Saudi Arabia-related highlights from the Abu Dhabi Book Fair 

Saudi Arabia-related highlights from the Abu Dhabi Book Fair 
‘Shajarah Al-Sharifah.’ (Supplied)
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Updated 25 May 2023
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Saudi Arabia-related highlights from the Abu Dhabi Book Fair 

Saudi Arabia-related highlights from the Abu Dhabi Book Fair 

DUBAI: Here are five s​​​​​​elections from London-based rare-book dealer Peter Harrington’s offering at the UAE fair.

‘Shajarah Al-Sharifah’ 

“Shajarah Al-Sharifah” (‘The Noble Tree’) is a beautifully restored family tree of Prophet Muhammad “embellished with hand-painted gilt decoration which gives the work the appearance of being a manuscript,” according to Peter Harrington’s catalogue. The dealer believes this publication to have been made in Cairo or Istanbul sometime in the mid-1800s. “We could not find any other examples in institutional libraries, although the search is difficult due to similarities between titles and the fact that this is not dated,” the catalogue states. 

The second part of the book, following the family tree, focuses on the caliphs, beginning with the Rashidun Caliphate — the most powerful cultural force in the region during its existence — and its first caliph, Abu Bakr, in 632 CE. “According to the concluding sentences, the text was written in the time of sultan Abdulmejid I and is here mentioned as the last in the chain of caliphs,” the catalogue explains. 

‘The Heart of Arabia’ 

Written in 1922 by Harry St John Bridger Philby, chief representative in the British protectorate of Transjordan and a man whose tombstone declares him the ‘Greatest of Arabian explorers,’ this is an account of his fascinating mission to Imam Mohammed ibn Saud, the founder of Saudi Arabia, which began in late 1917.  

“Philby started in Al-Uqayr, then travelled with a small party by camel via Hufuf to Riyadh, to meet Ibn Sa’ud,” the catalogue explains. “From there he went on to complete his crossing of Arabia, with camels and an escort provided by Ibn Sa’ud. The journey of almost 900 kilometres (560 miles) destined for Jeddah ‘was not without its problems. Philby’s escort resented having to guard an infidel, refusing to even eat with him, while villagers on the way proved similarly unwelcoming ... However Philby’s crossing of the Arabian peninsula, only the third of the century, had now brought him firmly into the public eye.’ In Jeddah, he met the Hashemite ruler of Hejaz, the Sharif Husain, leader of the Arab Revolt, the preferred choice as future Arab leader of both T. E. Lawrence and the British authorities.” Husain was not Philby’s preferred choice however. He had been “greatly impressed” by Ibn Saud, and always backed him as the man who could unite the area’s tribes and lead them forward. As the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography says: “In the central judgments of his life — that Ibn Sa’ud was the man to back in Arabia and that the Arabs had to have their independence — (Philby) was right and almost everyone else was wrong.” 

Original poster of the expansion of the Prophet’s Mosque 

This poster from 1985 shows the beginnings of the decade-long expansion of the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah initiated by King Fahd bin Abdulaziz in 1984. The mosque was expanded on three of its sides, and a new marble courtyard was built around it. “The new structure had 27 inner courtyards with concrete domes, and an air-conditioning system. The movement of more than 1 million worshippers was eased with new gates, escalators and walkways,” the catalogue states. A similar project was implemented at the Holy Mosque in Makkah at the same time, which increased its capacity from 48,000 worshippers at one time to a staggering 1.5 million. The poster, the catalogue says, shows “prayer in the new extension at Madinah before its completion, King Fahd laying the foundation stone for the expansion project, a view of the construction project, and a large constructed model of the proposed new design.” 

‘The Holy Mosque at Makkah’ 

Described by the dealer as a “sumptuously produced visual celebration of the completion of almost a quarter century of transformative works on the Holy Mosque and Kabba in Makkah,” this volume, commissioned by the Ministry of Finance and National Economy, features images taken by the award-winning photojournalist Mohamed Amin and was “the first work to offer an architectural and technical survey” of the holy site, “breaking new ground especially in its coverage of the Saudi extension and magnificent construction work which are without parallel in the entire history of the Holy Mosque.” Amin’s images, meanwhile, present “detailed views of the diverse and extensive developments.” Amin was the first photographer to be granted permission to document the Hajj and spent three years in the 1970s travelling around the Kingdom. 

‘Jam’ Al-Manasik Wa Naf’ Al-Nasik’ 

This rare book from 1872 combines two separate volumes on “the rites and the benefit of the pilgrim” written by two great scholars: Rahmatullah Al-Sindi and Ahmed Ziyauddin — who wrote their works almost three centuries apart. Al-Sindi’s work, written in 1543 CE in Madinah, “initially attracted local opposition,” according to the dealer’s catalogue, but later “became a landmark in the field that Hanafi scholars in South Asia and the Ottoman Empire consulted for centuries.” Ziyauddin — also known as Gumushanevi — was strongly associated with Sufis, and his work, “lithographed throughout in naskh script,” became an equally important source for followers of that religious practice.   


Amira Al-Zuhair walks for Yohji Yamamoto at Paris Fashion Week

Amira Al-Zuhair walks for Yohji Yamamoto at Paris Fashion Week
Updated 30 September 2023
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Amira Al-Zuhair walks for Yohji Yamamoto at Paris Fashion Week

Amira Al-Zuhair walks for Yohji Yamamoto at Paris Fashion Week

DUBAI: Saudi model Amira Al-Zuhair hit the runway for Japanese-helmed label Yohji Yamamoto and French jewelry brand Messika at Paris Fashion Week, just days after she walked for French label Balmain.

Japanese fashion designer Yamamoto, who is based in Tokyo and Paris, sent models down the runway in an assortment of all-black looks as part of the labels Spring/Summer 2024 collection.

Earlier in the week, Al-Zuhair opened the Balmain show during Paris Fashion Week. 

The rising star, who was born in Paris to a French mother and Saudi father, wore a white polka dot jumpsuit with colorful three-dimensional flower designs around the chest.  

When Gertrude Stein, a close confidant of house founder Pierre Balmain, penned “a rose is a rose is a rose,” she likely never envisaged its metamorphosis into a Paris runway’s guiding theme. Yet, designer Olivier Rousteing, embracing this iconic friendship, orchestrated a floral ode for Balmain’s Spring 2024 show. 

Rousteing channeled the essence of Balmain’s couture from the late 1940s and early 1950s, celebrating Balmain’s architectural wizardry. With every fold, cut and stitch, he echoed the legacy of the maison, fused with his own brazen touch. Sprinklings of the petit pois (polka dot), a staple from Monsieur Balmain’s era, added whimsy amid the blossoming rose narrative. 


K-Pop’s Super Junior ‘looking forward’ to performing at KCon in Saudi Arabia 

K-Pop’s Super Junior ‘looking forward’ to performing at KCon in Saudi Arabia 
Updated 30 September 2023
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K-Pop’s Super Junior ‘looking forward’ to performing at KCon in Saudi Arabia 

K-Pop’s Super Junior ‘looking forward’ to performing at KCon in Saudi Arabia 

DUBAI: South Korean boy band Super Junior are gearing up to perform at Saudi Arabia’s popular K-Pop music festival KCon, which will be held at Boulevard Riyadh City on Oct. 6 and 7. 

The group — which consists of Leeteuk, Heechul, Yesung, Shindong, Sungmin, Eunhyuk, Donghae, Siwon, Ryeowook and Kyuhyun — will hit the stage on Oct. 7.  

In an interview with Arab News, Shindong said that the group is looking forward “to proper fandom culture. I hope that singers and fans will work together to have a positive impact on society,” he said.  

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by KCON (@kconofficial)

 

For his part, Donghae, said:  “I am looking forward to performing in Saudi Arabia after a long time and I am glad to be able hear the cheering of Saudi fans again. I know that K-Pop is very popular in Saudi Arabia, so I want to perform there quickly.” 

“We will make you happy and (give you) precious memories  — as much as the time you waited,” he promised his fans.  

Ryeowook views art as a powerful connective tool.  

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by KCON (@kconofficial)

 

“We would be honored if many future artists were inspired by Super Junior and found themselves in great positions,” he told Arab News. “I want to show you songs and performances that can have a positive impact right here and now.”  

During the interview, Siwon said he would love to collaborate with local talent in the Kingdom. “I really hope this will happen. I believe that collaboration in the field of cultural exchange is a great development for both countries,” he said.  

Meanwhile, Leeteuk was surprised to learn that people in the Kingdom are fans of K-Pop. “I was very surprised and once again moved by their passion. I will do my best to repay their passionate love,” he said.  

Eunhyuk, who will perform twice at the festival, told Arab News: “We will be able to show you Super Junior and Super Junior-D&E’s performance together, so you will be able to see the charm of our diverse music and performances.” 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by KCON (@kconofficial)

 

Super Junior falls under South Korean multinational agency SM Entertainment, which manages groups like EXO, SuperM and Red Velvet.  

The first day of the festival will see performances by Riize, Everglow, Highlight, Hyolyn, Kard, Super Junior-D&E (which are members Donghae and Eunhyuk) and 8Turn.  

On the second day, Super Junior will perform alongside Dreamcatcher, El7z Up, Evnne, Oh My Girl, Tempest and TNX.  

The event, which launched in Los Angeles in 2012, is said to be one of the largest Korean cultural festivals worldwide.  

The Kingdom’s hosting of the event is part of an agreement signed between the Saudi Ministry of Culture and Seoul-based entertainment company CJ ENM in June 2022. It also reflects the ministry’s efforts to boost international cultural exchange in line with the goals of Vision 2030. 


Review: Chilling drama ‘Wilderness’ is a wild – if overly long – ride

Review: Chilling drama ‘Wilderness’ is a wild – if overly long – ride
Updated 30 September 2023
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Review: Chilling drama ‘Wilderness’ is a wild – if overly long – ride

Review: Chilling drama ‘Wilderness’ is a wild – if overly long – ride

LONDON: From the first beats of the first trailer, it’s very clear what “Wilderness” is about – newly married Liv (Jenna Coleman) has discovered her husband’s infidelity and, during a spectacular American road trip, decides to seek revenge in the most definitive way possible. It’s also set to Taylor Swift’s “Look What You Made Me Do (Taylor’s Version)” so you don’t have to be Benoit Blanc to deduce what’s about to go down. 

But then you realize that “Wilderness” is six episodes long, so perhaps there’s more to the story than a simple tale of a scorned woman settling the score? 

Well, yes and no. There’s more to learn about Liv’s marriage to handsome, charismatic Will (Oliver Jackson-Cohen), her relationship with her abrasive mother (Claire Rushbrook) and what brought the newlyweds to the US in the first place. There’s more sleuthing for Liv to do as she reveals the extent of Will’s philandering, and there’s some commentary on the trope of the slighted wife and how reductive it can be.  

But there certainly isn’t six episode’s worth of material, so “Wilderness” ends up feeling stretched thin in some places, and overly padded in others. Ironically, after congratulating itself for reflexively highlighting how women are always assumed to be the unhinged victims of male misbehavior, the show decides to rob Liv of much of her agency. She’s either reacting to things Will has done, or scrabbling to adjust when his web of lies throws up another curveball. 

Coleman is captivating, that’s for sure, but she’s slightly penned in by a character who flits from empowered decisiveness to pleading submissive so easily that it’s hard to get a firm handle on exactly who Liv is. At times, she’s steely and cold, at others she falls foul of many of the tropes “Wilderness” attempts to send up.  

“Wilderness” is certainly a gorgeous, stylish show. It’s just a shame that it’s two episodes – and twists – too long.


Bruno Mars hits the stage with ‘Uptown Funk’ in Saudi Arabia’s AlUla

Bruno Mars hits the stage with ‘Uptown Funk’ in Saudi Arabia’s AlUla
Updated 30 September 2023
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Bruno Mars hits the stage with ‘Uptown Funk’ in Saudi Arabia’s AlUla

Bruno Mars hits the stage with ‘Uptown Funk’ in Saudi Arabia’s AlUla

DUBAI: Grammy-winning singer Bruno Mars was joined on stage at the Azimuth Canyon in AlUla by Saudi DJ Shaolin and DJ Loush on Friday night.

Mars’s performance was held at the same site that hosted the contemporary outdoor art exhibition Desert X AlUla in 2022 and where the flagship music and entertainment festival Azimuth took place the week prior.

The US singer-songwriter hit the stage with some of his greatest hits, including “Just The Way You Are” and “Uptown Funk” as the crowd sang along.

Meanwhile, DJ Shaolin previously hit the stage at some of Saudi Arabia’s leading events, including XP, MDLBEAST BRIJ, and the Red Sea International Film Festival, and has been a Resident DJ at Riyadh’s Black Tap since 2022. DJ Loush has played at MDLBEAST, F1, and the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

The concert marked the launch of the AlUla Moments’ 2023/24 concert series.


Arab movies ‘Inshallah a Boy,’ ‘Bye Bye Tiberias’ join Oscars race 

Arab movies ‘Inshallah a Boy,’ ‘Bye Bye Tiberias’ join Oscars race 
Updated 29 September 2023
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Arab movies ‘Inshallah a Boy,’ ‘Bye Bye Tiberias’ join Oscars race 

Arab movies ‘Inshallah a Boy,’ ‘Bye Bye Tiberias’ join Oscars race 

DUBAI: Jordan has submitted Amjad Al-Rasheed’s movie “Inshallah a Boy” and Palestine submitted Lina Soualem’s documentary “Bye Bye Tiberias” for consideration in the Best International Feature Film category at the 96th Academy Awards, it was announced this week. 

This means that both films are considered for the shortlist. If the Arab movies get shortlisted, they could then get nominated for an Academy Award.

“Inshallah a Boy” was the first Jordanian film to compete in the Cannes Film Festival in May. The feature film was chosen to compete in Cannes Critics’ Week, a subsidiary event that ran alongside the 76th edition of the festival. 

“Bye Bye Tiberias” is by Lina Soualem. (Supplied)

The film, titled “Inshallah Walad” in Arabic, portrays the narrative of a young widow, Nawal, and her daughter, who are about to lose their home. 

The 90-minute film was shot last year in the Jordanian capital Amman over the course of five weeks. It received a Jordan Film Fund and Royal Film Commission production grant in 2019, as well as a post-production grant in 2022. 

In the much-hyped documentary “Bye Bye Tiberias,” Soualem, who is French, Palestinian and Algerian, captures the stories passed on by four generations of Palestinian women in her family, one of whom is her mother Hiam Abbass, the actress whose credits include “Succession,” “Ramy,” “Inheritance” and “Munich.”  

Soualem accompanies her mother and questions her choices as Abbass returns to her native Palestinian village 30 years after she left in her early 20s to follow her dream of becoming an actress in Europe, leaving behind her mother, grandmother, and seven sisters.  

The film will screen in the Documentary Competition section of the 67th BFI London Film Festival, set to take place from Oct. 4 – 15, 2023. 

Jordan and Palestine are not the only two Arab countries that submitted movies for the Oscars. 

Egypt has selected Mohamed Farag-starring “Voy Voy Voy!” while Yemen has selected director Amr Gamal’s “The Burdened” and Tunisia is competing with Kaouther Ben Hania’s “Four Daughters.”

Morocco has selected Asmae El Moudir’s documentary “The Mother of All Lies.”