عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Varieties

Over 60 Artists to Illuminate Riyadh Under the Theme ‘Light Years Apart’

Artworks will be displayed at the King Abdulaziz Historical Center, Wadi Hanifah, and the JAX District. SPA
Artworks will be displayed at the King Abdulaziz Historical Center, Wadi Hanifah, and the JAX District. SPA
TT
TT

Over 60 Artists to Illuminate Riyadh Under the Theme ‘Light Years Apart’

Artworks will be displayed at the King Abdulaziz Historical Center, Wadi Hanifah, and the JAX District. SPA
Artworks will be displayed at the King Abdulaziz Historical Center, Wadi Hanifah, and the JAX District. SPA

Noor Riyadh is set to return in its fourth edition between November 28 and December 14, bringing together over 60 artists of 18 nationalities to illuminate the Saudi capital under the theme "Light Years Apart.”

According to a statement sent to the Saudi Press Agency, this year's festival features a broad spectrum of creators, including visual artists, industrial designers, sculptors, musicians, and photographers, who will transform Riyadh into a canvas of light and creativity.

Artworks will be displayed at the King Abdulaziz Historical Center, Wadi Hanifah, and the JAX District.

This year's theme explores the profound connection between Althara (the earth) and Althuraya (the sky), examining humanity's journey and its pursuit of the greatest aspirations. The festival will unveil new site-specific commissions by artists such as Abdul Rahman Taha, Athar Alharbi, Jukan Tatesi, Takeshi Yasura, Kimchi and Chips, Lachlan Turczan, Maryam Tariq, Nasser Al Turki, and Takayuki Mori.

According to the statement, the 2024 edition features 18 Saudi and 43 international artists, from Australia, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Türkiye, the UK, the UAE, and the US.

Curators Dr. Effat Abdullah Fadag and Dr. Alfredo Cramerotti invited visitors to embark on a journey across Riyadh.

King Abdulaziz Historical Center, Riyadh's foremost cultural landmark, hosts exhibitions and museums that celebrate the Kingdom's rich heritage, blending the past and present.
With green corridors, flowing streams, and winding trails, Wadi Hanifah transports visitors to the city's natural landmark, offering an open-air setting to engage with artworks amidst serene surroundings.
Known for its creativity, art galleries, and cultural projects, JAX District serves as a hub for contemporary arts, offering visitors a wide range of modern artistic expressions.
In addition to the captivating light art displays, the festival will offer workshops, artistic dialogue sessions, and a variety of community engagement programs.

Festival Director Nouf Almoneef emphasized the festival's impact. "Riyadh Art and Noor Riyadh celebrate the artistic spirit that thrives in our city and beyond. From families to emerging artists and students, Noor Riyadh offers a platform for artistic exchange and discovery, uniting residents and visitors through the magic of light art,” she said.

“By enhancing Riyadh's livability through festivals, community activities, and permanent artworks, the city has transformed into a vibrant cultural destination."

This year's Noor Riyadh promises to captivate audiences with its blend of artistic ingenuity, community participation, and urban transformation.

All along, Noor Riyadh has transformed the city into a radiant cultural landmark, creating unforgettable experiences for residents and visitors alike. The festival has seen so far over 388 artworks created by over 300 artists from around the globe; it has hosted more than 6,000 activities that engage and inspire.

Attracting over 6 million visitors, Noor Riyadh has achieved an extraordinary 14 Guinness World Records, cementing its reputation as the largest and most impactful light art festival in the world.

Most Viewed

 
 
Varieties

First Major US Winter Storm of Year Hammers Mid-Atlantic States

A person walks down a street covered in snow following a winter storm Monday, Jan. 6, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP)
A person walks down a street covered in snow following a winter storm Monday, Jan. 6, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP)
TT
TT

First Major US Winter Storm of Year Hammers Mid-Atlantic States

A person walks down a street covered in snow following a winter storm Monday, Jan. 6, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP)
A person walks down a street covered in snow following a winter storm Monday, Jan. 6, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP)

The first major winter storm of the new year barreled into the US mid-Atlantic states on Monday, closing down federal offices and public schools in Washington, DC, after dumping a foot of snow in parts of the Ohio Valley and Central Plains.

More than five inches (12.7 cm) had fallen in the country’s capital by midday on Monday, according to the US National Weather Service, with up to 12 inches in some surrounding areas of Maryland and Virginia. The snow was forecast to continue before the system pushes out to sea on Monday evening.

Severe travel disruptions were expected across the storm's path, and officials urged drivers to stay off the roads if possible. Governors in several states, including Kansas, Kentucky, Arkansas, West Virginia, Virginia and Maryland, have declared states of emergency.

In the wake of the storm, dangerously frigid Arctic air was filling the void, bringing freezing rain and icy conditions to a swath of the country stretching from Illinois to the Atlantic coast. The unusually cold temperatures are expected to linger for the rest of the week.

The Central Plains, where the storm dumped heavy snow over the weekend, were already in a deep freeze. Parts of Kansas experienced bitter cold wind chills, with values from 5 to almost 25 degrees Fahrenheit below zero (minus 15 to 32 degrees Celsius) overnight. The cold air will persist, with daytime highs only in the mid teens to lower 20s.

The airport in Kansas City recorded 11 inches (28 cm) of snowfall, the highest for any storm in more than 30 years, the National Weather Service said. The Missouri State Police said it had responded on Sunday to more than 1,000 stranded motorists and 356 crashes, including one fatality.

In Washington, even as the storm struck, Congress met to formally certify Republican Donald Trump's election as president. But federal offices in the nation's capital were closed.

In the city's Meridian Hill Park, hundreds gathered for a massive snowball battle, organized by the so-called Washington DC Snowball Fight Association. The combatants - many wearing ski goggles for protection - fired volleys of frozen projectiles, as one dog tried to catch the ammunition in its mouth.

"I did not come here to make friends!" Jack Pitsor, who lives across the street from the park, shouted with a laugh before launching a snowball toward enemy lines.

School districts in numerous states shut down on Monday due to the storm, including public schools in Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Washington and Philadelphia.

The storm also left more than 330,000 homes and businesses in the central and southern US without power on Monday, data from PowerOutage.us showed.

As of 1:30 p.m. EST (1830 GMT), nearly 1,900 flights within, into and out of the United States had been canceled, according to the FlightAware.com tracking service. Amtrak canceled dozens of trains on the busy Northeast Corridor line between Boston and Washington.

The three airports serving the D.C. area - Reagan National, Baltimore/Washington International and Dulles - were all open, with crews working to clear airfields of snow, but were seeing many flights delayed or canceled.

Virginia State Police responded to 300 car crashes between midnight and 11 a.m., while the Maryland State Police received 123 crash reports between 1 a.m. and 11 a.m., spokespeople for the two agencies said.