عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Varieties

Noor Riyadh 2024: World’s Largest Light Art Festival Returns with Over 60 Installations

The fourth edition, themed Light Years Apart, features over 60 light-based artworks created by 61 artists from 18 countries, transforming Riyadh into a “gallery without walls.” - SPA
The fourth edition, themed Light Years Apart, features over 60 light-based artworks created by 61 artists from 18 countries, transforming Riyadh into a “gallery without walls.” - SPA
TT
TT

Noor Riyadh 2024: World’s Largest Light Art Festival Returns with Over 60 Installations

The fourth edition, themed Light Years Apart, features over 60 light-based artworks created by 61 artists from 18 countries, transforming Riyadh into a “gallery without walls.” - SPA
The fourth edition, themed Light Years Apart, features over 60 light-based artworks created by 61 artists from 18 countries, transforming Riyadh into a “gallery without walls.” - SPA

Noor Riyadh, the world’s largest light art festival, has returned under the Riyadh Art Project. Running from November 28 to December 14, 2024, the festival spans three iconic hubs: King Abdulaziz Historical Center, Wadi Hanifah, and JAX District.

The fourth edition, themed Light Years Apart, features over 60 light-based artworks created by 61 artists from 18 countries, transforming Riyadh into a “gallery without walls.”
This year’s festival includes contributions from 18 Saudi artists alongside 43 international creators. Participating artists include Architect Saad Al-Howede, Artist Asmaa Aljohani, Artist Anna Ridler, Artist Jiyen Lee, Artist Stefano Cagol, Artist Krista Kim, Artist Stanza, Artist Javier Riera, Studio Atelier Sisu, and Artist Ryoji Ikeda, SPA reported.
Director of Riyadh Art Project Architect Khalid Al-Hazani emphasized Noor Riyadh’s vision of transforming the city into an accessible and inspiring artistic space where creativity flourishes in public areas. Festival Director Nouf Almoneef highlighted Noor Riyadh as a beacon of creativity and connection, inviting visitors to explore this year’s theme through a vibrant collection of installations across Riyadh.
Curators Dr. Effat Abdullah Fadag and Dr. Alfredo Cramerotti present Light Years Apart as an exploration of the profound connection between Althara (the earth) and Althuraya (the stars), reflecting on humanity’s journey from its current realities to its greatest aspirations.
The festival’s installations are strategically placed across its three hubs, reflecting Riyadh’s historical and cultural significance. The King Abdulaziz Historical Center bridges the city’s past and future, Wadi Hanifah provides a natural backdrop, and JAX District serves as an interactive space blending digital creativity, art, and technology.
Prominent installations include Artist Chris Levine’s Higher Power (2024), a city-wide light projection from the Al Faisaliah Tower delivering a Morse code message of hope and unity visible across Riyadh. In Wadi Hanifah, Artist Daan Roosegaarde’s SPARK creates a mesmerizing display of biodegradable floating sparks, while Shifting Perspectives by Saudi Artist Maryam Tariq explores perceptual ambiguity through pixelated imagery at Digital City.
At the King Abdulaziz Historical Center, Studio United Visual Artists’ Aether features 1,500 drones performing a synchronized light show, while Artist Rashed AlShashai’s The Fifth Pyramid uses illuminated pathways to reimagine the ancient structure, symbolizing Riyadh’s transformation into a global art capital.
Noor Riyadh also offers dynamic community projects, including free workshops, guided tours, family activities, and interactive events. Adults can participate in photography and mixed media workshops, while children engage in creative activities like crafting kaleidoscopes and puppetry.
Since its inception in 2019, Riyadh Art has showcased over 500 artworks by more than 500 artists, welcoming over six million visitors. Noor Riyadh has achieved 14 Guinness World Records, solidifying its status as the most impactful light art festival globally. With its 2024 edition, Noor Riyadh continues to position Riyadh as a hub of culture, innovation, and artistic expression.

Most Viewed

 
 
Varieties

Dead Humpback Whale Brought to Shore in Denmark with Autopsy Set Next Week

30 May 2026, Denmark, Anholt: The dead whale is being pulled ashore on the Danish island of Anholt. (dpa)
30 May 2026, Denmark, Anholt: The dead whale is being pulled ashore on the Danish island of Anholt. (dpa)
TT
TT

Dead Humpback Whale Brought to Shore in Denmark with Autopsy Set Next Week

30 May 2026, Denmark, Anholt: The dead whale is being pulled ashore on the Danish island of Anholt. (dpa)
30 May 2026, Denmark, Anholt: The dead whale is being pulled ashore on the Danish island of Anholt. (dpa)

The carcass of a humpback whale, whose life and death captivated Germans for months as the mammal became repeatedly stranded in the Baltic Sea, was dragged Saturday onto a Danish beach after two weeks of the body languishing in shallow waters.

The whale had gained the nicknames “Timmy” and “Hope” as German media outlets sent push alerts and updated live blogs with the status of its health since it was first spotted off the German coast on March 3.

The whale was found dead on May 14, stranded just off the small island of Anholt in the Kattegat, the broad strait between Denmark and Sweden that connects the Baltic Sea to the North Sea.

The whale's death ended months of a spectacular and contentious rescue effort that culminated May 2, when the mammal was transported toward the North Sea in a barge in a final effort to guide it back to its natural habitat in the Atlantic Ocean.

The carcass will be examined next week to determine the cause of death, according to the Danish Environmental Protection Agency.

Danish news outlet “News5” on Saturday published a livestream of the carcass being dragged onto the shoreline by a cable attached to a truck on the beach.

It’s not clear why it swam into the Baltic Sea, which is far from its habitat and it wasn’t suited to, although some experts said it may have lost its way while swimming after a shoal of herring or during migration.

Varieties

Austrian Protesters Shut Vital Motorway Connecting Germany to Italy

People demonstrate against transit traffic near the A13 Brenner Highway in the direction of Italy during the blockade of the Brenner Base Tunnel on May 30, 2026, on the Tyrolean Brenner Highway. (AFP)
People demonstrate against transit traffic near the A13 Brenner Highway in the direction of Italy during the blockade of the Brenner Base Tunnel on May 30, 2026, on the Tyrolean Brenner Highway. (AFP)
TT
TT

Austrian Protesters Shut Vital Motorway Connecting Germany to Italy

People demonstrate against transit traffic near the A13 Brenner Highway in the direction of Italy during the blockade of the Brenner Base Tunnel on May 30, 2026, on the Tyrolean Brenner Highway. (AFP)
People demonstrate against transit traffic near the A13 Brenner Highway in the direction of Italy during the blockade of the Brenner Base Tunnel on May 30, 2026, on the Tyrolean Brenner Highway. (AFP)

Thousands of local residents shut down Austria's Brenner motorway on Saturday, a vital north-south corridor through the Alps between Germany and Italy, in protest at trucks and tourists perennially clogging up their roads.

The protest was led by Karl Muehlsteiger, mayor of Gries am Brenner, one of the towns in the shadow of the artery that snakes through the narrow, steep-sided Wipp Valley on giant concrete stilts.

The issue of ‌excess traffic and ‌pollution in the valley, which leads ‌to ⁠the Brenner Pass, ⁠has for decades been a source of tension between Austria and Germany. Local authorities in the Austrian state of Tyrol have introduced various measures to stem the flow, often prompting howls of protest across the border.

"You are making history!" Austrian news ⁠agency APA quoted Muehlsteiger as telling a ‌crowd of around 3,000 ‌protesters who gathered on the motorway at 1 p.m. to ‌block it symbolically, hours after police cordoned off ‌both ends of the corridor. Cars arriving there turned around and drove away.

The eight-hour shutdown from 11 a.m. did not cause the chaos many had feared as drivers ‌largely heeded warnings to stay away, even during what in some German states, ⁠including ⁠neighboring Bavaria, was a school holiday.

Trains passing along the same route were crowded, local media reported.

The provincial road that runs from town to town alongside the motorway was also closed to all but locals and local traffic.

In Italy, a suspected arson attack on electrical control units overnight disrupted rail traffic between Peri and Dolce, near Verona, on the Verona Porta Nuova–Brenner line.

Investigators were looking into possible links to radical environmentalist or anarcho-insurrectionist groups.

Varieties

Blue Origin Rocket Explosion is Bad News for Both Bezos and NASA

Video of the Blue Origin New Glenn rocket explosion showed the spacecraft combusting into a massive fireball. JohnCn (@JConcilus) on X / UGC/AFP
Video of the Blue Origin New Glenn rocket explosion showed the spacecraft combusting into a massive fireball. JohnCn (@JConcilus) on X / UGC/AFP
TT
TT

Blue Origin Rocket Explosion is Bad News for Both Bezos and NASA

Video of the Blue Origin New Glenn rocket explosion showed the spacecraft combusting into a massive fireball. JohnCn (@JConcilus) on X / UGC/AFP
Video of the Blue Origin New Glenn rocket explosion showed the spacecraft combusting into a massive fireball. JohnCn (@JConcilus) on X / UGC/AFP

Space exploration is filled with setbacks, but the spectacular explosion of Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket on Thursday night marked a significant blow to not only the company, which was founded by billionaire Jeff Bezos, but also NASA, with the two collaborating for the upcoming US Moon missions.

"Spaceflight is unforgiving," NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said in a post on X soon after the explosion, promising to "support a thorough investigation of this anomaly," which happened during a ground test and resulted in no injuries.

The rocket -- which stands 98 meters (321 feet) tall and is the most powerful in Blue Origin's fleet -- exploded around 9:00 pm local time Thursday (0100 GMT Friday).

It was undergoing a ground test in Cape Canaveral, Florida in preparation of an upcoming flight when it blew up in a massive fireball, sending shockwaves throughout the space industry.

While anomalies during ground tests are relatively frequent, such explosions are rare, and the magnitude of the blast caused significant damage not only to the spacecraft but the launch pad itself, according to photos of the aftermath released Friday.

"It will take some time to rebuild their pad," Florida congressman Mike Haridopolos, whose district includes Cape Canaveral, told broadcaster Fox News on Friday.

Blue Origin declined an AFP request for additional details on the incident, extent of damage or the ongoing investigation, which is conducted alongside NASA and the US Space Force.

The New Glenn rocket will remain grounded while the investigation is conducted.

- Moon Mission -

The vessel is at the heart of Blue Origin's ambition and NASA's Artemis lunar program, and could have implications for the company's role going forward.

"I have no doubt they will recover but I'm wondering how does this affect Artemis," Clayton Swope, deputy director of the Aerospace Security Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told AFP.

NASA has also tasked rival space exploration company SpaceX to develop lunar landers for transporting astronauts and equipment to the surface of the Moon to establish a base.

SpaceX has seen its own challenges in recent months, and Blue Origin had emerged as a promising alternative for NASA, with the US space agency awarding a new contract to it for the lunar mission earlier this week.

- Major setback -

But these projects depend on the New Glenn rocket, and with its explosion coming shortly after a malfunction causing a satellite mission failure last month, the anomalies could disrupt NASA's tight mission schedule.

NASA is aiming to test an in-orbit rendezvous between a spacecraft and one or two lunar landers in 2027 as part of Artemis III, and carry out a crewed lunar landing before the end of 2028, before the end of US President Donald Trump's time in office.

Thursday's explosion also deals a major setback to another Bezos project, the Amazon Leo satellite internet constellation, which seeks to compete with SpaceX's Starlink but relies on the New Glenn rocket, among others, to launch its satellites, according to Swope.

The Blue Origin rocket blowing up is not the only time an explosion has rocked Cape Canaveral.

Ten years ago, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket blew up during a ground test before launching, destroying a $200 million satellite it was supposed to carry.