Misk promotes Asiri art the modern way at Al-Soudah Season
Al-Khatwa is a traditional way to express happiness using performance in the Asir region
Updated 27 August 2019
SPA
RIYADH: The Misk Art Institute of the Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdul Aziz Foundation is shedding light on Asiri arts in a contemporary way, explaining details of Al-Khatwa art for visitors, via interactive scenes documenting Al-Khatwa through drawing.
The institute’s Al-Khatwa exhibition coincides with Al-Soudah Season to promote national arts.
Al-Khatwa is a traditional way to express happiness using performance in the Asir region. The art is performed collectively through dances accompanied by drums, and raising daggers and sticks in the air. Each tribe in the Asir region has its own traditional versions.
While Misk organized a number of artistic programs and activities in Abha for August, visitors of Mount Al-Soudah went to see the Al-Khatwa exhibition and learned about what it involved.
It included interactive photos, visual segments reflecting the popular culture of Al-Khatwa dance, the expression of the authenticity of the southern people through movement and its relation to the area’s mountainous nature and costumes that reflect the individuality of Asir.
The music wall in the Al-Khatwa exhibition presented instruments such as al-zeer, al-barmeel, al-zalfa, al-mifraz and al-tanka, and their roles in composing harmonious and divergent tunes that distinguish Al-Khatwa from other forms of artistic expression.
Asiri costumes — especially women’s attire — attracted a big audience, and the exhibition included jewelry worn by brides on wedding nights, as well as other traditional Asiri ornaments.
The exhibition also included a section named “Panoramic Khatwa,” giving visitors a live image of Al-Khatwa performances through meticulously introducing and presenting it via a live show, as well as giving the chance for visitors to participate in it.
Misk Art Institute’s other activities and programs for Al-Soudah Season consist of 40-minute daily workshops for a number of mediums, and short sessions for artists which require pre-registration, in addition to a bazaar for artists at the end of every week in Al-Muftaha.
Al-Muftaha village programs include the “Ard Al-Toud” exhibition dedicated to various artistic oeuvres reflecting Asir’s environment. The exhibition presents the culture of the region through art, focuses on the concept of time and space in shaping the area’s identity and history, and showcases its cultural and artistic repertoire.
As for Al-Soudah, it includes Al-Khatwa exhibition and 40-minute daily workshops for amateurs and children to learn different styles of the dance to motivate young talent and spread visual arts culture.
Decoder
Al-Khatwa
It is a traditional Asiri dance-based performance medium. The art is performed collectively by a group across the Asir region, accompanied by drums, ceremonial daggers and sticks.
Saudi House kicks off Davos with push on Vision 2030, AI platform and ‘humanizing’ tourism
Saudi ministers dominate pre-summit spotlight at Saudi pavilion, touting Vision 2030’s next phase and human capital as key to global edge
Ministry of Economy and Planning announced the SUSTAIN Platform which aims to accelerate AI-enabled, cross-sector collaboration for sustainable development
Updated 20 January 2026
GABRIELE MALVISI
DAVOS: For regulars at the World Economic Forum, Monday in Davos is usually a chance to ease into the week, a time to reconnect, plan meetings and prepare for the intense schedule ahead.
This year, Saudi Arabia moved quickly to fill that lull, taking center stage with a packed program of panels ahead of Tuesday’s official opening.
At the Saudi House — the Kingdom’s official pavilion on the Promenade, returning after its debut as a standalone venue at the 2025 WEF Annual Meeting — Saudi ministers and global executives set out how the Kingdom sees the next phase of its transformation.
Monday’s speakers at the Saudi House included Minister of Finance Mohammed Al-Jadaan, Minister of Investment Khalid Al-Falih, Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khateeb, and President and Vice Chairman of Meta Dina Powell McCormick. (Supplied)
Established by the Ministry of Economy and Planning, the venue is pitched as a platform for international thought leaders to tackle the challenges, opportunities and solutions shaping the global economy.
Opening a session on the Kingdom’s role at this year’s Forum and the next phase of Vision 2030 — now in its 10th year and roughly two-thirds complete — Princess Reema bint Bandar, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the US, said human capital “is the actual driver if you want a competitive, modern economy.”
She described one of the biggest achievements of the past decade as the emergence of a highly qualified cohort of young Saudis who could work anywhere in the world but “choose to come home, choose to build at home and choose to deliver at home,” calling this “the biggest symbol of the success of Vision 2030.”
Who can give you optimum access to opportunities while addressing risks? I contend that Saudi Arabia has been able to provide that formula.
Khalid Al-Falih, Saudi minister of investment
On the same panel, Minister of Finance Mohammed Aljadaan said this success is rooted in a “behavioral change” that has strengthened the Kingdom’s credibility with both international partners and its own citizens.
“Credibility comes from being very pragmatic, making sure that you maintain your fiscal policy discipline, but at the same time refocus your resources where it matters,” he said, warning that “markets will call your bluff if you’re not serious.”
The Saudi House, a cross-ministerial initiative led by the Ministry of Economy and Planning, is intended to underscore the Kingdom’s “commitment to global cooperation” by offering “a platform where visionary ideas are shared and shaped,” while showcasing opportunities and lessons from its “unprecedented national transformation.”
Lubna Olayan, Chair of the Corporate Board, Olayan Group
Echoing earlier comments to Arab News, Economy and Planning Minister Faisal Alibrahim said the Kingdom’s role as an anchor of stability has helped unlock its potential, stressing that while the objective is to decouple from reliance on a single commodity, “2030 is not the finishing line.”
Khalid Al-Falih, Saudi minister of investment, said Saudi Arabia has been able to enable access to opportunities while addressing major risks, arguing that few countries can match the Kingdom’s overall mix.
“No country has all of those to 100 percent,” he said. “But who can give you the mix that gives you optimum access to opportunities while addressing all of those risks?
Dr. Bedour Alrayes, Deputy CEO, Human Capability Development Program, Saudi Arabia
“I contend that Saudi Arabia has been able to provide that formula and the proof is in the pudding,” noting that local investment has doubled in recent years to reach levels comparable with India and China.
While societal transformation dominated the morning discussions, the afternoon turned to technology, tourism, sport and culture, four strategic sectors expected to spearhead Vision 2030’s next phase.
The Ministry of Economy and Planning used the day to announce the SUSTAIN Platform, due to launch in 2026, which aims to accelerate AI-enabled, cross-sector collaboration for sustainable development.
The ministry said SUSTAIN will translate the Kingdom’s public and private-sector coordination mandate into a practical national tool to help government entities, businesses, investors, academia and civil society identify credible partners, form trusted coalitions and move initiatives “from planning to implementation more efficiently,” addressing a global challenge where fragmented partnerships often slow delivery and blunt impact.
“We are in a moment in time where technology may well impact the face of humanity,” said Dina Powell McCormick, recently appointed president and vice chairman of Meta, welcoming the Kingdom’s “desire” to partner with technology companies and its embrace of innovation.
Minister of Tourism Ahmed Alkhateeb, discussing how technology is being deployed in his sector, underlined that “in travel and tourism, people are very important. We learn about other people’s culture through interacting with people. We digitalize the unnecessary and humanize the necessary.”
He added that while technological transformation is a priority, “we don’t want to replace this big workforce with technology. I think we need to protect them in Saudi Arabia, where we’re being a model. I’m an advocate of keeping the people.”
Throughout the week, Saudi House will host more than 20 sessions, including over 10 accredited by the WEF, across six themes: Bold Vision, Insights for Impact, People and Human Capability, Quality of Life, Investment and Collaboration, and Welcoming the World.
The pavilion will also launch “NextOn,” a new series of influential and educational talks featuring leading global voices.
