Art Jameel launches competition to design a cinema in Jeddah

A digital rendering of the Hayy: Creative Hub. (Art Jameel/ibda design)
Updated 06 February 2019
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Art Jameel launches competition to design a cinema in Jeddah

  • The cinema will be part of a three-story art complex in northern Jeddah
  • Interested professional architects, designers, or cinema specialists should register online by March 22

DUBAI: A competition inviting architects and designers to submit design proposals for a new movie house in Saudi Arabia has been launched by creative organization, Art Jameel.

Art Jameel, an independent organization that supports arts, education and heritage in the Middle East, is calling for design proposals for a new cinema in Jeddah, which will be part of a 17,000-square-meter art complex called Hayy: Creative Club.

Interested professional architects, designers, or cinema specialists should register online by March 22 – successful registrants will be given a month to create their proposals.

“We are delighted today to announce this unique opportunity for architects and designers from the Gulf and around the world to take part in imagining a picture house cinema for Saudi Arabia,” Antonia Carver, director of Art Jameel, said in a released statement.

According to Art Jameel, which has offices in Dubai and Jeddah, “The competition challenges applicants from around the world to deliver turnkey design proposals for a completely fitted cinema space.”

Entrants will also have to consider “benchmarks for sustainability and technological efficiency” in their turnkey design proposals.

A panel of judges will evaluate the proposals, including architects and cinema specialists, to pick a winner and two runner ups by the end of June 2019.

The winning team will then be awarded a contract for the development of the project, and they will be in charge of supervising its construction, according to the organization’s website. In addition, they will be given $15,000.

Throughout the deliberation process, a public series of lectures will be hosted for budding Saudi Arabia-based architects and designers.

Derived from the Arabic word for neighborhood, the Hayy: Creative Club is a three-story art complex due for completion in 2020 in northern Jeddah.

“Hayy: Creative Hub aims to contribute to the Kingdom’s 2030 vision and its mandate in nurturing a thriving, diversified cultural scene and creative economy,” Carver said.

According to Art Jameel’s website, the center “will act as an incubator for creatives and entrepreneurs — it will bring together and nurture Saudi Arabian artists, playwrights, photographers, filmmakers” and more.  


Lolo Zouai teases new album for 2026

Updated 03 January 2026
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Lolo Zouai teases new album for 2026

DUBAI: French Algerian singer and songwriter Lolo Zouai this week revealed that her new album has been submitted and is expected to be released later this year.

“2026. ALBUM SUBMITTED. LET’S… GOOO,” she wrote on Instagram, sharing a carousel of images of herself.

Fans quickly took to the comments section to congratulate the music sensation.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Lolo Zouaï (@lolozouai)

“OH MY GOD FINALLY!!! I’m so so so excited and proud of you omg, you did that,” one fan wrote, while another said: “some good news i needed this fr.”

Another comment read: “I’m so excited I just shed a tear… 2026 is so gonna be your year boo!!!! SEE U SOON!!”

Zouai’s latest release was in November, when she dropped a new single titled “3AM in San Francisco.” It was the first release of the year.

Zouai captioned her announcement post, “time to hit em with the bilingual,” hinting that the track features lyrics in English and French.

In 2024, Zouai dropped several tracks, including her “Please Hold” EP featuring “jetlag” and “UNHHH,” along with “mute” and “Potential.”

In June 2024, she also announced that she had written a song for K-pop group NewJeans for their Japanese debut.

She captioned the post at the time: “‘Right Now’ by @newjeans_official out now!! Written by me. I’ve been a fan of NewJeans for a while and I’m honored to be a part of their Japanese debut!

Known for her blend of R&B, club-pop and hip-hop, she has gained an international fan base for her dynamic stage presence and genre-blending music.

Her career highlights include the release of a debut album “High Highs to Low Lows” in 2019, which featured 12 tracks, and a follow-up “PLAYGIRL” in 2022, which included 13 tracks.

After the album’s release in October 2022, Zouai was featured on a billboard in New York’s Times Square.

She shared a video of herself posing in front of the billboard with fans. “I always said that one day, I would be on a billboard in Times Square. Today is that day,” she said in the short clip.

“Manifestation and hard work works,” she added.

The singer, who lives between Brooklyn and Los Angeles, embarked on a 30-stop tour for the album in 2023. The tour featured cities in the US, France, Canada, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands.