JEDDAH: The mesmerizing eyes of an Arabian girl on large shipping containers met thousands of fans as they entered the MDL Beast festival, for what would be a weekend of superb musical entertainment from the world’s top DJs. Noura Binsaidan, the graffiti artist behind the mural, has been painting Arabic faces internationally. In London and Barcelona, there are Arabian faces gracing the walls and standing out among other murals and paintings.
“I mostly paint Arabic faces using Arabic calligraphy, which people have loved,” she told Arab News.
When Binsaidan was given the chance to decorate the MDL Beast festival, she was beyond happy to be representing her style to the world. Her murals stood out at an event that invited Western cultural influences. The contrast between the local and modern made it an attraction where visitors flocked to take pictures.
She told Arab News that Saudi artists are messengers of the country. “I feel like we are basically messengers, I have to develop my skills and work carefully because as someone who is presenting Saudi Arabia I need to show everyone my best. I am trying to do something for my city and the country.”
She launched her path into graffiti painting three years ago, starting from home covering whatever surfaces she could paint.
Graffiti cannot be confined to art galleries, it is made for the outside.
“Graffiti is a good tool to let the people who are coming from different countries see our culture and roots via different means. That is why I always keep in mind that a lot of people are going to see my work and that makes me responsible.
“It was difficult for me in the beginning because I cannot paint when someone is watching. Now I have learned how to block out the people and just focus on my artwork,” she said.
Just like all art forms, graffiti presents its own challenges such as weather, with Binsaidan preferring the cold over the scalding sun.
Stereotypically, graffiti is often thought of as a crime and a property offense. However, Binsaidan is utilizing her skills as an artist to change this misconception.
“You can’t change history, unfortunately, but in my case the government asked me to do this because they understood that they needed a different touch of art in the streets and events.”
She added: “It isn’t necessary for the artists to do graffiti on the walls and break the law, it can be done on absolutely anything like we did here at MDL Beast using shipping containers as our walls.
“I draw inspiration from my culture by drawing women of my area with covered faces accompanied by metaphoric objects such as flowers to show our culture and how proud we are of it.”
Saudi graffiti adds color to MDL Beast music festival
https://arab.news/5bcyn
Saudi graffiti adds color to MDL Beast music festival
- Artist Noura Binsaidan’s murals stood out in an event that invited Western cultural influences
Saudi Arabia led green building performance regionally in 2025: Report
- Saudi Arabia achieved the highest regional score of 76.31 points and certified more than 1.03 million sq. meters of sustainable building space
- Results reflect measurable efficiency gains across 6,662 projects completed since 2010, marking a new regional benchmark for measurable sustainability progress
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia led the region in sustainable building performance and environmental impact in 2025, according to the Saaf index developed by the Saudi Green Building Forum.
Saudi Arabia achieved the highest regional score of 76.31 points and certified more than 1.03 million sq. meters of sustainable building space, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.
These results reflect measurable efficiency gains across 6,662 projects completed since 2010, marking a new regional benchmark for measurable sustainability progress and institutional excellence.
The achievement underscores Saudi Arabia’s growing influence in advancing sustainable construction across the Middle East and supports the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 objectives for cleaner growth, resource efficiency and climate resilience through data‑driven environmental performance.
Faisal Al‑Fadl, secretary‑general of SGBF, said that 2025 represented a major turning point toward a measurable, institutional sustainability strategy that united policy, technology and practice.
He added that the approach extended beyond renewable energy, clean water and eco‑friendly materials to embed sustainability in economic planning and public development programs, made possible through integrated efforts with regional governments and public institutions.
The Saaf index provides a specialized regional framework for measuring efficiency and resilience through the Sufficiency and Resilience Composite Index, or SCI, enabling precise performance assessments.
Findings show that the sector has evolved into a cohesive strategy integrating project delivery, professional capacity building, market innovation and climate action.
According to the SGBF review, Saudi Arabia’s achievements reflect its ability to combine quality implementation, institutional maturity and scale.
Environmentally, green building projects achieved an estimated 62,800 tonnes of carbon‑equivalent annual reduction and earned 29 professional recognitions, reinforcing growing international acknowledgment of Saudi leadership in sustainability.
The data also underscore SGBF’s role as a professional partner in advancing methodologies, applications and impact measurement within non‑governmental frameworks that link policy and practical execution.
More than 7,300 professionals across 22 Arab countries engaged with the Saaf platform in 2025, alongside numerous business‑driven initiatives expanding the region’s sustainable‑development footprint.
Al‑Fadl said that the period from 2025 to 2026 would act as a bridge toward Vision 2030, strengthening a model in which sustainable buildings were managed by impact, measured through indicators and implemented via lasting partnerships.
SGBF serves as the Kingdom’s leading platform for advancing sustainable construction and green design. It unites experts, innovators and practitioners dedicated to building environmentally responsible and high‑performance structures.
Through continuous education, certification and collaboration, SGBF drives the transformation of Saudi Arabia’s building sector — minimizing environmental impact, promoting resource efficiency and improving overall quality of life for communities nationwide.
