JEDDAH, 24 June — Jeddah Governor Prince Mishaal ibn Majed joined donors for the cause of Palestine through an exhibit he purchased at an exhibition of “Views from the Holy Land” by renowned Saudi photographer Khaled Khidr at Hilton Jeddah Hotel last night.
The show comprises Khidr’s 20 pictorial displays. The colorful exhibits covering the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah impressed Prince Mishaal, who inaugurated the weeklong show. He spent quite sometime taking a close look at each exhibit.
“All proceeds of the exhibition will go to Palestine,” Khidr told Arab News, adding that “donors are free to contribute whatever they desire to acquire the exhibits.”
Diplomats from various Middle East and North African countries were present at the inauguration, with the Palestinian and Moroccan consuls saying that the proceeds were being directed to a noble cause.
Exhibits are all products of the photographic skills of Khidr. They include ground and aerial views of holy sites in Makkah and Madinah as well as shots depicting the Kingdom’s rich heritage. Also displayed are some of the recently built mosques of Jeddah and other places, as well as Jeddah’s eye-catching monuments aside from the fountain at south Corniche, acknowledged as the tallest in the world.
Makkah-born Khidr started work in the holy city over 50 years ago as a “helper” at a studio in Taif. His interest in the art was so intense that he soon graduated as a full-fledged photographer and joined Saudi Arabian Airlines in Jeddah in 1967. Even while honing his skills in photography, he held different management positions in the airline, his last promotion being assistant general manager of public relations.
He was sent by Saudia to study photography at the Art Center, one of the prestigious American universities. He is also one of the first Saudis to hold a college degree in photography. He has participated in more than 100 local and international shows, including the City of Al-Riyadh, the Two Holy Mosques and the Kingdom exhibitions.
His exhibitions have toured many foreign countries. He has been the recipient of several international prizes in photography, the latest being “The golden camera” from Sweden.
