Saudi artist’s solo exhibition explores fast-evolving society, culture

Update Saudi artist’s solo exhibition explores fast-evolving society, culture
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Saudi artist Ahaad Alamoudi’s first solo exhibition (Supplied)
Update Saudi artist’s solo exhibition explores fast-evolving society, culture
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Update Saudi artist’s solo exhibition explores fast-evolving society, culture
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Local and global art experts discussed the Saudi artist’s work and explored the nature of shifting urban and natural landscapes (Supplied)
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Updated 21 October 2024
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Saudi artist’s solo exhibition explores fast-evolving society, culture

Saudi artist’s solo exhibition explores fast-evolving society, culture
  • Event featuring work of Ahaad Alamoudi runs until Oct. 26

Jeddah: Saudi artist Ahaad Alamoudi’s first institutional solo exhibition, called “Moving Mountains,” is being held at Hayy Jameel and boasts themes that take deep root in the local context.

Emerging artists and art lovers recently gathered for a night of conversations that included a tour led by Alamoudi and curator of Art Jameel Rotana Shaker, which gave an insight into Alamoudi’s work over the past eight years.

The exhibition centers on the new Art Jameel commission “Moving Mountains,” a short film that continues Alamoudi’s examination of fast-evolving social and cultural environments.

It focuses on Saudi Arabia’s natural and urban landscapes as sites where attempts to achieve the impossible are infused with humor, absurdity, and hope.

Other art pieces include the latest in Alamoudi’s ongoing video series, in which two talking falcons face away from each other on back-to-back screens, saying “I don’t remember this being here” and “Do you see what I see?”

Another work, “I Was Told Ice Wouldn’t Melt In Heat,” depicts a man in a white thobe who circles a large ice block in the desert for four hours, trying different methods to stop it from melting in the intense heat.

The tour was followed by a conversation between Alamoudi and Shaker, exploring key themes from the exhibition.

Alamoudi, whose work addresses history, ethnography and representation, told Arab News: “(The exhibition) looks at change from different perspectives. The main work is called ‘Moving Mountains,’ which is a piece commissioned by Hayy Jameel.

“It looks at collective power and the individual power to bring about change, whether building something or forgetting something.”

She added that in “Moving Mountains” she explores the natural and urban landscape of Saudi Arabia as a site that is subject to change and open to many new possibilities.

Local and global art experts discussed the Saudi artist’s work and explored the nature of shifting urban and natural landscapes and artistic practices of image-making, among other topics.

The panel discussions featured Saudi-Palestinian artist Ayman Yossri Daydban; Rut Blees Luxemburg, artist and professor of urban aesthetics at the Royal College of Art; Adrian Lahoud, dean of the School of Architecture at the Royal College of Art; and Shaker.

Alamoudi discussed various subjects such as documentation, approaches in understanding the role of the present within an evolving future, notions of past and present, and navigating landscapes in flux.

The exhibition runs until Oct. 26.


Kingdom shines in Times Higher Education Arab university rankings

Kingdom shines in Times Higher Education Arab university rankings
Updated 11 sec ago
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Kingdom shines in Times Higher Education Arab university rankings

Kingdom shines in Times Higher Education Arab university rankings
  • KAUST tops prestigious regional survey for second consecutive year
  • Saudi Arabia dominates with top 3 places and 5 universities in top 10

RIYADH: Saudi Arabian universities dominated the latest Times Higher Education Arab University Rankings, with King Abdullah University of Science and Technology securing first place for a second consecutive year.

Sharing the results, the Times Higher Education portal said that Saudi Arabia is number one in the 2024 rankings, with the Kingdom claiming all top three places and five universities in the top 10.

“KAUST is number one in the Arab region, thanks to strong performances in the research environment, society, and research quality pillars,” a statement on the portal said.

Following the announcement, KAUST said that the achievement highlights the university’s rapid development under its Accelerating Impact Strategy announced last year.

The top ranking also reflects the university’s “commitment to supporting the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 goals, especially in enhancing the global profile of educational institutions in Saudi Arabia.”

KAUST President Edward Byrne said: “Achieving this distinction for a second consecutive year is a definitive affirmation of KAUST’s exceptional impact.

“It cements our standing as a global hub for innovation and knowledge, elevating Saudi Arabia’s profile on the world stage. This back-to-back success, made possible by everyone at KAUST, underscores our transformative role in shaping a future defined by scientific and technological leadership.”

Consecutive top spots following a second placing in 2022 highlight KAUST’s leadership in Arab and global academic communities.

This follows KAUST’s recent achievement of leading the Middle East with 14 faculty members recognized in the Clarivate Highly Cited Researchers list 2024, reinforcing the university’s research-driven global impact.

Following KAUST in the Times Higher Education rankings, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals is ranked second, King Saud University third, King Abdulaziz University fifth, and King Khalid University 10th.

Jordan entered the top 10 for the first time with the University of Jordan in ninth position, while Egypt rejoined the top 10 with Cairo University in eighth place.

Gulf states were also strongly represented, with Qatar University ranked fourth, and Khalifa University and United Arab Emirates University ranked sixth and seventh, respectively.

Iraq is now the most-represented country with 45 ranked institutions.

The UAE’s average overall score of 64 is the highest in the region, based on countries with at least 10 universities ranked.

This year the Times Higher Education survey ranked a record 238 universities or institutions — up from 207 last year — from 16 countries or territories. Syria also made its debut in the ranking.

“The methodology is based on the same framework as our World University Rankings, but some adjustments have been made and some new metrics have been included to reflect the features and missions of universities in the Middle East and North Africa,” Times Higher Education said.

The Times Higher Education World University Rankings, published annually since 2004, is based on 13 performance indicators that measure an institution’s performance across four areas: teaching, research, knowledge transfer, and international outlook.


Support equipment from KSrelief helps Somalis with disabilities

Support equipment from KSrelief helps Somalis with disabilities
Updated 05 December 2024
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Support equipment from KSrelief helps Somalis with disabilities

Support equipment from KSrelief helps Somalis with disabilities
  • The initiative, carried out in partnership with the UN Development Program, is part of the Capacity Development and Empowerment for People with Disabilities project in Somalia

RIYADH: Saudi aid agency KSrelief has delivered a range of support equipment to the Somali National Disability Agency.

The initiative, carried out in partnership with the UN Development Program, is part of the Capacity Development and Empowerment for People with Disabilities project in Somalia which benefits 22,600 people.

The delivery ceremony was attended by the charge d’affaires of the Saudi embassy in Somalia, Mohammed Al-Budairi, and the director of the KSrelief branch in Africa, Yazid bin Abdullah Hamoud. Representing Somalia were Minister of Family and Human Rights Development Bashir Mohamed Jama, members of the Council of Ministers, members of parliament, diplomats and dignitaries.

The project aims to empower people with disabilities by providing access to education, vocational training and employment opportunities that enhance their independence and dignity. It also seeks to integrate them as active contributors to Somali society and strengthen the capacities of government agencies working in this field by offering technical and operational support.


KSrelief ambulances boost Gaza’s health sector amid challenges

KSrelief ambulances boost Gaza’s health sector amid challenges
Updated 05 December 2024
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KSrelief ambulances boost Gaza’s health sector amid challenges

KSrelief ambulances boost Gaza’s health sector amid challenges

RIYADH: The health sector in Gaza has been bolstered by 20 fully equipped ambulances from Saudi aid agency KSrelief, reported Saudi Press Agency.

The move comes as the Strip faces humanitarian challenges and repeated targeting of critical infrastructure, including ambulances and other health services.

The vehicles have significantly helped emergency response capabilities in the area, playing a vital role in treating the wounded and transferring them rapidly to medical centers.


KSrelief volunteers aim to combat blindness in Ivory Coast

KSrelief volunteers aim to combat blindness in Ivory Coast
Updated 05 December 2024
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KSrelief volunteers aim to combat blindness in Ivory Coast

KSrelief volunteers aim to combat blindness in Ivory Coast

RIYADH: Saudi aid agency KSrelief’s Noor Saudi volunteer project to combat blindness and its causes was implemented in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, last month.

During the campaign, which ran for a week, KSrelief's volunteer medical team examined 4,000 cases, performed 406 specialized eye surgeries, and distributed 1,154 pairs of eyeglasses.

The initiative is one of the humanitarian and relief projects carried out by the aid agency to support the medical sector and assist low-income patients suffering from eye diseases in various countries.


‘Simsimiyya’: Saudi, Egyptian musical instrument joins UNESCO’s intangible heritage list

‘Simsimiyya’: Saudi, Egyptian musical instrument joins UNESCO’s intangible heritage list
Updated 05 December 2024
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‘Simsimiyya’: Saudi, Egyptian musical instrument joins UNESCO’s intangible heritage list

‘Simsimiyya’: Saudi, Egyptian musical instrument joins UNESCO’s intangible heritage list
  • Saudi Arabia supported an Egyptian request to inscribe the Simsimiyya on UNESCO’s list 

RIYADH: Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan, Saudi minister of culture and chairman of the Heritage Preservation Society, has announced the success of including the Simsimiyya musical instrument in UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage list. 

Saudi Arabia supported on Wednesday an Egyptian request to inscribe the Simsimiyya on UNESCO’s list during the 19th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. 

Simsimiyya is part of Saudi culture in coastal towns, and is used to play traditional music at weddings and festivals alongside songs narrating stories of sailors and social life near the sea, the Saudi Press Agency reported. 

The Simsimiyya, which is made from a wooden box or bowl lyre with strings, is also famous in Egypt. 

It is the latest Saudi cultural element to be added to UNESCO’s intangible heritage list. Other elements were Saudi Khawlani coffee beans, the art of engraving on metals, the Harees dish, Arabic calligraphy, and the palm tree. 

Simsimiyya has passed down through the generations in Saudi Arabia and become part of the Kingdom’s artistic identity and collective memory, and is still played at cultural and social events, SPA reported.