JEDDAH: For the third year running, the Shara Art Fair in Jeddah has shown off works by some of the Kingdom’s finest artists in what was a celebration of color and creativity.
Organized by the Saudi Art Council and held under the patronage of Princess Jawaher bint Majed bin Abdulaziz, the fair ran from June 1-5 and saw myriad galleries take part.
Participating galleries included the Athr Gallery, Al Mashreq Gallery, first-timers 20 Icons of French Design and the Al Mansouria Foundation’s silent auction gallery.
It was a one-of-a-kind gathering which sought to empower artists and propel along Saudi Arabia’s progressive art scene. According to organizers, all proceeds will go toward funding art programs in government schools.
One highlight from abroad was the 20 Icons of French Design booth which presented 20 examples of French creativity which have been praised for breaking conventions and being ahead of their time. The objects on display ranged from the first plastic stool and the first ballpoint pen to a pressure cooker and images of a supersonic turbojet-powered Concorde. The exhibit’s intention was to show how a simple object was able to become a significant symbol due to commercial success, notoriety, functionality and innovation.
Of all the pieces on display, many had underlying messages that spoke to one’s spirituality, to the inner artist hidden within us all.
The pieces on show included photography, such as Moath Al-Ofi’s “The Shepherd” which is a large photograph portraying the sun-beat and wrinkled face of a shepherd living and herding livestock in the vast land masses near Madinah. Also on show were installations by Zaman Jassim that fuse together calligraphy with stainless steel on wire, Osama Esid’s original negatives of the old tradition of carrying the Kaaba’s kiswa, an original Nasser Al-Salem calligraphic piece on white painted wood and many more exquisite pieces.
Ali Cha’aban, an artist with a background in anthropology, has been a keen visitor to the fair in the past and took part for the very first time this year.
His piece “Broken Dreams” shows the true essence of the artist, he told Arab News.
“This piece is a mix of my childhood and my adulthood. I wanted to find an aesthetic that linked all of this together and what better way than to display my childhood idol, Superman, on a simple yet essential item in every single Arab household, the rug. Superman is the epitome of my childhood and many others’ as well. I specifically called it ‘Broken Dreams’ because I’ll never be Superman.”
Many of the visitors agreed that the pieces on display were not only quite beautiful but intriguing as well. Visitor Ahmed J. admitted that this was his first visit to an art gallery of this magnitude. “I never understood art, I’ve never dwelled on it, thinking it’s just for the elite but coming to Shara, I’ve changed my mind. There’s more to it that meets the eye, I understand the image before me and it is mind boggling how I once thought of art as something boring and dull. It won’t be my last visit either,” he told Arab News.
Khalid Zahid, another contemporary artist with a quirky but simple installation, shed light on his piece.
When asked about his Barbie dolls with car wings, the artist smiled and said: “Anyone who walks into a toy store is elated with a feeling of nostalgia and glee. It doesn’t matter if you’re an adult or a kid, it’s the colors, the vast amounts of toys and all the trinkets that make this happiness. The Barbie installation is a representation of that joy ... But once you notice her wings, the observer’s view is morphed into a deeper (understanding). The name Amal (Arabic for hope) allows the viewer to connect the dots, to give a sense of hope to this Barbie that she may one day have an opportunity to drive.”
It may be a controversial issue but the artist has chosen to depict it through his creativity.
The art on show was truly emotive and thought-provoking and many visitors professed their desire to return to the event. So, until next year, Shara.
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Celebrating Saudi art at the 2017 Shara fair
Celebrating Saudi art at the 2017 Shara fair
How science is reshaping early years education
DUBAI: As early years education comes under renewed scrutiny worldwide, one UAE-based provider is making the case that nurseries must align more closely with science.
Blossom Nursery & Preschool, which operates 32 locations across the UAE, is championing a science-backed model designed to close what it sees as a long-standing gap between research and classroom practice.
“For decades, early years education has been undervalued globally — even though science shows the first five years are the most critical for brain development,” said Lama Bechara-Jakins, CEO for the Middle East at Babilou Family and a founding figure behind Blossom’s regional growth, in an interview with Arab News.
She explained that the Sustainable Education Approach was created to address “a fundamental gap between what we know from science and what actually happens in nurseries.”
Developed by Babilou Family, the approach draws on independent analysis of research in neuroscience, epigenetics, and cognitive and social sciences, alongside established educational philosophies and feedback from educators and families across 10 countries. The result is a framework built around six pillars; emotional and physical security, natural curiosity, nature-based learning, inclusion, child rhythms, and partnering with parents.
Two research insights, Bechara-Jakins says, were particularly transformative. “Neuroscience shows that young children cannot learn until they feel safe,” she said, adding that stress and inconsistent caregiving can “literally alter the architecture of the developing brain.”
Equally significant was evidence around child rhythms, which confirmed that “pushing children academically too early is not just unhelpful — it can be counterproductive.”
Feedback from families and educators reinforced these findings. Across regions, common concerns emerged around pressure on young children, limited outdoor time and weak emotional connections in classrooms. What surprised her most was that “parents all sensed that something was missing, even if they couldn’t articulate the science behind it.”
At classroom level, the strongest body of evidence centres on secure relationships. Research shows that “secure attachments drive healthy brain development” and that children learn through trusted adults. At Blossom, this translates into practices such as assigning each child “one primary educator,” prioritising calm environments, and viewing behaviour through “a neuroscience lens — as stress signals, not misbehaviour.”
Bechara-Jakins believes curiosity and nature remain overlooked in many early years settings, despite strong evidence that both accelerate learning and reduce stress. In urban centres such as Dubai, she argues, nature-based learning is “not a luxury. It is a developmental need.”
For Blossom, this means daily outdoor time, natural materials, gardening, and sensory play — intentional choices aimed at giving children what science says they need to thrive.
