Saudi Arabia’s ‘Maghras’ Pavilion Showcases Agricultural Heritage at Milan Triennale

The Kingdom’s pavilion, titled “Maghras: a Farm for Experimentation,” focuses on the Al-Ahsa Oasis. SPA
The Kingdom’s pavilion, titled “Maghras: a Farm for Experimentation,” focuses on the Al-Ahsa Oasis. SPA
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Saudi Arabia’s ‘Maghras’ Pavilion Showcases Agricultural Heritage at Milan Triennale

The Kingdom’s pavilion, titled “Maghras: a Farm for Experimentation,” focuses on the Al-Ahsa Oasis. SPA
The Kingdom’s pavilion, titled “Maghras: a Farm for Experimentation,” focuses on the Al-Ahsa Oasis. SPA

Saudi Arabia will participate for the first time in the 24th edition of the Milan Triennale, running from May 13 to November 9 in Italy.

The Kingdom’s pavilion, titled “Maghras: a Farm for Experimentation,” focuses on the Al-Ahsa Oasis and highlights the significant transformations occurring in its rural agricultural landscape.

Al-Ahsa, with its rich history, is undergoing rapid changes amid global urban and environmental challenges. The pavilion explores the intersection of agricultural cultural heritage, traditional practices, and community narratives against the backdrop of these evolving transformations.
Led by the Ministry of Culture, the Maghras pavilion features a farm and community space where activities and dialogues converge. The project draws on extensive research and offers diverse programs, initiatives, and artistic experiences to engage various societal segments. Local artists, architects, researchers, and residents—along with the farming and artisan communities—contributed to the project, which includes artistic performances, field discussions, and workshops.
The research explores the deep connections between culture and agriculture, symbolized by the concept of Maghras—a traditional unit of measurement for land surrounded by four palm trees.



Egypt Says Retrieves 25 Smuggled Artifacts From US

A handout picture released by the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs shows Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty looking at a collection of artifacts, illegally smuggled out of Egypt, after they were returned at the ministry headquarters in Cairo on May 12, 2025. (Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs / AFP / Handout)
A handout picture released by the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs shows Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty looking at a collection of artifacts, illegally smuggled out of Egypt, after they were returned at the ministry headquarters in Cairo on May 12, 2025. (Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs / AFP / Handout)
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Egypt Says Retrieves 25 Smuggled Artifacts From US

A handout picture released by the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs shows Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty looking at a collection of artifacts, illegally smuggled out of Egypt, after they were returned at the ministry headquarters in Cairo on May 12, 2025. (Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs / AFP / Handout)
A handout picture released by the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs shows Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty looking at a collection of artifacts, illegally smuggled out of Egypt, after they were returned at the ministry headquarters in Cairo on May 12, 2025. (Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs / AFP / Handout)

Sarcophagus lids, a Greco-Roman portrait and fragments of what is believed to be a temple of Queen Hatshepsut were among 25 rare artifacts returned to Egypt from the United States, the Egyptian antiquities ministry said Monday.

The pieces -- spanning centuries of Egyptian civilization -- were handed over following a three-year recovery effort by Egypt's consulate in New York, the New York District Attorney's Office and US security agencies, the ministry said in a statement.

The collection includes wooden and gilded sarcophagus lids dating back more than 5,500 years, parts of a temple believed to belong to Queen Hatshepsut and a Greco-Roman mummy portrait from Fayyoum -- a southern city renowned for its distinctive Greco-Roman art.

The trove also features intricately crafted jewellery from around 2,400 years ago, a granite foot fragment dating back to the Ramessid dynasty, during the peak of Egypt's power, as well as small ivory and stone figurines.

A rare gold coin dating back over two millennia to the reign of Ptolemy I -- one of Alexander the Great's generals and founder of ancient Egypt's last royal dynasty -- is also part of the collection.

The antiquities were seized in separate investigations beginning in 2022 and were held at Egypt's consulate in New York until their return to Cairo on Sunday, according to the ministry's statement.

Officials did not reveal exactly how the artifacts left Egypt or how they surfaced in the US.

Egyptian authorities say they have succeeded in bringing home nearly 30,000 artifacts over the past decade.