JEDDAH: The Italian-Senegal multimedia artist Maïmouna Guerresi comes for the first time to Saudi Arabia to showcase her artwork and introduce it to the Saudi culture through Hafez Gallery.
This is the first solo exhibition, which opens today at Hafez Gallery, of an Italian artist in Jeddah in nearly 20 years, according to Italian Consul General Elisabetta Martini.
“She is the perfect bridge between our two cultures as she is a Muslim Italian artist who has a long, interesting story to tell on Wednesday in the Saudi Art Council,” Martini said on Monday at a press conference of the new initiative of the consul general in Jeddah to boost cultural relations with Saudi Arabia in collaboration with Hafez Gallery.
Hafez Gallery, which serves as a space to nurture the discovery of a Saudi visual identity and participates in international art dialogue, is hosting Guerresi’s solo. Her work focuses on the spirituality of human beings and their relationship to their inner mystical dimension.
Guerresi converted to Islam in 1991 and it marked a turning point in her life by affording her a new identity and direction for her work. She aims at creating awareness of the vital unifying qualities of Islamic spirituality through her use of recurrent metaphors such as milk, light, the hijab, trees and contrasting white and black.
She later began working with recurring themes related to multicultural symbolism and feminine spirituality.
Guerresi said that she had the desire to express herself through art after converting to Islam. “I didn’t want to work or produce any form of art that doesn’t really represent me and reflect who I am,” she said.
Qaswra H. Hafez, owner of Hafez Gallery, said that the gallery hosts six exhibitions each season at its hall in addition to external exhibition, either in Arab cities or international scenes.
“Now, of course, the priority is for Saudi artists, but, in every season, we make sure to feature one international artist to introduce his/her work to the Saudi art connoisseurs,” he said.
The solo exhibition runs through Jan. 25 at the gallery: 6559 King Abdul Aziz Road, Al-Zahra District, Jeddah.
Islamic artist showcases her solo work at Jeddah gallery
Islamic artist showcases her solo work at Jeddah gallery
300 tons of Zamzam supplied daily in Madinah
- To ensure that Zamzam water is safe, a specialized technical staff takes more than 80 samples daily and examines them with the latest equipment
RIYADH: The General Authority for the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque exerts all efforts to provide Zamzam water at the Prophet’s Mosque so that worshippers and visitors can enjoy the blessed water.
The authority supplies 300 tons of Zamzam water, brought daily from Makkah to the mosque in Madinah on bowsers equipped for this purpose, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
To ensure that Zamzam water is safe, a specialized technical staff takes more than 80 samples daily and examines them with the latest equipment.
Meanwhile, Zamazemah Co. and the Coordination Council for Institutions and Companies Serving Domestic Pilgrims (Mutahed) signed a memorandum to provide Zamzam water bottles to domestic pilgrims during Hajj.
Deputy Minister of Hajj and Umrah Dr. Abdulfattah Mashat attended the signing. This agreement aims to ensure high-quality services for pilgrims.
Saudi Arabia a ‘faithful friend’ of Cameroon, says envoy
- Cameroon’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia said that cooperation between his country and the Kingdom has “continued to deepen over the decades”
RIYADH: Cameroon has celebrated its national day at a diplomatic event in Riyadh, with the country’s ambassador hailing Saudi Arabia as a “faithful friend.”
Iya Tidjani, speaking at a reception on Monday in the Saudi capital to mark Cameroon’s 52nd national day, said that cooperation between his country and the Kingdom has “continued to deepen over the decades.”
Riyadh Mayor Prince Faisal bin Abdulaziz bin Ayyaf was the guest at the reception, which was attended by diplomats in Riyadh, Saudi officials and businessmen, the Cameroonian community and embassy staff.
“Since 1966, the year of establishment of relations between the two countries, these ties have continued to deepen and diversify to the mutual benefit of both countries,” Tidjani said.
The ambassador praised Saudi Arabia for sending medical missions every year to support the Cameroonian health sector.
“Our government also expresses sincere thanks to Saudi Arabia for their laudable efforts for the Hajj, both in terms of organization and infrastructure,” he added.
In 2019, the Great Mosque of Maroua in northern Cameroon was inaugurated, built with the support of Saudi Arabia.
The mosque can accommodate up to 5,000 worshipers and is “considered one of the most beautiful achievements in mosque construction in sub-Saharan Africa,” said Tidjani.
The ambassador highlighted Cameroon’s battle against the Boko Haram militant organization, describing Saudi Arabia as a “friend and a major player … as can be seen from its role in the fight against terrorism.”
He added: “Cameroon and Saudi Arabia share similar views on international issues and Cameroon joins the international community to support Saudi Arabia in its effort toward peace in the Middle East and beyond.”
Cameroon’s national day on May 20 saw citizens celebrate the “unity, peace and stability of a country firmly committed to the path of emergence,” the embassy said in a statement.
Saudi center maps 246 areas to fight desertification
RIYADH: The National Center for Vegetation Development and Combating Desertification has completed a significant step in its fight against desertification: the first phase of a project to assess the state of land degradation across the Kingdom, resulting in the creation of 246 detailed maps.
These maps provide valuable insight into desertification trends and the current state of land degradation in different regions, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday.
The center’s teams conducted extensive studies to better understand the processes of desertification and land degradation and to identify effective strategies to combat them.
The project combined cutting-edge technologies and traditional methods to gather data, including geographic information systems, remote sensing techniques, and field surveys.
Fieldwork included collecting soil samples for analysis, studying plant life at designated sites, and analyzing satellite imagery.
The center has launched the second phase of the project, starting in the Riyadh region. During this phase, it will focus on identifying areas most vulnerable to desertification, classifying the causes and types of land degradation, and conducting further field surveys to gather more detailed data.
Arab innovators shine in space exploration contest
- Saudi Space Agency awards 10 winners in arts, botany, engineering
RIYADH: The Saudi Space Agency wrapped up its Space Madak competition on Tuesday by awarding 10 winning contestants prizes for their arts, botany and engineering projects.
Hailing from seven Arab countries, the winners were revealed at a ceremony hosted by the agency at the Communications, Space and Technology Commission headquarters in Riyadh.
The event marked the first anniversary of Saudi Arabia’s “Journey to Space” mission and was attended by the agency’s CEO Mohammed Al-Tamimi, officials, experts, and ambassadors from the winning students’ countries.
The competition, engaging ambitious Arab students, showcased their enthusiasm for space exploration and skills development.
The panel of judges comprised scientists, experts and space enthusiasts.
Following rigorous evaluation rounds, the top 10 contenders were chosen for their exceptional contributions.
In the arts category, winners included Yamen Al-Zaabi from Jordan, Preeti Sami from Egypt, Jawaher Farhan from Bahrain, Rafqa Mansour from Lebanon, and Aline Al-Issa from Saudi Arabia.
Sadan Al-Dosari from Saudi Arabia, Hooriya Basheikh from Morocco, and Fatima Al-Khabouriah from Oman won in the botany category.
Engineering-category winners were Abdulrahman Qattan from Saudi Arabia and Yara Reda from Syria.
The ceremony celebrated the winners and acknowledged the creative endeavors of more than 50 finalists, chosen from a pool of 80,000 submissions vying for prizes totaling SR500,000 ($133,320).
The winning projects will be showcased on the International Space Station, offering an opportunity to advance research, development, and innovation in space exploration while enriching Arab contributions in this field.
The competition represents a significant milestone in the Saudi Space Agency’s mission to support research, development, and innovation within the domain of space exploration.
With a focus on nurturing creative thinking among Arab students, the initiative aims to ignite curiosity about space and inspire breakthroughs in this burgeoning field.
The space mission, carried out by astronauts Rayyanah Barnawi and Ali Al-Qarni, included 14 pioneering scientific experiments.
According to a press release issued by the agency, the mission was a part of the “Saudi Toward Space” program, aligning with the Kingdom’s focus on research, development and innovation driven by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Al-Tamimi praised the achievements of the SSA-HSF1, or Saudi Space Agency-Human Space Flight 1, mission. This was a major milestone in the Kingdom’s journey toward leadership in the space sector.
He said there were 14 research experiments conducted in microgravity, yielding valuable contributions to research, development and innovation.
Al-Tamimi said the mission helped foster national expertise and enhance cooperation with leading international institutions.
He added that the agency remained committed to supporting innovative projects.
Manga International launches in Tokyo to showcase Saudi creativity on global stage
RIYADH: In a move to bolster its international presence, Manga Arabia, a subsidiary of the Saudi Research and Media Group, announced the launch of Manga International at a ceremony in Tokyo, Japan.
The event drew in prominent officials and media representatives from Saudi Arabia and Japan, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday.
This expansion follows a series of successful partnerships and agreements with major Japanese manga publishers, such as Kodansha, Shueisha, Kadokawa, Shogakukan, and Hakusensha.
Manga Arabia has a strong track record in the Arab world, having launched two manga magazines — one for children and another for young adults — in both print and digital formats.
The company reaches over 8 million users in 195 countries, with a print distribution network of 220 points in the Arab world, selling over 400,000 copies monthly.
SRMG CEO Jomana Al-Rashid highlighted the significance of this international foray.
“We are strategically expanding through partnerships with leading manga companies and establishing a legal framework equipped with cutting-edge technologies,” she said.
“This will not only generate financial returns but also nurture an educational environment catering to the immense global demand for this content,” Al-Rashid added, emphasizing how this geographic and cultural expansion will help combat content piracy and intellectual property theft.
Manga Arabia and Manga International CEO Essam Bukhary said: “Through the art of manga and creative industries, we have achieved remarkable success in the Arab world, earning the trust of our Japanese and international partners. Now, under the umbrella of SRMG, Manga International seeks to leverage our pioneering experience and development in global markets.”
Bukhary elaborated on plans to translate and produce a range of comic stories targeting international audiences.
He added that the expansion signifies a qualitative leap for Saudi and Arab creativity on the world stage, aligning with Manga Arabia’s vision of empowering imagination, nurturing and developing Arabic content, and delivering it to a global audience across all demographics and generations.
Building on this commitment, Manga Arabia has already translated several of its comic stories into English, Chinese, and Malay for international markets.
Collaborating with the Literature, Publishing, and Translation Commission, it has also adapted a selection of Saudi novels into manga format, aiming to reach diverse audiences and present Saudi literature and culture through the lens of manga.
