LEAP23 tech conference launches competitions with $1.6 million prize pool

Two LEAP 2023 competitions in Riyadh offer grand prizes creative and innovative startups and solutions. (AN Photo/Huda Bashatah)
Two LEAP 2023 competitions in Riyadh offer grand prizes creative and innovative startups and solutions. (AN Photo/Huda Bashatah)
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Updated 07 February 2023

LEAP23 tech conference launches competitions with $1.6 million prize pool

LEAP23 tech conference launches competitions with $1.6 million prize pool
  • Cash prizes are on offer in the Rocket Fuel competition and Alibaba Cloud Hackathon
  • Both events aim to support startups and projects in addressing technical challenges 

RIYADH: The LEAP23 conference in Riyadh launched the Rocket Fuel competition and Alibaba Cloud hackathon, with more than SR6 million ($1.6 million) in cash prizes on offer.

Being held at the Front Expo Center until Thursday, both events aim to support startups and projects in addressing technical challenges through innovative solutions.

Supported by the National Technology Development Program and the Misk Foundation, the Rocket Fuel competition will see 90 global startups competing for a chance to be among 15 presented to a jury.

Divided into six categories, the competition offers cash prizes amounting to SR4 million, including the LEAP Award, which offers $250,000 to the strongest and most prominent company.

The Rising Star Award, worth $150,000, will go to the startup with the strongest start.

The Aviatrix Award and the Technology for Humanity Award — worth $150,000 each — will go to the best women-led creative startup company and the startup that best serves humanity, respectively.

Two “Towards new horizons and artificial intelligence” awards, with a value of $300,000, will also be given to winners of the best startup working in the field of metaverse and Web3, as well as the best emerging company that provides artificial intelligence solutions.

The Alibaba Cloud hackathon, sponsored by the Saudi Telecom Company, will enhance cloud technology in the Kingdom through several challenges and SR2 million in prize money.

The event targets amateurs as well as local and international professionals in sectors including education, health technology, government, logistics services, e-commerce and artificial intelligence.


Saudi Arabia, US urge Sudan’s warring parties to discuss truce extension

Saudi Arabia, US urge Sudan’s warring parties to discuss truce extension
Updated 11 sec ago

Saudi Arabia, US urge Sudan’s warring parties to discuss truce extension

Saudi Arabia, US urge Sudan’s warring parties to discuss truce extension

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia and the US are urging Sudan’s warring sides to work to work on extending a short-term truce currently in force in the country.

— More to follow.


Japanese calligrapher teaches her art one stroke at a time

Japanese calligrapher teaches her art one stroke at a time
Updated 27 May 2023

Japanese calligrapher teaches her art one stroke at a time

Japanese calligrapher teaches her art one stroke at a time
  • She told Arab News: “Seeing how Saudis love anime and manga, I wanted to show them that we have more art forms to offer, such as calligraphy”
  • Fans of Japanese culture get the chance to learn traditional art forms at City Walk

JEDDAH: Japanese calligrapher Yoshimi Fujii is conducting workshops at the Anime Village in City Walk Jeddah, offering participants the chance to learn more about different Japanese art forms.

Fujii, who has achieved the highest level in the Japanese form of calligraphy known as suihou, is based in Dubai and is making her second trip to the Kingdom.

“I’m thrilled to receive an invitation to come here (Saudi Arabia) and teach people of Jeddah the Japanese calligraphy and art of manga (Japanese comic),” she said.

Japanese calligraphy artist Yoshimi Fujii, who has achieved the highest level in the Japanese form of calligraphy known as suihou, is hosting workshops at City Walk. (Instagram/animevillage_sa)

Fujii conducted similar calligraphy workshops and a live show during the Riyadh Season on her first trip.

With a warm smile on her face, she explained to participants how to write in Japanese using traditional calligraphy brushes and special Japanese ink.

“Each line is made with one stroke only,” she said, adding: “Don’t redo it or try to fill the gaps.”

HIGHLIGHTS

• Yoshimi Fujii, a Japanese calligrapher, is conducting workshops at the Anime Village in City Walk.

• Fujii’s calligraphy workshop is conducted three times a day to allow a large number of visitors to take part.

• This week, Fujii will conduct another workshop about traditional Japanese origami, the art of making different shapes out of paper.

She told Arab News: “Seeing how Saudis love anime and manga, I wanted to show them that we have more art forms to offer, such as calligraphy.”

Fujii said she is enjoying the reactions of the participants, even when they get confused about which direction to start writing in Japanese, which is from top to bottom, unlike Arabic, which is written from right to left.

The workshop is conducted three times a day to allow a large number of visitors to take part.

Japanese calligraphy artist Yoshimi Fujii, who has achieved the highest level in the Japanese form of calligraphy known as suihou, is hosting workshops at City Walk. (Instagram/animevillage_sa)

Rana Alnemari, 21, said that she loved Japanese culture and wanted to learn to write her name in Japanese characters.

“The new characters of the Japanese alphabet really caught my interest and I really had fun learning something new today,” she said. “I might even take professional courses for Japanese calligraphy in the future.”

Wejdan Alomari, 22, said that she joined the calligraphy workshop because she was intrigued by the Japanese writing style.

Seeing how Saudis love anime and manga, I wanted to show them that we have more art forms to offer, such as calligraphy.

Yoshimi Fujii, Japanese calligrapher

“It feels more like a drawing than simple writing,” she said.

Rana Alsaimi, 22, told Arab News that these types of workshops give her an opportunity to try new things like “using traditional Japanese brush to write instead of a calligraphy pen.”

Next week, Fujii will conduct another workshop about traditional Japanese origami, the art of making different shapes out of paper.

A Pokemon origami workshop will be held at City Walk in Jeddah. (Supplied)

Participants will learn how to make Pokemon shapes using origami techniques.

 

 


Who’s Who: Aya Al-Bakree, CEO of the Diriyah Biennale Foundation

Aya Al-Bakree
Aya Al-Bakree
Updated 27 May 2023

Who’s Who: Aya Al-Bakree, CEO of the Diriyah Biennale Foundation

Aya Al-Bakree

Aya Al-Bakree is the CEO of the Diriyah Biennale Foundation, a nonprofit cultural organization chaired by Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan.

The foundation is mandated to stage two world-class biennales in Saudi Arabia, alternating between contemporary and Islamic arts.

At the heart of the foundation’s strategy is a mission to foster artistic cross-fertilization by connecting Saudi Arabian and international cultural discourse. It aims to elevate artistic practices and provide educational public programs for participants of all ages and backgrounds.

As a passionate advocate for the arts and the adaptive reuse of public spaces into cultural venues, Al-Bakree has overseen the launch of inaugural biennale editions in two cities: the JAX district in Diriyah and the Hajj Terminal in Jeddah. These editions showcased the works of diverse local and international artists.

The Contemporary Art Biennale in 2021 was recognized as the first dedicated biennale in Saudi Arabia, while the Islamic Arts Biennale in Jeddah was the first of its kind in world history, showcasing contemporary and ancient works of unprecedented breadth and scale.

Prior to her appointment as CEO at the organization, Al-Bakree earned her global communications degree at the American University of Paris in 2011, where she also completed a year-long exchange program at Parsons.

After graduating, she began her career at a world-renowned French art gallery, where she immersed herself in the world of international contemporary art and learned about the commercial and business sides.

When she returned to Saudi Arabia, she gained further professional experience in the art sector with a cultural organization working across the Middle East, collaborating with locally acclaimed institutions and galleries in the Kingdom.

Bringing over a decade of experience in the arts, she continues to forge opportunities to promote local artistic expression on international platforms and collaborate with local artists, galleries, and collectors across the country.

 

 


Saudi talents taking the stage at PNU for ‘An Akoun’ dance show

Maha Abanumay and her young sister Shehana Abanumay. (AN photo by Huda Bashatah)
Maha Abanumay and her young sister Shehana Abanumay. (AN photo by Huda Bashatah)
Updated 27 May 2023

Saudi talents taking the stage at PNU for ‘An Akoun’ dance show

Maha Abanumay and her young sister Shehana Abanumay. (AN photo by Huda Bashatah)
  • Aya Albakoush, a managing partner at Kinetico Dance Company, said: “I started dancing when I was about 11 years old. I have done it for almost 10 years until I started to become (involved) behind the scenes”

RIYADH: Around 400 Saudis took to the stage at Princess Nourah Bint Abdul Rahman University in Riyadh on Friday for “An Akoun” dance performance.

Kinetico Dance Company organized its annual recital with a variety of routines, leaving the audience captivated and entertained for two hours.  

The show included ballet, musical theater, contemporary, hip-hop, and gymnastics, which were all choreographed and performed by talented Saudi dancers aged 4 to 26.

An Akoun Banner for the show. (AN photo by Huda Bashatah)

Haifa Alrashid, one of the young stars in Kinetico, who performed on Friday, talked about her experience since joining the dancing academy.

“I joined Kinetico when I was five, or six years old. Now, I am 10. My experience was good. I learned to dance better, and I mostly do hip-hop because it is my favorite.”

Kinetico Dance Company was established in 2009 — the first, and the, biggest dance company in Saudi Arabia.

FASTFACTS

• The ‘An Akoun’ show included ballet, musical theater, contemporary, hip-hop, and gymnastics, which were all choreographed and performed by talented Saudi dancers aged four to 26.

• Kinetico Dance Company was established in 2009 and it is the first and biggest dance company in Saudi Arabia.

Aya Albakoush, a managing partner at Kinetico Dance Company, said: “I started dancing when I was about 11 years old. I have done it for almost 10 years until I started to become (involved) behind the scenes.”

She explained how the company usually hosts a full season of dance lessons, which includes everything from choreography to technique. Finally, they develop an art piece through an annual show at the end of each year.

“This show follows a theme we are trying to portray, and this year was about finding your inner feminine essence, slowing down, and coming back to yourself as a woman,” explained Albakoush.

“Through what we do, and promoting artistic expression is a big part of Vision 2030, trying to really hone-in on our arts and culture in the country, and showcasing our Saudi talents … hopefully, one day, exporting it to the world to understand that Saudi Arabia has a lot to offer.”

The company has done other shows in the past such as “The Outcome,” which was themed around the dancers’ experience during the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

 


Saudi artist strikes out into making rugs in latest venture

Artist Bassam Alkhulifi’s playful rugs began as a pandemic hobby. (SPA)
Artist Bassam Alkhulifi’s playful rugs began as a pandemic hobby. (SPA)
Updated 27 May 2023

Saudi artist strikes out into making rugs in latest venture

Artist Bassam Alkhulifi’s playful rugs began as a pandemic hobby. (SPA)
  • Alkhulifi said: “While redecorating my room, I searched for carpets but couldn’t find one that stood out in terms of design and colors

RIYADH: Saudi artist Bassam Alkhulifi made the most of lockdown by transforming a hobby into an artistic endeavor that has helped him carve out a name for himself.

Alkhulifi creates visually striking rugs that look like paintings, while not conforming to the conventional form of a carpet. His technique involves using wool and a tufting gun.

He began his artistic journey by sketching with charcoal and later delved into acrylic colors, digital art, and textile art. With time, his skills have distinguished him as one of the most significant young visual artists in the Kingdom.

Artist Bassam Alkhulifi’s playful rugs began as a pandemic hobby. (SPA)

Alkhulifi said: “While redecorating my room, I searched for carpets but couldn’t find one that stood out in terms of design and colors.

“It was then that I realized I could create my own carpet. I got the necessary tools and equipment and ventured into this field.”

Each art medium is a gateway that helps him explore aspects of his creativity.

He added: “I particularly enjoy experimenting with novel techniques and materials to produce artistic and innovative works.”

Artist Bassam Alkhulifi’s playful rugs began as a pandemic hobby. (SPA)

Alkhulifi has organized two art exhibitions, namely “Color as a Scene” and “Life as a Puzzle,” and is presently preparing for his third.

His work was shown at the Islamic Arts Biennale and the Saudi Design Festival, and has been featured in prestigious international magazines such as Vogue Arabia, Cosmopolitan, and Harper’s Bazaar.

His artwork is showcased on social media, and with hundreds of thousands of followers across various platforms, Alkhulifi effectively shares his works and vision with the world.

Successful artistic ventures align with Saudi Arabia’s commitment to providing comprehensive support for talented individuals.