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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
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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.

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Varieties

Urban Mosquito Sparks Malaria Surge in East Africa

Bed nets -- up to now the prime weapon against malaria -- may be much less effective against the urban mosquito. YASUYOSHI CHIBA / AFP/File
Bed nets -- up to now the prime weapon against malaria -- may be much less effective against the urban mosquito. YASUYOSHI CHIBA / AFP/File
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Urban Mosquito Sparks Malaria Surge in East Africa

Bed nets -- up to now the prime weapon against malaria -- may be much less effective against the urban mosquito. YASUYOSHI CHIBA / AFP/File
Bed nets -- up to now the prime weapon against malaria -- may be much less effective against the urban mosquito. YASUYOSHI CHIBA / AFP/File

The spread of a mosquito in East Africa that thrives in urban areas and is immune to insecticide is fueling a surge in malaria that could reverse decades of progress against the disease, experts say.
Africa accounted for about 95 percent of the 249 million malaria cases and 608,000 deaths worldwide in 2022, according to the most recent data from the World Health Organization (WHO), which said children under five accounted for 80 percent of deaths in the region, AFP reported.
But the emergence of an invasive species of mosquito on the continent could massively increase those numbers.
Anopheles stephensi is native to parts of South Asia and the Middle East but was spotted for the first time in the tiny Horn of Africa state of Djibouti in 2012.
Djibouti had all but eradicated malaria only to see it make a slow but steady return over the following years, hitting more than 70,000 cases in 2020.
Then stephensi arrived in neighboring Ethiopia and WHO says it is key to an "unprecedented surge", from 4.1 million malaria cases and 527 deaths last year to 7.3 million cases and 1,157 deaths between January 1 and October 20, 2024.
Unlike other species which are seasonal and prefer rural areas, stephensi thrives year-round in urban settings, breeding in man-made water storage tanks, roof gutters or even air conditioning units.
It appears to be highly resistant to insecticides, and bites earlier in the evening than other carriers. That means bed nets -- up to now the prime weapon against malaria -- may be much less effective.
"The invasion and spread of Anopheles stephensi has the potential to change the malaria landscape in Africa and reverse decades of progress we've made towards malaria control," Meera Venkatesan, malaria division chief for USAID, told AFP.
'More research is needed'
The fear is that stephensi will infest dense cities like Mombasa on Kenya's Indian Ocean coast and Sudan's capital Khartoum, with one 2020 study warning it could eventually reach 126 million city-dwellers across Africa.
Only last month, Egypt was declared malaria-free by WHO after a century-long battle against the disease -- a status that could be threatened by stephensi's arrival.
Much remains unknown, however.
Stephensi was confirmed as present in Kenya in late 2022, but has so far stayed in hotter, dryer areas without reaching the high-altitude capital, Nairobi.
"We don't yet fully understand the biology and behavior of this mosquito," Charles Mbogo, president of the Pan-African Mosquito Control Association, told AFP.
"Possibly it is climate-driven and requires high temperatures, but much more research is needed."
He called for increased funding for capturing and testing mosquitos, and for educating the public on prevention measures such as covering water receptacles.
Multiplying threats
The spread of stephensi could dovetail with other worrying trends, including increased evidence of drug resistant malaria recorded in Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania and Eritrea.
"The arrival of resistance is imminent," said Dorothy Achu, WHO's head of tropical and vector-borne diseases in Africa.
WHO is working with countries to diversify treatment programs to delay resistance, she said.
A new malaria variant is also evading tests used to diagnose the disease.
"The increased transmission that stephensi is driving could potentially help accelerate the spread of other threats, such as drug resistance or another mutation in the parasite that leads it to be less detectable by our most widely-used diagnostics," said Venkatesan at USAID.
Another added challenge is the lack of coordination between African governments.
Achu said WHO is working on "a more continental approach".
But Mbogo in Kenya said "more political will" was needed.