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AlUla Arts Festival Kicks Off With Participation of International Artists

The third annual AlUla Arts Festival will take place across 22 days in the stunning landscape of the ancient oasis of AlUla.
The third annual AlUla Arts Festival will take place across 22 days in the stunning landscape of the ancient oasis of AlUla.
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AlUla Arts Festival Kicks Off With Participation of International Artists

The third annual AlUla Arts Festival will take place across 22 days in the stunning landscape of the ancient oasis of AlUla.
The third annual AlUla Arts Festival will take place across 22 days in the stunning landscape of the ancient oasis of AlUla.

The third annual AlUla Arts Festival, under its new banner of Art Unframed, with an expansive program of events, exhibitions, and creative initiatives, will take place across 22 days in the stunning landscape of the ancient oasis of AlUla, SPA said on Saturday.
Inaugurated in 2022, and part of the annual AlUla Moments calendar of events, the AlUla Arts Festival features an exciting mix of creativity, including local, regional, and international artists, performers, curators, collectors, and more.
The winner of the largest art prize in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), Obaid Alsafi, unveils his winning artwork, Palms in Eternal Embrace. The sixth annual prize run by the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) is the first in collaboration with Arts AlUla, as part of a wider partnership between both organizations to combine their respective efforts to support creativity.
Wadi Al Fann presents Manal Al Dowayan, one of Saudi Arabia's most significant contemporary artists, in the lead-up to her new land-art commission, Oasis of Stories, a large-scale labyrinthine installation inspired by AlUla Old Town, which will be permanently placed in AlUla’s monumental desert landscape in 2026.
During the AlUla Arts Festival, two adjacent exhibitions -- featuring drawing, ceramic, soft sculpture, painting and weaving -- take place in AlJadidah Arts District, at the heart of AlUla’s community.
The first exhibition marks a milestone in the development of Oasis of Stories: on display are hundreds of drawings gathered from the artist’s participatory workshops with communities across AlUla. These drawings and stories will eventually be inscribed into the walls of Oasis of Stories, enabling AlUla’s residents to leave their permanent trace in Wadi Al Fann.
A parallel exhibition presented in collaboration with Sabrina Amrani Gallery, titled, “Their Love Is Like All Loves, Their Death Is Like All Deaths,” delves further into AlDowayan’s practice, with works including: soft sculptures made of tussar silk printed with images related to AlUla’s heritage; labyrinth-like drawings inspired by AlUla Old Town; engraved clay works made of mud gathered from across Saudi Arabia; and wall pieces featuring Sadu textile weaving, a technique traditionally used by Bedouin women.
AlUla presents two Artist Residency exhibitions, the Visual Art Residency exhibition “The Shadow Over Everything,” and the Design Residency exhibition “Unguessed Kinships,” which will run until April 30, emphasizing AlUla's emerging role as a focal point for cultural exchange and artistic innovation in the region.
Images by artist Hassan Hajja,j renowned for work that merges contemporary art, fashion and cultural identity, will be featured. He photographed local people and residents in February 2023 in an outdoor studio at Madrasat Addeera.
AlUla presents an exhibition of contemporary works by Saudi artists on loan from collectors in Saudi Arabia, hosted at Maraya. Curated by Dr. Effat Abdullah Fadag, the exhibition will re-canonize the history of the contemporary art movements in Saudi Arabia, documenting the story of artists and the role of collectors in the development of the art scene. The exhibition will run from February 9 to April 27 and is part of the pre-opening program for the future contemporary art museum in AlUla.
Following two exhibitions since 2020, the international open-air art exhibition Desert X AlUla returns for its third edition from 9 February 9 to March 23, placing visionary contemporary artworks by Saudi and international artists amidst the extraordinary desert landscape of AlUla.

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Culture

Jeddah's Red Sea Museum Announces Ramadan Program 

The Red Sea Museum. (Red Sea Museum)
The Red Sea Museum. (Red Sea Museum)
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Jeddah's Red Sea Museum Announces Ramadan Program 

The Red Sea Museum. (Red Sea Museum)
The Red Sea Museum. (Red Sea Museum)

Jeddah's Red Sea Museum announced on Thursday a curated program of creative and cultural activities for the holy month of Ramadan, running from February 22 to March 14.

Led by local artists, artisans, and cultural practitioners, the museum's Ramadan program includes contemplative workshops, storytelling sessions, outdoor community gatherings, and musical performances that honor the spirit of reflection, creativity, and connection.

The series of engaging sessions creates space for visitors to explore traditional crafts, contemporary storytelling, and cultural heritage through hands-on experiences blending creativity and reflection.

Curated for families, artists, and visitors of all backgrounds, the program runs alongside "Sunken Treasures: The Maritime Heritage of the Red Sea," the museum's major temporary exhibition opening on February 25, which explores how archaeological discoveries reveal centuries of trade, navigation, and human connection across the Red Sea.

In celebration of Founding Day on February 22, the "Inspirational Threads: Makkah & Madinah" contemplative embroidery workshop invites participants to engage with archival black-and-white photographs of the Red Sea, Makkah, and Madinah. Through basic embroidery techniques, participants can embellish these images with Islamic geometric and symbolic motifs, adding layers of color, texture, and meaning while reflecting on devotion, memory, and connection.

The "Radiance in Pieces: Mosaic Lantern" hands-on workshop on February 24 explores the tradition of Islamic mosaic art through the creation of illuminated lanterns inspired by Red Sea heritage. Children and families will learn how small, colorful pieces come together to form meaningful geometric designs, blending creativity, cultural heritage, and reflection.

The opening evening of "Sunken Treasures: The Maritime Heritage of the Red Sea" on February 25 features a panel discussion with archaeologists, scientists, and historians exploring the maritime heritage of the Red Sea.

The "One Big Table - Ramadan Gathering" on March 5 brings everyone together in a shared space where families, friends, and neighbors celebrate the spirit of Ramadan.

On March 7, the "From Sand to Porcelain" painting workshop invites participants to paint calligraphy on fine porcelain using natural sand collected from Jeddah to add subtle texture and depth. While learning basic porcelain painting techniques, participants will engage in a reflective, hands-on experience that encourages mindful creation, resulting in a personal keepsake that embodies devotion, place, and the spirit of Ramadan.

In the spirit of International Women's Day on March 8, the "Ramadan Spirit: Thread & Needle" hands-on punch needling workshop explores Ramadan iconography through traditional symbols, including the crescent, star, and lantern. Participants will create textured textile pieces while learning basic punch needle techniques, celebrating both the holy month and the creative contributions of women to traditional textile arts.

On March 14, the "Spirit of Ramadan and the Tale of Jabir Al-Khawatir" storytelling session for children and families explores Ramadan as a season of compassion and healing, reminding people that the spirit of the holy month lives in small acts of care and human connection.

Culture

Saudi Arabia: Ship of Tolerance Initiative Promotes Cultural Dialogue in Jeddah

The Royal Institute of Traditional Arts (Wrth) will offer traditional craft workshops throughout Ramadan. SPA
The Royal Institute of Traditional Arts (Wrth) will offer traditional craft workshops throughout Ramadan. SPA
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Saudi Arabia: Ship of Tolerance Initiative Promotes Cultural Dialogue in Jeddah

The Royal Institute of Traditional Arts (Wrth) will offer traditional craft workshops throughout Ramadan. SPA
The Royal Institute of Traditional Arts (Wrth) will offer traditional craft workshops throughout Ramadan. SPA

The Saudi Ministry of Culture, in collaboration with the "Lenobadir" volunteer and community partnership program and the Athr Foundation, has launched the Ship of Tolerance initiative in Historic Jeddah during Ramadan.

The initiative aims to enhance shared human values through arts, and promote tolerance and coexistence among children and families. It provides an educational and cultural experience aligned with the area’s unique character as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

As part of this global art project, children will create artworks that represent acceptance and dialogue.

The Royal Institute of Traditional Arts (Wrth) will offer traditional craft workshops throughout Ramadan, linking the initiative's values with local heritage and enriching visitors' connection to the region's identity.

This effort supports cultural programs with educational and social dimensions in Historic Jeddah, activating local sites for experiences that combine art, crafts, and community participation. It aligns with the National Strategy for Culture under Saudi Vision 2030, focusing on heritage preservation and expanding culture's impact on daily life.

Culture

Oscar Contender ‘Hamnet’ Boosts Tourism at Shakespeare Heritage Sites 

A view of Shakespeare’s Birthplace, William Shakespeare's childhood home, in Stratford-upon-Avon, Britain, February 9, 2026. (Reuters)
A view of Shakespeare’s Birthplace, William Shakespeare's childhood home, in Stratford-upon-Avon, Britain, February 9, 2026. (Reuters)
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Oscar Contender ‘Hamnet’ Boosts Tourism at Shakespeare Heritage Sites 

A view of Shakespeare’s Birthplace, William Shakespeare's childhood home, in Stratford-upon-Avon, Britain, February 9, 2026. (Reuters)
A view of Shakespeare’s Birthplace, William Shakespeare's childhood home, in Stratford-upon-Avon, Britain, February 9, 2026. (Reuters)

On a cloudy winter's day, visitors stream into what was once William Shakespeare's childhood home in Stratford-upon-Avon and the nearby Anne Hathaway's cottage, family residence of the bard's wife.

Hathaway's cottage is one of the settings for the BAFTA and Oscar best film contender "Hamnet", and the movie's success is drawing a new wave of tourists to Shakespeare sites in the town in central England.

Shakespeare's Birthplace is the house the young William once lived in and where his father worked as a glove maker, while Hathaway's cottage is where he would have visited his future wife early in their relationship.

Typically, around 250,000 visitors, from the UK, Europe, the United States, China and elsewhere, walk through the locations each year, according to the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. ‌The charity looks after ‌Shakespeare heritage sites, which also include Shakespeare's New Place, the site of ‌the ⁠Stratford home where the ⁠bard died in 1616.

Visitors are flocking in this year thanks to "Hamnet", the film based on Maggie O'Farrell's 2020 novel, which gives a fictional account of the relationship between Shakespeare and Hathaway, also known as Agnes, and the death of their 11-year-old son Hamnet in 1596.

"Visitor numbers have increased by about 15 to 20% across all sites since the film was released back in January. I think that will only continue as we go throughout the year," Richard Patterson, chief operating officer for the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, said.

"They particularly want ⁠to look (at) Anne Hathaway's cottage and the specifics around how the family ‌engaged in the spaces and the landscape in and around ‌the cottage... you can see why he would have been inspired."

NEW ACCESS TO SHAKESPEARE

"Hamnet" has 11 nominations at ‌Sunday's British BAFTA awards, including best film and leading actress for Jessie Buckley, who plays Agnes. It ‌also has eight Oscar nominations, with Buckley seen as the frontrunner to win best actress.

"Hamnet" is set in Stratford-upon-Avon and London although it was not filmed in Stratford.

It sees Paul Mescal's young Shakespeare fall for Agnes while teaching Latin to pay off his father's debts. The drama, seen mainly through Agnes' eyes, focuses on their ‌life together and grief over Hamnet's death, leading Shakespeare to write "Hamlet".

"Shakespeare... is notoriously enigmatic. He writes about humanity, about feeling, about emotion, about conflict, ⁠but where do we understand ⁠who he is in that story?" said Charlotte Scott, a professor of Shakespeare studies and interim director of collections, learning and research at the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.

"And that's driven people creative and otherwise for hundreds and hundreds of years. Where is Shakespeare's heart? And this is what the film I think has so beautifully opened up."

Little is known about how the couple met. Shakespeare was 18 and Hathaway 26 when they married in 1582. Daughter Susanna arrived in 1583 and twins Judith and Hamnet in 1585.

The film acknowledges the names Hamnet and Hamlet were interchangeable back then. While grief is a dominant theme, audiences also see Shakespeare in love and as a father.

"A lot of people will see this film not necessarily having... had any kind of relationship with Shakespeare," Scott said.

"So people will come to this film, I hope, and find a new way of accessing Shakespeare that is about creativity, that is about understanding storytelling as a constant process of regeneration, but also crucially, looking at it from that kind of emotive angle."