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2025 Islamic Arts Biennale Opens in Jeddah

The Islamic Arts Biennale takes place in Jeddah, a city that has been a cultural crossroads for centuries. SPA
The Islamic Arts Biennale takes place in Jeddah, a city that has been a cultural crossroads for centuries. SPA
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2025 Islamic Arts Biennale Opens in Jeddah

The Islamic Arts Biennale takes place in Jeddah, a city that has been a cultural crossroads for centuries. SPA
The Islamic Arts Biennale takes place in Jeddah, a city that has been a cultural crossroads for centuries. SPA

The Diriyah Biennale Foundation inaugurated on Saturday the second edition of the Islamic Arts Biennale, titled And All That is in Between, which will run until May 25.
The Islamic Arts Biennale takes place in Jeddah, a city that has been a cultural crossroads for centuries. The venue, the Western Hajj Terminal of King Abdulaziz International Airport, holds deep emotional resonance for millions of Muslim pilgrims embarking on their sacred journeys for Hajj and Umrah. By juxtaposing historical objects from Islamic cultures with contemporary art, the Biennale explores how faith is experienced, expressed, and celebrated through feeling, thinking, and making.
The Biennale artistic team is led by prominent international experts, including Julian Raby, Amin Jaffer, and Abdul Rahman Azzam, alongside Saudi artist Muhannad Shono, who serves as Curator, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
The title, And All That is in Between, originates from a verse that appears several times in the Quran: “And God created the Heavens and the Earth and all that is in between.” It captures the majesty of God’s creation as perceived by humankind. Spanning five exhibition halls, outdoor spaces, and more than 500 objects and contemporary artworks, the 2025 Islamic Arts Biennale delves into how humanity endeavors to comprehend the divine.
In its second edition, the Biennale showcases significantly more works and welcomes a greater number of participating institutions, solidifying its position as the central global platform for Islamic arts. Loans from leading institutions across the world, including the Musée du Louvre (Paris), the Victoria and Albert Museum (London), the Ahmed Baba Institute of Higher Learning and Islamic Research (Timbuktu), the Museum of Islamic Art (Doha), and the Manuscripts Institute of Türkiye (Istanbul), enrich the exhibition. Saudi institutions contributing to the Biennale include the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) (Dhahran), the King Abdulaziz Waqf Libraries Assembly (Madinah), and the King Fahad National Library (Riyadh). Visitors can also view objects and works of art from the holy sites of Makkah and Madinah.
A key highlight is the first-ever display of the entire Kiswah—the cloth that covers the Holy Kaaba—outside of Makkah. This Kiswah, created annually, is the one that adorned the Holy Kaaba last year, SPA said.
The Biennale features contributions from over 30 artists from Saudi Arabia, the Gulf region, and beyond, including 29 new commissions. This reflects the Diriyah Biennale Foundation’s commitment to providing a global platform for Saudi artists and bringing international artists to Saudi Arabia, fostering engagement with diverse perspectives in contemporary art.
The Biennale comprises seven thematic sections: AlBidayah (The Beginning), AlMadar (The Orbit), AlMuqtani (Homage), AlMidhallah (The Canopy), AlMukarramah (The Honored), AlMunawwarah (The Illuminated), and AlMusalla. These components are housed in indoor galleries and outdoor spaces spanning 100,000 square meters of exhibition space.
Public programs accompanying the Biennale include talks, workshops, community initiatives, and symposia throughout the exhibition period. Notable inaugural programs include Biennale After School and Biennale After Work, which offer hands-on art workshops for children and adults, fostering creativity and reflection.

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Malaysian Rice Porridge a ‘Trademark’ Ramadan Tradition

This picture taken on March 5, 2025 shows an Indian Muslim mixing ingredients to prepare the popular dish "bubur lambuk" at Masjid India during the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan in Kuala Lumpur. (AFP)
This picture taken on March 5, 2025 shows an Indian Muslim mixing ingredients to prepare the popular dish "bubur lambuk" at Masjid India during the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan in Kuala Lumpur. (AFP)
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Malaysian Rice Porridge a ‘Trademark’ Ramadan Tradition

This picture taken on March 5, 2025 shows an Indian Muslim mixing ingredients to prepare the popular dish "bubur lambuk" at Masjid India during the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan in Kuala Lumpur. (AFP)
This picture taken on March 5, 2025 shows an Indian Muslim mixing ingredients to prepare the popular dish "bubur lambuk" at Masjid India during the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan in Kuala Lumpur. (AFP)

As dusk fell, hundreds of Muslims at a mosque in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur feast on bowls of fragrant rice porridge known locally as "bubur lambuk", part of a Ramadan tradition dating back decades.

Slow-cooked with various spices in giant pots and stirred with oversized ladles, bubur lambuk is traditionally prepared by volunteers in mosque courtyards before being distributed to the public for iftar, the fast-breaking meal in the largely Islamic nation.

But the broth, specially prepared at Masjid India, a well-known Kuala Lumpur mosque, serves a unique version of the porridge using a recipe originating from India.

"This tradition has been passed down from generation to generation, from the 60s to the 70," he told AFP.

"So it has become a trademark. If it (Nombu Kanji) wasn't there, it wouldn't be complete."

Mosque volunteers use 140 kilograms (308 pounds) of rice daily to cook the porridge, which is served in bowls to prayer attendees or packed into 1,000 large plastic packets to be distributed to the public.

Each packet is enough to feed a family of four.

"From the perspective of making things easier for the people in this area, sometimes the homeless who struggle to get food, low-income workers, and office workers who sometimes don't have time to go home and cook benefit from this," he said.

"So, the preparation of iftar meals by mosques helps make their daily lives more convenient (during Ramadan)."

Mohaiyadin Sahulhameed, a local resident originally from India, said the porridge served at the mosque reminded him of home.

"Back in our village, the way we cook is using large woks, with curry leaves, mustard seeds, cinnamon, and all sorts of ingredients mixed together. When combined with rice, it creates a rich aroma, quite similar to how it's done here," he said.

The mosque's cook, Sathakkathullah Hameed, said he saw preparing the large pots of porridge daily as a religious calling.

"During this fasting month, I want to help others. Allah grants rewards, mercy, and blessings, and, God willing, He will provide sustenance," he said.

"And when people eat the porridge I cook, they say 'Bismillah,' (in the name of God) and I respond with 'Alhamdulillah' (praise be to God)."