Saudi artist Rana Alsaggaf: ‘I hope my work inspires people to explore these places’ 

Saudi artist Rana Alsaggaf: ‘I hope my work inspires people to explore these places’ 
'Makkah Gate' by Rana Alsaggaf. (Supplied)
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Updated 20 March 2025
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Saudi artist Rana Alsaggaf: ‘I hope my work inspires people to explore these places’ 

'Makkah Gate' - Rana Alsaggaf
  • The Saudi artist’s sketches of landmarks from her homeland are on display at the Islamic Arts Biennale

JEDDAH: Rana Alsaggaf has carved her own space in the Saudi art scene with her intricate sketches of landmarks from across the Kingdom. With a background in interior design and master’s degrees in entrepreneurship and innovation as well as international art and culture management, her practice is deeply rooted in both technical knowledge and a passion for heritage. 




Rana Alsaggaf. (Supplied)

Recently, she had the honor of showcasing her work at the second Islamic Art Biennale in Jeddah, an experience she describes as both meaningful and humbling. 

“It’s an opportunity to present my work in a space that celebrates the intersection of faith, culture, and artistic expression,” she told Arab News. 

Alsaggaf is showcasing “Sacred Journeys” at the biennale, which runs until May 25. It is a collection of works that visually narrate the journey from Jeddah to Makkah, a path traveled by millions of pilgrims. It was installed at the Jeddah Airport Pilgrims Gateway, a setting that naturally resonated with the work. 




'Bab Al-Salam Gate.' (Supplied)  

“This route is more than just a road, it is a transition into a sacred experience,” Alsaggaf explained. “By sketching its key landmarks, I wanted to highlight the gateways that pilgrims pass through on their way to Makkah. I hope my work inspires people to explore these places and to connect with their history in a way that feels tangible and relevant today.” 

Alsaggaf’s artistic process always begins with firsthand exploration. She visits the sites, sketches on location whenever possible, and refines her compositions by focusing on perspective, architectural details, and the emotions these places evoke. Research also plays a key role in her work; she digs into the history of each landmark, uncovering stories that add depth to the experience. 

To enhance this connection, with each artwork she includes a card sharing insights about the location. By keeping her color palette minimal, she ensures the focus remains on the form, history, and character of each landmark. 




'Historic city wall of Jeddah' by Rana Alsaggaf. (Supplied)

Alsaggaf chose to highlight the pilgrimage gates because of their historical and functional significance, as well as their strong connection to the Islamic Art Biennale’s location. 

“These gates mark important entry points for travelers and pilgrims, making them both symbolic and relevant. Each one represents a threshold, a moment of arrival and transition on the journey to Makkah,” she said. 

Through her art, Alsaggaf hopes to spark curiosity and inspire people to visit these sites, experiencing their significance firsthand. “I want my sketches to create a sense of connection,” she stated. To enhance this connection, she draws from an eye-level perspective, making viewers feel as though they are standing right in front of the landmarks. Her illustrations act as a bridge between the past and present, preserving the spiritual and cultural heritage of the Hajj. 

“These places are not just remnants of the past; they continue to welcome travelers and pilgrims every day. Through my art, I want to ensure they remain part of our cultural dialogue,” Alsaggaf said. 

While her work is rooted in direct observation, Alsaggaf takes care to research each site’s historical context. However, rather than reconstructing what no longer exists, she prefers to depict landmarks as they stand today, emphasizing their continued presence and relevance. 

“The biggest challenge is capturing the depth of the experience in a way that feels immediate and real. I wanted my sketches to reflect the emotional weight of the journey while staying true to the landmarks’ current state,” she explained. “Balancing simplicity with meaning was key.” 

Jeddah’s Rawasheen, the intricately carved wooden balconies found on historic buildings, have been a recurring theme in Alsaggaf’s work. Beyond their striking appearance, they represent the layered history of Jeddah as a gateway for travelers and pilgrims. 

“For me, they are windows into the soul of the city, reflecting both its past and its living heritage,” she said. 

These ornate facades are a symbol of craftsmanship, cultural exchange, and architectural identity — elements that Alsaggaf is passionate about preserving through her sketches. 




'The Pilgrim's Gateway' by Rana Alsaggaf. (Supplied)

Alsaggaf uses her Instagram page, Wings Over Saudi, to share her art — which includes paintings as well as sketches — with a wider audience. The name was inspired by a legendary Jeddah folktale involving seagulls, and reflects her artistic vision of movement, exploration, and perspective. 

“It represents the way I approach my art, not just as static images, but as invitations to discover Saudi’s landscapes, cities, and cultural landmarks,” she explained. 

Her collection of paintings titled “Reflections of Jeddah” is a tribute to the coastal city’s historic streets. Created in her studio within Jeddah’s heritage district, the series captures the play of light, shadow, and intricate designs that define its acclaimed architecture. 

“Through these works, I aim to preserve Jeddah’s historic charm while celebrating its enduring cultural significance,” she said. 

Another series, “Sketchbook Journey,” highlights the wider Kingdom’s diverse architecture, from grand mosques to ancient alleyways.  

“Each piece in this series honors Saudi Arabia’s architectural legacy, preserving its beauty for future generations while encouraging a deeper appreciation for the artistry and heritage that define the Kingdom,” she said. 

Alsaggaf sees endless opportunities to continue exploring and documenting her homeland.  

“There are so many incredible landmarks still to capture,” she said. “I want to keep sketching, discovering, and sharing the beauty of these places with others.” 


Mohammed Al-Turki attends ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ premiere at Cannes

Mohammed Al-Turki attends ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ premiere at Cannes
Updated 37 min 7 sec ago
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Mohammed Al-Turki attends ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ premiere at Cannes

Mohammed Al-Turki attends ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ premiere at Cannes

DUBAI: Saudi film producer Mohammed Al-Turki was spotted at the red carpet premiere of “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” at the 78th annual Cannes Film Festival on Wednesday.  

Al-Turki, who previously served as CEO of the Red Sea International Film Festival, wore a midnight blue Berluti ensemble for the occasion. His look featured a satin and Super 200s micro design wool three-piece tuxedo, styled with a matching midnight blue bow tie and cotton shirt. He completed the outfit with black patent leather loafers.

Al-Turki posed for photos alongside Egyptian actress Yousra before the film’s screening. (Getty Images)

He posed for photos alongside Egyptian actress Yousra before the film’s screening.

US actor Greg Tarzan Davis, US actress Angela Bassett, US actor and producer Tom Cruise, French actress Pom Klementieff, US film director, screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie leave after the screening of the film 'Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning' at the 78th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes. (Getty Images)

“Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” stars Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell and Ving Rhames, continuing the story from 2023’s “Dead Reckoning – Part One.” The sequel follows Ethan Hunt and his team as they face off against the Entity, a rogue AI threatening global security. With the previous installment underperforming at the box office, this chapter is seen as a crucial release for the franchise.

The film is scheduled to hit theaters on May 22.


Saudi digital artist Maryam Tariq: ‘Art became a way to communicate with the world’ 

Saudi digital artist Maryam Tariq: ‘Art became a way to communicate with the world’ 
Updated 15 May 2025
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Saudi digital artist Maryam Tariq: ‘Art became a way to communicate with the world’ 

Saudi digital artist Maryam Tariq: ‘Art became a way to communicate with the world’ 

DUBAI: Against a black background, parts of a face emerge: a chin, followed by lips, ears and eyes — at times alone and at others in unison — colored in yellow, light pink and purple, accompanied by what appear to be lines of TV static in the same colors.  

This digital work, “Memory Recall,” is the latest creation of Jeddah-based Saudi artist Maryam Tariq, which she presented in the digital section of Art Dubai in April, at the booth of Jeddah’s Hafez Gallery. Over the past five years, Tariq, who was born and raised in Yanbu, has made a name for herself with her mixed-media artworks, often utilizing light and 3D projection mapping. 

This digital work, “Memory Recall,” is the latest creation of Jeddah-based Saudi artist Maryam Tariq. (Supplied)

“Memory Recall” creates an alluring, dream-like environment. Tariq says it references human perception just after birth. The work was influenced by philosophical theories about early human development, particularly those of German psychoanalyst Erich Neumann.  

“I wanted to bring back the faded memory of when we were first born and our consciousness was still forming,” she tells Arab News. “It’s an abstract memory because our brain is still trying to make sense of the world; it doesn’t know the difference between an eye or an apple. 

“I feel the artwork represents a good place — a place where our ego hasn’t yet been formed,” she continues. “It’s a good place to try and be in from time to time.”  

The work offers a sense of what she calls “mystical participation,” referring to the period where a newborn has yet to identify themselves as an individual and is trying to make sense of the world around them. By prompting the viewer to delve back into such a state through the work’s dynamic interplay of light and shadows heightened with color, Tariq strives to remove the sense of “I” that dominates our collective experience.  

Tariq’s interest in creating art came early in life, she says, inspired by her father. 

“My father is an engineer and also an artist, but it’s more of a hobby for him,” she tells Arab News. As a child she would watch him sketch and paint and wanted to do the same.  

Her work largely focuses on exploring sacred geometry and the spiritual principles that shape nature, resulting in surreal works bridging the realm of digital and traditional art. (Supplied) 

“It was our way to spend time together. As a child I wasn’t especially talkative or social and art became a way for me to communicate with the world, my friends and family,” she explains. 

Tariq studied animation at Effat University in Jeddah, and earned her diploma in visual and digital production, which she describes as being similar to filmmaking, as it has a strong focus on storytelling. 

Since then, her work has largely focused on exploring sacred geometry and the spiritual principles that shape nature, resulting in surreal works bridging the realm of digital and traditional art. 

In 2020 she launched The Golden Ratio, her own media art agency, which has since produced immersive visual experiences for music festivals and concerts alongside DJs and producers across the Gulf region and Europe.  

Her first solo exhibition, “Remembering the Future,” took place at Hafez Gallery in Jeddah in 2021, and was followed by her inclusion in the 2022 exhibition “Re-appearing Imaginaries” at the Misk Art Institute in Riyadh as well as in Noor Riyadh that same year. In 2023, she showed her work at the Sharjah Islamic Arts Festival and in 2024 she was part of the Noise Media Art fair in Vienna, Austria.  

Tariq recently completed a stint at the Artist Inn Residency in Ubud, Bali, which prompted her to embrace nature and traditional art forms while also distancing herself a little from the tech that dominates daily life.  

“I feel sometimes I get exhausted from using too much technology and feel like just going back to nature and using my hands. So that’s what I did,” she says. “I learned how to sculpt. And after I took it into the digital world. It was a nice experience to mix both. 

“I feel drawn to the digital realm because it’s fun and you can do so much with it; you can go wild with your imagination,” she continues. “But I also feel more involved with traditional (art). While technology is always being updated — always growing with new things to do and explore — I also love the traditional. I feel, sometimes, the need to strike a balance between both.” 

Through her art, Tariq hopes to offer her viewers an experience of escape, contemplation and possibly a shift in perception. 

“I want to take them to this place where they are calm and are just a baby again, experiencing the world for the first time to make sense of things,” she says of “Memory Recall.” “It’s an experience where color is new, and everything is new. I want to offer this perspective of looking at the world with pure eyes.” 


Saudi-backed ‘Promised Sky’ premieres in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard section 

Saudi-backed ‘Promised Sky’ premieres in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard section 
Updated 15 May 2025
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Saudi-backed ‘Promised Sky’ premieres in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard section 

Saudi-backed ‘Promised Sky’ premieres in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard section 

DUBAI: Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Fund-backed feature “Promised Sky” premiered at the 78th Cannes Film Festival as part of the Un Certain Regard section on the event’s second day. 

Directed by Erige Sehiri, the film is among the latest international projects supported by the Red Sea Film Foundation, which champions emerging filmmakers. 

The premiere was attended by Sehiri and lead cast members Deborah Naney, Aissa Maiga and Laetitia Ky, who gathered for the film’s official screening and red carpet appearance.

“Promised Sky” follows the fate of three women, a pastor, a student and an exiled mother, whose delicate cohabitation shifts when they take in little four-year-old Kenza, rescued from a shipwreck. 


Princess Reema chooses Honayda design for Trump’s departure from Riyadh

Princess Reema chooses Honayda design for Trump’s departure from Riyadh
Updated 15 May 2025
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Princess Reema chooses Honayda design for Trump’s departure from Riyadh

Princess Reema chooses Honayda design for Trump’s departure from Riyadh

DUBAI: As US President Donald Trump concluded his visit to Saudi Arabia and departed for Qatar, Princess Reema bint Bandar, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the United States, again wore a creation by Saudi designer Honayda Serafi.

For the occasion, Princess Reema chose a light pink ensemble consisting of a long, flowing dress paired with a structured overcoat. The overcoat featured a soft floral pattern, with delicate embroidery scattered across its surface. The look was completed with a matching light pink headscarf. 

The outfit followed her look from the day before, when she wore a bespoke royal blue abaya by Serafi during Trump’s official welcome in Riyadh. 

The floor-length abaya featured detailed gold embroidery. The symmetrical patterns extended across the bodice and sleeves, while smaller gold motifs were scattered throughout the lower part of the garment. The look was completed with a matching blue headscarf.

Honayda Serafi, founder of Honayda, posted a statement about Princess Reema’s appearance on Instagram, saying: “I am so pleased and deeply proud to see HRH Princess Reema bint Bandar, our remarkable Saudi Ambassador to the United States, standing as a symbol of strength, progress and leadership, as one of the first women to break barriers and champion women’s empowerment. 

“It is a special moment to see her shine as she welcomes President Trump on his historic visit to Riyadh, wearing a bespoke piece by Honayda for this significant occasion. I look forward to sharing more about the inspiration behind this design,” she added. 

Serafi is known for dressing prominent figures in the Middle East and the rest of the world. Celebrities who have worn her designs include Priyanka Chopra, Lupita Nyong’o and Princess Rajwa Al-Hussein of Jordan.  

She is a favorite of Saudi-born Princess Rajwa and dressed the royal for her henna night festivities in 2023 and for Jordanian King Abdullah II’s silver jubilee celebrations in Amman in 2024.

After leaving Riyadh, Trump is visiting Doha, Qatar, for meetings with Qatari leadership. After this stop, he is scheduled to travel to the UAE, where discussions will continue on economic cooperation, defense partnerships and regional security.


Kaouther Ben Hania and Oscar-winning producers on board to direct film on killing of Palestinian girl

Kaouther Ben Hania and Oscar-winning producers on board to direct film on killing of Palestinian girl
Updated 14 May 2025
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Kaouther Ben Hania and Oscar-winning producers on board to direct film on killing of Palestinian girl

Kaouther Ben Hania and Oscar-winning producers on board to direct film on killing of Palestinian girl
  • Film will dramatize death of Hind Rajab, five-year-old Palestinian girl killed in Gaza earlier this year, whose passing captured global headlines

LONDON: Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania will direct a new feature dramatizing the death of Hind Rajab, the five-year-old Palestinian girl killed in Gaza last year, a Variety report said on Wednesday.

The project, which is currently untitled, is set to be shot in Tunisia and produced by Nadim Cheikhrouha (“Four Daughters”), alongside Oscar-winning producers Odessa Rae (“Navalny”) and James Wilson (“The Zone of Interest”), with backing from Film4.

Hind Rajab’s death became a global symbol of the humanitarian toll of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza following the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attacks.

She was one of thousands of children killed in the conflict, but her story sparked particular international outrage. In one notable protest, student demonstrators at Columbia University renamed occupied buildings in her honor.

Rajab was fleeing Gaza City with members of her family on Jan. 29, 2024, when their car came under Israeli fire, killing her uncle, aunt and three cousins.

Hind was left trapped in the vehicle for hours, speaking with the Palestinian Red Crescent Society by phone as paramedics attempted to reach her.

On Feb. 10, after Israeli forces withdrew from the area, rescuers found the bodies of Hind, the paramedics and the family still inside the vehicle.

Israel initially denied responsibility, but investigations by The Washington Post, Sky News and the research agency, Forensic Architecture, later concluded that Israeli tanks were in the vicinity and had likely fired at the car.

The same investigations indicated an Israeli tank had also targeted the ambulance sent to rescue her.

Ben Hania, one of the Arab world’s most acclaimed filmmakers, has received multiple Academy Award nominations.

Her 2017 feature, “Beauty and the Dogs,” was Tunisia’s Oscar submission, while “The Man Who Sold His Skin” (2020) was nominated for best international feature.

Her latest film, “Four Daughters,” was nominated for best documentary feature at the 2024 Oscars.