist of fate — the Egyptian-American Hussein family is at the airport when news breaks of the World Trade Center attacks.
And from that moment, everything changes. The patriarch and owner of Hussein’s Halal Cart is convinced that “we must work harder at being like them. So, we blend in.”
To fit in, Hussein shaves his beard and pushes the family to “look more American.” Meanwhile, mom Sharon (also known as Sharia) embraces her faith with renewed conviction by donning a hijab.
Twelve-year-old Rumi (voiced by Youssef) finds himself an outcast at school and is now forced to navigate not only the throes of middle school and adolescence, but also the harsh realities of a post-9/11 world.
Each character is so vividly portrayed that you can easily imagine your Arab teta or the local Pakistani imam in the mix. The well-timed vocal interjections and cultural (Arab and American pop-culture) references bring an extra layer of freshness and humor to the show.
Known for his Emmy-nominated “Ramy,” Youssef continues to shed light on the Muslim-American experience.
The show evokes the familiar sentiment of fear. It captures the lived reality of Islamophobia and surveillance in Muslim communities, and explores related themes of identity struggles, microaggressions, and code-switching.
We can laugh at the Hussein family’s antics, but the show serves as a stark reminder that in today’s dystopian and polarized political climate, there is little humor to be found.
Thai festival brings eruption of color and music to Riyadh
Event is a celebration of the strong and growing friendship between our countries and our people, says Thailand’s envoy
Updated 02 May 2025
Tamara Aboalsaud
RIYADH: The Thai Festival in the Cultural Palace in Riyadh’s Diplomatic Quarter celebrates both Thailand’s rich culture and its blossoming friendship with Saudi Arabia.
Riyadh was chosen as one of six flagship cities around the world to hold the festival, alongside Washington DC, Beijing, New Delhi, Hanoi, and Paris.
The cutting of the ribbon marks the inauguration of the Thai Festival in one of six flagship cities, Riyadh. (Photo by Huda Bashattah)
At a press conference prior to the festival, which is open to the public May 2 and 3, Thailand’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Darm Boontham said: “This is a proud moment for us and a great opportunity to share the rich tradition and modern creativity of Thailand with our Saudi friends.”
The festival comes at a significant time, three years since the normalization of diplomatic relations between Thailand and Saudi Arabia.
HIGHLIGHTS
• This year’s theme is ‘The Pulse of Tradition, The Pulse of Tomorrow,’ reflecting Thailand’s pride in its culture and its commitment to innovation and creativity.
• The ministers of culture for Thailand and Saudi Arabia — Sudawan Wangsuphakijkosol and Prince Badr bin Abdullah Al-Saud — attended the event.
“This event is a celebration of the strong and growing friendship between our countries and our people,” Boontham continued.
Booths showcasing Thai products and services at the Thai Festival at the Cultural Palace in Riyadh. (Photo by Huda Bashattah)
This year’s theme is “The Pulse of Tradition, The Pulse of Tomorrow,” reflecting Thailand’s pride in its culture and its commitment to innovation and creativity.
The festival features several exhibitions of Thai products and services, including handicrafts from local communities in Thailand, live demonstrations, health and wellness products, eco-tourism, and Thai cuisine.
Muythai demonstration at the Thai Festival in Riyadh. (Photo by Huda Bashattah)
It also includes a live cooking show by a celebrity Thai chef, screenings of several beloved Thai movies followed by Q&A sessions, a musical and cultural performance, a Muay Thai boxing demonstration, a fashion show by Thai designers, and a Khon performance.
Khon, a traditional masked dramatic art that features music and dance as well as ritual, literary, and handicraft components, is included on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list, Boontham said.
Booths showcasing Thai products and services at the Thai Festival at the Cultural Palace in Riyadh. (Photo by Huda Bashattah)
“We invite everyone, Saudi nationals, residents and all friends of Thailand to join us for this unique celebration, to enjoy the science of sound and taste of Thailand and to continue building a warm and lasting friendship between our two great nations.”
The festival was organized by the Royal Thai Embassy in Saudi Arabia in partnership with Thailand’s private and public sectors, including Thai supply chain company SGC International’s Riyadh division, with the support of Saudi and Thai private companies.
Fashion show by Thai Designers at the Thai Festival in Riyadh. (Photo by Huda Bashattah)
The ministers of culture for Thailand and Saudi Arabia — Sudawan Wangsuphakijkosol and Prince Badr bin Abdullah Al-Saud — attended the event.
The objective of the festival goes beyond tourism, the ambassador said, it is intended to promote everything Thailand can offer in terms of creative economy, innovation, and how Thailand can tap into Saudi Vision 2030 and the Kingdom’s green initiative.
Thai minister of culture Sudawan Wangsuphakijkosol speaks at the Thai Festival in Riyadh. (Photo by Huda Bashattah)
Boontham also confirmed plans to create Thai AirAsia X, a new low-cost airline from Thailand that should operate flights from Riyadh to Bangkok “very soon,” he said.
According to Boontham, the largest developing areas of cooperation between the two nations are economy, trade, and investment.
Thai ambassador to Saudi Arabia Darm Boontham inaugurates the Thai Festival at the Cultural Palace. (Photo by Huda Bashattah)
Over the last three years, the volume of trade has increased by an average of 25 percent and the ambassador is confident that “all the necessary mechanisms” are in place to support further growth.
In 2024, trade reached a value of $8.8 billion and the hope is that in two years that number will reach $10 billion, he added.
Booths showcasing Thai products and services at the Thai Festival at the Cultural Palace in Riyadh. (Photo by Huda Bashattah)
Boontham cited SGC International, a Thai company known for construction materials that is now expanding into petrochemicals, food, and food processing as a sign of promising investment in Saudi Arabia.
Technology sharing, in areas including green consumption technology, is “quite prevalent” and shows promise, he added.
Interactive booths showing live demonstarions of handicraft at the Thai Festival in Riyadh. (Photo by Huda Bashattah)
Tourism is another large area of cooperation. Last year, around 230,000 Saudi tourists visited Thailand, and 13,000 Thai tourists visited Saudi Arabia; both numbers are expected to grow in coming years, the ambassador noted.
According to Boontham, “many Thai students” are coming to pursue their studies in Saudi as well, and Thailand is working hard to encourage more Saudis to study in Thailand.
In hospitality education, especially, “Thailand has a lot to offer Saudi students,” Boontham said. In 2024, 50 individuals from Saudi Arabia went to train in Thai hotels and institutions.
Saudi highlights from Christie’s Middle Eastern & Contemporary Art sale
Twelve artists from the Kingdom feature in the online auction, which closes May 8
Updated 02 May 2025
Arab News
Ahmed Mater
‘Illumination X-Ray’
The latest Middle Eastern & Contemporary Art sale from the storied auction house Christie’s features works by 12 Saudi artists — highlighted in a “Saudi Now” section on the auction site, which Christie’s describes as “a carefully selected group of works by Saudi artists that trace the unique history of the Kingdom’s artistic evolution; from the development of a modernist language deeply enmeshed in the country’s cultural heritage, to innovative contemporary works that challenge perceptions of what Saudi art is and can be.”
Mater, a qualified doctor, is perhaps the most famous of the artists contributing to the latter group. His work, Nour Kelani — Christie’s managing director, Saudi Arabia — wrote in an email to Arab News, “explores history and the narratives and aesthetics of Islamic culture, and continues to receive much-deserved growing regional and international acclaim.”
The ‘Illumination’ series to which this diptych belongs, she continues “brings together traditional Islamic art and modern medicine — two subjects that are often treated as essentially separate and full of tense contradictions.”
Abdulhalim Radwi
‘Peace’
Kelani says Radwi is “one of Saudi Arabia’s most respected Modernist artists.” Indeed, he is often considered the ‘father’ of modern Saudi art. He was one of the first Saudi artists to study overseas, earning his BA in Rome in the Sixties and living for a time in Madrid in the Seventies. His work, Kelani notes, “draws references to Saudi Arabia’s desert life, folklore and traditional architecture” and although Radwi was born in Makkah, he is most strongly associated with Jeddah, where he spent much of his adult life.
This piece is one of Radwi’s later works, created in 2002, just four years before he died. It is expected to fetch between $20-30,000 at auction.
Faisal Samra
‘Performance #13’
The Saudi-Bahraini artist is “considered a pioneer of conceptual art in the Middle East,” says Kelani. “He incorporates digital photography and performance into a creative repertoire of work.” This piece comes from his “Distorted Reality” series, which features covered individuals in blurred motion. “I don’t like still water; I like it to be moving,” Samra told Arab News last year. “I’m exploring to find something different. The core of my research is man’s existence in our world, and how we react to it, and how the world reacts to him.”
Jowhara AlSaud
‘He Said, She Said’
The Saudi-born artist “manipulates her photographs with drawing and etching in a process that explores both the impressionability of her medium and the cultural landscape around her, exploring … censorship,” Kelani explains. This work, created in 2009, is a prime example — the lack of facial features and the blurred lines are all conscious depictions of acts of self-censorship on the part of the artist.
Ayman Yossri Daydban
‘Kunna Jameean Ekhwa’
Daydban is a Saudi-Palestinian artist whose work, says Kelani, “is both biographical and a commentary on the environment he grew up in.” This piece, described by Kelani as “iconic,” is from “Subtitles,” a series in which he selects stills from subtitled movies so the text — now decontextualized — is open to our own interpretations. Here, the text reads “We were brothers once.”
Moath Alofi
‘The Last Tashahud’
This work is one of a series of images in Alofi’s series of photographs that, according to Alofi’s website, “captures desolated mosques scattered along the winding roads leading to the holy city of Madinah.” These mosques, the text continues, were “built by philanthropists hoping to offer a haven for travelers, both of whom seek to reap the sacramental rewards of these structures.”
Nasser Al-Salem
‘God is Alive, He Shall Not Die’
Al-Salem, Kelani says, “is a contemporary calligrapher whose work redefines Arabic calligraphy, challenging the boundaries of the traditional Islamic art by recontextualizing it in unconventional mixed-media forms.” Forms such as this one, for example, in which the word “Allah” is presented in neon above a mirror, thus repeating.
