‘Between Two Cultures’: Contemporary Art Context for Historical Diversity between Saudi Arabia, Yemen

The exhibition highlights the similarities and differences between Saudi culture and other cultures (Saudi Culture Ministry)
The exhibition highlights the similarities and differences between Saudi culture and other cultures (Saudi Culture Ministry)
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‘Between Two Cultures’: Contemporary Art Context for Historical Diversity between Saudi Arabia, Yemen

The exhibition highlights the similarities and differences between Saudi culture and other cultures (Saudi Culture Ministry)
The exhibition highlights the similarities and differences between Saudi culture and other cultures (Saudi Culture Ministry)

Riyadh is hosting a unique art exhibition that sheds light on both the similarities and differences between Saudi Arabian culture and other cultures.

In its first round, the exhibition will place special emphasis on Yemen and its close ties to Saudi culture, showcasing areas such as fashion, visual arts, architecture, design, and culinary arts.

Organized by the Saudi Ministry of Culture, the “Between Two Cultures” display will delve into the exploration and presentation of diverse cultures.

The concept of intersectionality is manifested in the intricacies of the exhibition, where human experiences converge in shared fields that reflect human awareness of oneself and one’s surroundings amid responses to challenges.

This perspective extends to life, encompassing realms such as music, fashion, arts, and folk games, all of which serve as icons of human expression.

The exhibition zeroes in on the culture of Yemen, highlighting its connection with Saudi Arabian culture.

It delves into various aspects like fashion, visual arts, architecture, design, and culinary arts, aiming to enhance cultural exchange and collaboration between the Kingdom and Yemen.

Designed based on the concept of intersectionality, the exhibition guides visitors towards boundlessness, displaying cultural exchanges at these intersections through two fundamental concepts.

The first concept is clarity, which illuminates the facets of resemblance, divergence, and shared elements. The second is transparency, symbolizing the openness between cultures.

The exhibition’s immersive experience promises an enriching exploration for visitors, beginning with the entrance where intersecting geometric forms embody the foundational creative essence of the show.

Attendees will encounter a captivating array of images and dynamic visuals that vividly illustrate the shared aspects between Saudi and Yemeni cultures.

A heartfelt resonance is evoked through a backdrop of music from both Saudi and Yemeni traditions, enhancing the overall inspirational ambiance.



Fans and Family Honor 'Palestinian Pele' Killed in Gaza

Doaa, the widow of late soccer player Suleiman Al-Obeid, known as the "Palestinian Pele," who was killed by an Israeli strike targeting people waiting for humanitarian aid, according to the Palestine Football Association, looks at his picture while holding his shorts, as her son sits beside her inside their tent in Gaza City August 9, 2025. REUTERS/Ebrahim Hajjaj
Doaa, the widow of late soccer player Suleiman Al-Obeid, known as the "Palestinian Pele," who was killed by an Israeli strike targeting people waiting for humanitarian aid, according to the Palestine Football Association, looks at his picture while holding his shorts, as her son sits beside her inside their tent in Gaza City August 9, 2025. REUTERS/Ebrahim Hajjaj
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Fans and Family Honor 'Palestinian Pele' Killed in Gaza

Doaa, the widow of late soccer player Suleiman Al-Obeid, known as the "Palestinian Pele," who was killed by an Israeli strike targeting people waiting for humanitarian aid, according to the Palestine Football Association, looks at his picture while holding his shorts, as her son sits beside her inside their tent in Gaza City August 9, 2025. REUTERS/Ebrahim Hajjaj
Doaa, the widow of late soccer player Suleiman Al-Obeid, known as the "Palestinian Pele," who was killed by an Israeli strike targeting people waiting for humanitarian aid, according to the Palestine Football Association, looks at his picture while holding his shorts, as her son sits beside her inside their tent in Gaza City August 9, 2025. REUTERS/Ebrahim Hajjaj

The "Pele" of Palestinian soccer hoped to keep scoring goals until he was 50. An Israeli tank shell dashed that dream a decade early, his family said, killing Suleiman al-Obeid as he queued in southern Gaza this week to collect food.

Obeid's widow Doaa al-Obeid now clutches the blue-and-white number 10 shorts he wore for his Gaza club, Al-Shati, one of the only mementos she has of her late husband, as she and her five children mourn the revered 41-year-old striker.

"This is the most precious thing left behind by him," she said, Reuters reported.

The family have few other belongings of Obeid, whose home was destroyed in a bombardment earlier this year. They now live in a tent among the ruins of a neighborhood of Gaza City.

Obeid, likened by fans to Brazilian great Pele for his skills and goalscoring, hit headlines this week after Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah criticized a tribute to Obeid by Europe's governing body UEFA that did not mention the cause of death.

"Can you tell us how he died, where, and why?" wrote Salah.

The Palestinian Football Association said Obeid was killed in an attack by the Israeli military in southern Gaza while waiting to collect aid at a distribution point.

His family said it was a tank shell that killed him.

The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment and has not publicly commented on Obeid's death.

Obeid, who had played for the Palestinian national team, was still playing for his club in Gaza when the war between Israel and Hamas began in October 2023.

'THIS PLAYER WAS A GAZELLE'

Obeid kept playing throughout the hardship, his widow Doaa said.

"He used to go training every day and never stopped, not a single day. Even during the crisis of war, in the midst of rockets, shelling and mass killing, he would go play. He used to gather his friends and loved ones and go play with them," she said.

The Palestinian Football Association says hundreds of athletes and sports officials are among those killed by Israel's assault, with most sports facilities now destroyed.

Palestinian soccer fans say they will focus not on Obeid's violent death but his legacy.

"Children called him the Henry and Pele of Palestine," said Hassan al-Balawi, a barber in Gaza City, in a comparison also with French great Thierry Henry.

"This player was a gazelle - when we stepped onto the pitch, we enjoyed watching him. All Palestinian soccer fans enjoyed Captain Suleiman al-Obeid."