RIYADH:  The Indian Embassy in Riyadh organized an art exhibition this week to celebrate 75 years of Indian independence and the establishment of Saudi-India diplomatic relations.

The exhibition was put up by prominent Saudi artist Ahmad Al-Salama in collaboration with famous Indian artist Sabiha Majeed.

They brought together varied works from both nations, including pointillism, calligraphy and batik art to highlight cultural commonalities and affinities.

The exhibition was inaugurated by Indian Ambassador to the Kingdom Dr. Ausaf Sayeed. In his inaugural remarks, the envoy underlined that art is the aptest representation of the civilizational ties between the Indian and Saudi people. He commended the artwork presented at the exhibition whose theme was the cultural connect between Saudi Arabia and India.

The special guest at the event was Prince Saad bin Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz bin Musaed Al-Saud. He was briefed on the different artwork on display. He appreciated the artwork of both the artists and congratulated them for their initiative to celebrate Saudi-India friendship.

Al-Salama, an exponent of pointillism, is a conceptual artist, designer and has been a consultant of fine art for more than three decades.

Sabiha hails from Udaipur in Rajasthan and has been living in the Kingdom for more than 15 years. She has worked on several painting series representing Indian and Saudi heritage and their shared cultural commonalities.

The exhibition was visited by diplomats, Saudis, expat art lovers and artists from many nationalities.