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World’s Largest Light Art Festival in Riyadh Sees Over 3 Million Spectators

Under the theme Light Years Apart, audiences experienced the festival across three iconic hubs: King Abdulaziz Historical Center, Wadi Hanifah, and JAX District. SPA
Under the theme Light Years Apart, audiences experienced the festival across three iconic hubs: King Abdulaziz Historical Center, Wadi Hanifah, and JAX District. SPA
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World’s Largest Light Art Festival in Riyadh Sees Over 3 Million Spectators

Under the theme Light Years Apart, audiences experienced the festival across three iconic hubs: King Abdulaziz Historical Center, Wadi Hanifah, and JAX District. SPA
Under the theme Light Years Apart, audiences experienced the festival across three iconic hubs: King Abdulaziz Historical Center, Wadi Hanifah, and JAX District. SPA

Noor Riyadh, the world’s largest light art festival and a flagship program of Riyadh Art, concluded its successful fourth edition, welcoming over 3 million spectators and bringing together over 60 artworks by more than 60 artists from 18 countries, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

Under the theme Light Years Apart, audiences experienced the festival across three iconic hubs: King Abdulaziz Historical Center, Wadi Hanifah, and JAX District.

The festival also featured a striking city-scale light installation at Al Faisaliah Tower, transforming Riyadh into a luminous celebration of art and innovation. This year’s festival brought together 18 Saudi and 43 international artists with site-specific and newly commissioned artworks.

Exceptional installations included Chris Levine’s Higher Power, a city-scale laser projection atop Al Faisaliah Tower; Maryam Tariq’s Shifting Perspectives, which explored perceptual ambiguity at Digital City; and Aether by United Visual Artists, a dazzling drone show at King Abdulaziz Historical Center. Another standout work, Rashed AlShashai’s The Fifth Pyramid, symbolized Riyadh’s cultural transformation.

Architect Khalid Al-Hazani, the executive director of Riyadh Art, bid farewell to the festival, saying: “Noor Riyadh 2024 celebrated humanity’s connection to the stars, sparking inspiration and dialogue through the universal language of art. We look forward to continuing Riyadh’s journey of cultural transformation.”
As for Noor Riyadh festival director Nouf Almoneef, he said: “Once again, this year’s festival united local and international artists for a truly world-class festival.”

“I extend my deepest gratitude to the incredible team -- our staff, volunteers, and partners for their exceptional efforts and collaboration, as well as to the millions of spectators whose engagement made this festival unforgettable,” SPA quoted him as saying.

As part of the community engagement program, which attracted over 52,000 participants, Noor Riyadh organized a variety of activities designed to inspire and connect with the community. These included engaging talks, insightful discussions, interactive workshops, creative experiences, family-friendly activities, and guided tours that enriched the festival experience for visitors.

The seamless execution of these activities was made possible by a dedicated team comprising curators, artists, art explainers, tour guides, and installation crews, ensuring every participant enjoyed a memorable experience.

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Turkish Official Vows to Enforce Law to Cull Stray Dogs after Death of 2-year-old

A stray dog rests outside Byzantine-era Hagia Sophia mosque in Istanbul, Türkiye, Wednesday, July 3, 2024. A Turkish parliamentary commission has approved a bill aimed at regulating the country's large stray dog population, a move that has raised concerns among animal rights advocates who fear many of the dogs would be killed or end up in neglected and overcrowded shelters.(AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
A stray dog rests outside Byzantine-era Hagia Sophia mosque in Istanbul, Türkiye, Wednesday, July 3, 2024. A Turkish parliamentary commission has approved a bill aimed at regulating the country's large stray dog population, a move that has raised concerns among animal rights advocates who fear many of the dogs would be killed or end up in neglected and overcrowded shelters.(AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
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Turkish Official Vows to Enforce Law to Cull Stray Dogs after Death of 2-year-old

A stray dog rests outside Byzantine-era Hagia Sophia mosque in Istanbul, Türkiye, Wednesday, July 3, 2024. A Turkish parliamentary commission has approved a bill aimed at regulating the country's large stray dog population, a move that has raised concerns among animal rights advocates who fear many of the dogs would be killed or end up in neglected and overcrowded shelters.(AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
A stray dog rests outside Byzantine-era Hagia Sophia mosque in Istanbul, Türkiye, Wednesday, July 3, 2024. A Turkish parliamentary commission has approved a bill aimed at regulating the country's large stray dog population, a move that has raised concerns among animal rights advocates who fear many of the dogs would be killed or end up in neglected and overcrowded shelters.(AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Türkiye 's interior minister on Sunday pledged to fully apply a law to remove millions of stray dogs from the streets in the wake of the death of a two-year-old girl.

The legislation – labelled the “massacre law” by animal welfare groups – was passed by parliament last summer but has been only partially implemented, if at all, by municipal authorities.

“Either they will do this job or I will use whatever authority the law gives me to the fullest,” Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said in a video message posted on social media, The AP reported.

Rana El Selci died after being attacked by a pack of stray dogs in Konya, central Türkiye, on Friday. Her death sparked fresh outcry about the 4 million stray dogs that the government estimates roam Türkiye's streets and rural areas.

A criminal investigation was launched following her death as municipal workers began rounding up dogs in Konya. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Saturday that the government was “taking determined steps to ensure the implementation of the law.”

Animal lovers fear the legislation will lead to dogs being killed or ending up in neglected, overcrowded shelters. When the law was passed, the main opposition party pledged that its municipalities would not implement the round-up of strays.

Demonstrations in cities across Türkiye, meanwhile, saw thousands call for the scrapping of an article that would allow some animals to be euthanized. There were also protests across Europe, as people warned the law could dissuade tourists from visiting Türkiye.

Some critics have blamed the growth in the stray canine population on a failure to implement previous regulations, which required stray dogs to be caught, neutered or spayed and returned to where they were found. Others argue the law will be used to target the opposition, which made huge gains in last year’s local elections. The legislation includes penalties for mayors who fail to carry out its provisions.

Last year’s legislation requires municipalities to collect stray dogs and house them in shelters to be vaccinated, neutered or spayed before making them available for adoption. Dogs that are in pain, terminally ill, or pose a health risk to humans will be euthanized.