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Jeddah’s Islamic Arts Biennale celebrates Ramadan with Biennale Nights

Running from March 6-15, the Ramadan Market welcomes visitors daily from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m., offering a vibrant mix of activities and attractions. (SPA)
Running from March 6-15, the Ramadan Market welcomes visitors daily from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m., offering a vibrant mix of activities and attractions. (SPA)
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Updated 15 March 2025
Nada Hameed
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Jeddah’s Islamic Arts Biennale celebrates Ramadan with Biennale Nights

Jeddah’s Islamic Arts Biennale celebrates Ramadan with Biennale Nights
  • Held at the Western Hajj Terminal at King Abdulaziz Airport, the event offers visitors a cultural and spiritual experience
Updated 15 March 2025
Nada Hameed
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JEDDAH: The Diriyah Biennale Foundation has unveiled Biennale Nights, a special Ramadan program at the Islamic Arts Biennale in Jeddah.

Held at the Western Hajj Terminal at King Abdulaziz International Airport, the event runs until May 25, offering visitors a cultural and spiritual experience that celebrates the holy month while showcasing Saudi Arabia’s rich Islamic heritage.




Under the warm glow of Ramadan nights, visitors at the Islamic Arts Biennale in Jeddah come together to celebrate faith, art, and tradition. (Supplied)

During Ramadan, visitors can take part in workshops featuring Arabic calligraphy and traditional craftsmanship, as well as interactive experiences exploring the artistic expressions associated with the holy month.

Sharing his experience, Ahmed Ramadan told Arab News: “This was my first time visiting the Islamic Arts Biennale, but I had planned to go for a while. When they announced the Ramadan events, I got even more excited. I feel that there is a strong connection between Ramadan activities and Islamic arts. I came with a group of friends, and we found many activities that suited young people.”

HIGHLIGHTS

• Guests can explore an array of international cuisines, indulge in specialty delicacies like dates, honey and chocolates, and enjoy traditional beverages such as Karak and Arabic coffee.

• The market also features henna art, storytelling sessions for children and game wagons, creating an engaging atmosphere for families.

He added: “We played some group games, enjoyed a variety of food, including traditional Saudi dishes and Ramadan sweets popular in the western region. Honestly, it was a wonderful experience.




The Islamic Arts Biennale serves as a global platform for dialogue and exploration of Islamic arts. (Supplied)

“The timing, in the middle of Ramadan, was ideal, after the initial days of the month, which are usually packed with family gatherings and invitations. It was a great opportunity for my friends and me to come together in such a unique place.”

Running from March 6-15, the Ramadan Market welcomes visitors daily from 8 p.m. to 2:00 a.m., offering a vibrant mix of activities and attractions.




Under the warm glow of Ramadan nights, visitors at the Islamic Arts Biennale in Jeddah come together to celebrate faith, art, and tradition. (Supplied)

Guests can explore an array of international cuisines, indulge in specialty delicacies like dates, honey and chocolates, and enjoy traditional beverages such as Karak and Arabic coffee.

The market also features henna art, storytelling sessions for children and game wagons, creating an engaging atmosphere for families.




Under the warm glow of Ramadan nights, visitors at the Islamic Arts Biennale in Jeddah come together to celebrate faith, art, and tradition. (Supplied)

Adding to the festive spirit, live music and cultural performances take place, while visitors can find unique Ramadan-themed gifts at the Biennale Design Store.

For many, the Ramadan Market has been a memorable experience.

Walaa Ali, a visitor from Jeddah, said: “The venue offered a diverse range of activities specifically designed for the holy month of Ramadan. What made these activities special was how well they aligned with the spirit of the month, covering various disciplines and formats — some were workshops, others were entertainment spaces and some featured food.”

Rowa Haddad from Makkah said: “I found it to be the perfect place to visit with my family. The venue offers a variety of activities that cater to all family members, and what makes it even more special is the spiritual Islamic theme that fits both the location and the essence of this holy month. That’s why visiting this place was an excellent choice for us.”

In partnership with the Red Sea Film Foundation, the biennale also presents a curated selection of film screenings, delving into themes of resilience, faith and identity from across the Islamic world.

These experiences offer visitors a meaningful way to engage with art, culture and heritage, blending traditional Islamic aesthetics with contemporary artistic expression.

The Ramadan Market offers iftar and suhoor options, including curated iftar menus for pre-booked gatherings featuring dishes inspired by Saudi and Middle Eastern cuisines.

The Islamic Arts Biennale serves as a global platform for dialogue and exploration of Islamic arts. It is held at the Western Hajj Terminal in Jeddah, an award-winning architectural site that has long served as a gateway for pilgrims traveling to Makkah and Madinah.

The first biennale welcomed more than 600,000 visitors, and the second expands on this success with an even richer program.

The Ramadan events are open to all biennale visitors. Registration is available through the official website at biennale.org.sa.

 

Topics: Ramadan 2025 The Diriyah Biennale Foundation Biennale Nights Jeddah King Abdulaziz International Airport (KAIA)

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Saudi Signage and Labelling Expo returns to Riyadh

Saudi Signage and Labelling Expo returns to Riyadh
Updated 27 sec ago
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Saudi Signage and Labelling Expo returns to Riyadh

Saudi Signage and Labelling Expo returns to Riyadh
  • Expo runs from May 20-22 at Riyadh Exhibition Center hosting over 150 exhibitors from 15 countries
  • Event will be held alongside newly launched Saudi Paper and Packaging Expo
Updated 27 sec ago

RIYADH: The Saudi Signage and Labelling Expo, the Middle East’s leading event for the digital, print, graphic and imaging sectors, returns to Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center from May 20–22.

Exhibition organizer dmg events told Arab News that the event remains the Kingdom’s largest platform for industry professionals to connect, source new solutions and drive business growth in the signage and labeling sectors.

Co-located with the newly launched Saudi Paper and Packaging Expo, the events bring together over 14,000 industry professionals to explore the latest products, technologies and services shaping the signage, labeling, print and packaging industries.

As a response to the Kingdom’s evolving demand for signage and packaging industries, the events come at a time when the country’s signage market is projected to reach $492 million by 2027, driven by increased adoption across retail, hospitality, transportation, healthcare and corporate environments. At the same time, the paper and paperboard packaging market is estimated to hit $2.84 billion by 2029.

With businesses working towards capitalizing on this upward trajectory, the events will showcase more than 150 exhibitors from over 15 countries including Germany, Turkiye, China, India, Taiwan and Italy, highlighting over 2,500 products and services.

“Building on the success of the inaugural event last year, the expo has expanded by 80 percent to meet the growing demand for unique and progressive solutions in the signage, print and branding sectors,” said Muhammed Kazi, senior vice president of construction at dmg events.

“With the addition of Saudi Paper and Packaging Expo, we are creating a comprehensive marketplace that addresses the industry’s evolving needs, offering visitors and exhibitors an unparalleled platform for business growth and innovation,” he added.

The event will host leading international and regional exhibitors, including CMYK, offering advanced printing solutions; Digital Star Machinery and Equipments, specializing in signage production technology; Desert Sign Arabia, a key player in large-format printing; Alnab Almoudeei Trading, a distributor of digital printing materials; and Euro Media, known for high-quality graphic and imaging solutions.

The Saudi Paper and Packaging Expo brings together leading brands such as APP Sinarmas, a global supplier of paper-based solutions; Tetra Pak, a pioneer in food and beverage packaging; and Saudi Paper Group, a regional leader in tissue and packaging materials.

The event will highlight advancements in sustainable packaging, flexible printing and automation, allowing businesses to explore new solutions and partnerships.

Topics: Riyadh Saudi Arabia

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Saudi Arabia launches pavilion at Muscat International Book Fair

Saudi Arabia launches pavilion at Muscat International Book Fair
Updated 25 April 2025
Arab News
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Saudi Arabia launches pavilion at Muscat International Book Fair

Saudi Arabia launches pavilion at Muscat International Book Fair
  • Literature commission highlights ‘deep cultural bonds’ with Oman
  • Will connect Saudi, global publishers, says CEO Abdullatif Al-Wasel 
Updated 25 April 2025
Arab News

RIYADH: The Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission has inaugurated Saudi Arabia’s pavilion at the 2025 Muscat International Book Fair, which is running until May 3.

Abdullatif Al-Wasel, CEO of the commission, in a statement, said of the event which started on Thursday: “The Saudi participation reflects the deep cultural bonds between Saudi Arabia and Oman.

“The commission seeks to strengthen collaboration in literature, publishing and translation fields, highlighting the cultural vitality and knowledge advancement flourishing in both nations.”

Al-Wasel said the fair creates significant opportunities for the book industry by connecting Saudi Arabia’s publishers with their international counterparts.

The participants at the fair include the King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language, King Abdulaziz Foundation for Research and Archives, and the King Abdulaziz Public Library.

Also present are the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance, King Fahd Complex for the Printing of the Holy Qur’an, the Publishing Association, and Taibah University.

The participation aligns with Saudi Arabia’s efforts to enhance cultural ties with Oman while promoting cultural-sector investment opportunities, Al-Wasel stated.

The Kingdom’s pavilion will feature a program of literary seminars, panel discussions, and poetry evenings featuring prominent Saudi Arabia intellectuals and writers.

Topics: literature Literature Publishing and Translation Commission (LPT) Saudi Arabia Muscat International Book Fair

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How Saudi Arabia can balance its AI infrastructure and sustainable water usage

How Saudi Arabia can balance its AI infrastructure and sustainable water usage
Updated 25 April 2025
Ghadi Joudah
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How Saudi Arabia can balance its AI infrastructure and sustainable water usage

How Saudi Arabia can balance its AI infrastructure and sustainable water usage
  • While AI’s energy demands are widely known, its vast and growing water footprint remains largely out of sight
  • Experts urge early-stage planning and water-smart designs to reduce risk and future-proof AI growth in arid climates
Updated 25 April 2025
Ghadi Joudah

RIYADH: Artificial intelligence has opened up remarkable new possibilities — but beneath its sleek, digital surface lies an overlooked environmental cost: Water.

While debates over AI’s energy demands have captured headlines, its vast and growing water footprint remains largely out of sight. That blind spot, experts warn, could carry serious consequences.

Salah Al-Kafrawi, senior consultant at EY for data and AI, told Arab News: “We have no universal approach to assess how much water is consumed while using or training AI,” leaving the true scale of the problem poorly understood.

Although a few tech firms publish rough water usage estimates, most businesses — from e-commerce to aviation — remain unaware of their consumption. “Many aren’t even aware of their water footprint,” Al-Kafrawi said

Even available data likely underestimates reality by a factor of 10 or more. In a world facing increasing water scarcity, AI’s mounting thirst is a silent crisis — one that demands innovation, transparency and smarter systems.

AI’s water usage is complex. It includes both direct consumption, such as cooling servers, and indirect usage tied to the electricity that powers them.

“AI requires significant data for training and evaluation, along with electricity to operate and cooling systems to prevent overheating,” Al-Kafrawi said.

That electricity often comes from water-intensive power sources. Coal-fired and nuclear plants, for instance, consume “millions of gallons of water daily” for steam production and cooling — a hidden environmental cost rarely accounted for in sustainability reports.

Meanwhile, data centers use vast amounts of water to stop their servers from overheating.

An artist's rendition of the data center of KAUST. (KAUST photo)

“Data centers often use water cooling towers to dissipate heat generated by their servers,” said Al-Kafrawi, noting this creates “another significant source of water usage.”

This leads to a vicious cycle: AI requires power, power generates heat, and cooling that heat requires more water.

“The combination of water needed for electricity generation and cooling systems means that AI’s water footprint extends far beyond what might be immediately apparent,” Al-Kafrawi said.

In Saudi Arabia, where water is scarce and AI infrastructure is booming, managing this balance is becoming increasingly urgent.

Abdulelah Al-Shehri, assistant professor of chemical engineering at King Saud University, said that most global data centers rely on potable water — despite its scarcity.

“Water purity directly affects a system’s lifespan,” he said. Indeed, reclaimed water can risk corrosion and microbial contamination, though efforts to safely reuse non-potable sources are gaining traction.

Most global data centers rely on potable water, putting pressure on scarce supply. (AFP photo)

Currently, most data centers in the Kingdom use hybrid cooling systems.

“Saudi data centers rely on high-efficiency mechanical cooling systems combining air-cooled and water-cooled chillers,” said Al-Shehri, referencing Microsoft’s climate-adaptive guidelines and the Saudi Telecom Company’s 2023 Sustainability Report.

Even these efficient systems come with a significant toll. Al-Shehri said that cooling infrastructure for the country’s 300 MW of operational data centers consumes between 2.3 and 2.8 liters of water per kilowatt-hour.

“If we look at current capacity operating at full load year-round, annual water use would approach 6.7 million cubic meters,” he warned — roughly the same amount used by 160,000 Saudi households each year.

And this is just the beginning. Al-Shehri projected that capacity could more than quadruple to 1,300 MW within five years — putting total water use on par with the needs of 700,000 households.

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“These figures only capture direct water use for cooling,” he added. The indirect cost, tied to fossil fuel-based energy production, remains even greater.

Despite the growing demand, Al-Shehri said that there are promising solutions — but they require investment and vision.

“Multiple solutions are emerging to reduce water usage in data center cooling, though investors often hesitate because of the intensive capital investment and costly retrofits.”

Among the most promising ideas is rethinking traditional cooling standards. “Microsoft and Google have piloted these so-called ‘high-temperature data centers,’ which would effectively drive the direct water footprint to zero,” he said.

Raising operating temperatures from 21 degrees Celsius to as high as 35 Celsius allows systems to rely more on air than water.

Other technologies focus on recycling heat. “Absorption chillers can reclaim up to 40 percent of waste heat here and repurpose it for cooling,” said Al-Shehri, pointing to global examples such as Swiss company Infomaniak, which now uses server heat to warm 6,000 homes.

The Swiss company Infomaniak uses absorption chillers to reclaim waste heat, which it then sells to warm 6,000 homes. (X: @infomaniak_de)

There is also the energy mix to consider. “Diversifying energy sources for AI power isn’t a simple swap,” he said. “It hinges on resource availability, proximity to data centers, and the water footprint.”

Research shows that solar and wind are the most water-efficient sources. By contrast, biomass — a widely promoted renewable option — can consume “up to 100 times more water than natural gas,” Al-Shehri said.

Another overlooked cost comes from the treatment and transportation of water itself — a point highlighted by Abdullah Al-Otaibi, Saudi Arabia managing director at global water solutions firm Ecolab.

“Water must be moved, heated, cooled and treated to be fit for business use, which requires energy,” Al-Otaibi told Arab News. He framed water and energy as interconnected levers — what scientists call the “water-energy nexus.”

“Water serves a dual purpose in data centers. It cools infrastructure directly and gets consumed indirectly when generating the electricity that powers high-performance computing,” he said.

Failing to manage this interdependency is risky. “Overlooking water creates risk — particularly in regions like Saudi Arabia, where water is scarce, and digital infrastructure is expanding rapidly.”

DID YOU KNOW?

• AI systems consume large volumes of water through energy generation and data center cooling.  

• High-temperature data centers and heat-recycling systems offer promising ways to reduce direct water use.  

• Experts urge early-stage planning and water-smart designs to reduce risk and future-proof AI growth.

Al-Otaibi said that better data and AI tools can help companies to understand and reduce their water and energy footprints. “With the right data and technologies, businesses can make water use more visible — and more manageable,” he said.

Ecolab’s audits show significant gains are possible. Their tools have helped clients to cut water usage by 44 percent, energy by 22 percent and emissions by 12 percent, all while improving reliability.

“Water efficiency can become a business enabler — supporting uptime and sustainability targets at the same time,” Al-Otaibi said.

With AI infrastructure expanding rapidly across the Gulf, Al-Otaibi urged stakeholders to act now — especially in design stages. “The key is starting early — smart water strategies begin before construction,” he said.

He cited Ecolab’s partnership with global data center operator Digital Realty, where their AI-driven system is expected to reduce water use by up to 15 percent and prevent the withdrawal of 126 million gallons of potable water annually.

For Saudi Arabia, where water is precious and technology ambitions are vast, that kind of efficiency is not just smart — it is essential.


 

Topics: Eye On AI

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Environment minister leads meeting on Saudi Irrigation Organization’s progress

Environment minister leads meeting on Saudi Irrigation Organization’s progress
Updated 24 April 2025
SPA
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Environment minister leads meeting on Saudi Irrigation Organization’s progress

Environment minister leads meeting on Saudi Irrigation Organization’s progress
  • The board looked at a report on the institution which included performance indicators, achievement rates, and the progress of ongoing projects in various regions of the Kingdom
Updated 24 April 2025
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RIYADH: The Saudi Irrigation Organization’s board of directors held its 24th meeting on Thursday in Riyadh.

The meeting was chaired by the Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Abdulrahman Al-Fadli.

The board looked at a report on the institution which included performance indicators, achievement rates, and the progress of ongoing projects in various regions of the Kingdom.

It also looked into updates on activities and initiatives aimed at improving the efficiency of water resource use and boosting agricultural sustainability.

Board members spoke of their appreciation of the wise leadership’s ongoing support, affirming that the significant attention given to the water sector consolidated sustainability factors, and enhanced the institution’s ability to effectively contribute to achieving Saudi Vision 2030.

The meeting concluded with a series of decisions and directives which aim to enhance institutional performance efficiency, and expand partnership possibilities with the relevant entities.

Topics: Saudi Arabia

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Blue tea cultivation in Jazan highlighted

Blue tea cultivation in Jazan highlighted
Updated 24 April 2025
SPA
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Blue tea cultivation in Jazan highlighted

Blue tea cultivation in Jazan highlighted
  • The cultivation project is a part of Jazan Mountainous Areas Development and Reconstruction Authority’s strategic initiatives to promote sustainable agriculture in the mountainous area of Jazan
  • Project plays a key role in supporting the local economy and expanding income sources within the agricultural sector
Updated 24 April 2025
SPA

RIYADH: The Jazan Mountainous Areas Development and Reconstruction Authority is currently showcasing its expertise in cultivating blue tea.

The showcase is a part of the authority’s participation in Environment Week 2025, organized by the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, with government, private, and nonprofit organizations.

The authority’s pavilion has been visited by a number of people intrigued by blue tea’s nutritional benefits, unique flavor and vibrant color.

The cultivation project is a part of the authority’s strategic initiatives to promote sustainable agriculture in the mountainous area of Jazan.

The project plays a key role in supporting the local economy and expanding income sources within the agricultural sector.

Topics: Saudi Arabia Jazan Blue Tea

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