RIYADH: As visitors arrive at the end of the impressive first Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale their attention is drawn by a gigantic yellow arrow nearly 20 meters long on the wall.
If they look closer at the artwork, titled “E Pluribus Unum – A Modern Fossil,” they can see the numerous cracks in the body of the arrow.
The artwork was created by Tunis-born, Berlin-based artist Nadia Kaabi-Linke, who this year won the fourth Ithra Art Prize. Each year the prize, which was set up in 2017, gives up to $100,000 for the creation of a new artwork that becomes part of Ithra’s permanent collection.
Kaabi-Linke’s massive work presents a contemplative way to look at the pandemic, notably, the decline in commercial air traffic during 2020, which, according to the artist, raises questions as to how humanity measures its progress and environmental awareness versus economic profit.
“The work is meant as a metaphor for modern times,” she told Arab News. “It is particularly relevant to 2020 because all of the airplanes in the world stopped flying.”
The artist relates it also to Tempelhof Airport in Berlin, which has been shut for around 13 years and is used as a camp accommodating up to 7,000 refugees. “I saw a parallel in this because we were all grounded, all of humanity and I think it is an exceptional moment in human history,” she added. “I also wanted to draw the parallel between the aviation industry and the economy. The symbol of economic growth is the rising arrow.”
The cracks, explains Kaabi-Linke, are there because it represents an abandoned airport. The work is a print made from an existing arrow that shows where the planes land and where they take off. “It brings you back to the earth as the cracks in the arrow also refer also to the idea of a cracked earth. The question that the work asks is: Do we want to stay in a world as we know it that has no future or do, we want to take the risk to go to something that is unknown but that probably has a future?”
“At Ithra, our commitment to contemporary art is embodied in this art prize,” Ashraf Fagih, head of programming at Ithra told Arab News. “This year is different for two reasons: First, we have opened up the prize to 22 Arab countries and not just artists in Saudi. Secondly, we are collaborating with the Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale. To us this has special significance because it means the Ithra Art Prize came back home.”
The prize was previously unveiled during Art Dubai.
“As a distinctive landmark in the Saudi art scene, and in integration with its most prominent event ever, the prize’s artwork was unveiled during the Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale,” said Fagih. After the biennale the artwork will travel back to Ithra in Dhahran in the Eastern Province to become part of the institution’s permanent collection.
Tunisian artist wins Saudi Arabia’s Ithra Art Prize underlining Pan-Arab emphasis of this year’s award
https://arab.news/6rymx
Tunisian artist wins Saudi Arabia’s Ithra Art Prize underlining Pan-Arab emphasis of this year’s award
- The artist relates it also to Tempelhof Airport in Berlin, which has been shut for around 13 years and is used as a camp accommodating up to 7,000 refugees
Absher Hackathon finalists highlight scale of Saudi tech talent
- World’s largest hackathon underscores growing national enthusiasm for tech innovation
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s push to position itself as a global hub for digital innovation was on display this weekend as the Absher Tuwaiq Hackathon 2025 — billed as the world’s largest hackathon — concluded with the announcement of finalist teams competing for prizes totaling SR1 million ($266,000).
The three-day hackathon, organized by the Ministry of Interior in partnership with Tuwaiq Academy, brought together innovators from across the Kingdom to develop digital solutions aligned with the ministry’s digital transformation goals.
The finalist teams recognized for their projects were: Shadow, Wusool, Watheeq , Tanabbah, HRS, Ikhlaa, Amal, Mustabiq, Al‑Dahna, Inspire, Saqour Al‑Watan, Thaqib, Sawt Al‑Mustaqbal, Manee, and YS Advance International.
In addition to cash prizes, the competition offered SR450,000 in support from the National Technology Development Program, along with incubation opportunities at Invi Lab to help teams turn prototypes into market-ready products.
Tariq Al‑Hamid, official spokesperson for the Absher Conference, told Arab News that the hackathon has generated strong momentum nationwide.
This year’s event included more than 4,000 participants from all regions of the Kingdom — “a reflection of the growing national enthusiasm for digital innovation,” he said.
HIGHLIGHT
The Absher Tuwaiq Hackathon brought together innovators from across the Kingdom to develop digital solutions aligned with the ministry’s digital transformation goals.
According to Al‑Hamid, the 2025 event was structured around four specialized tracks: digital identity and security applications; artificial intelligence for predictive and proactive security; Internet of Things applications supporting field operations; and innovations to enhance or expand services on the Absher Platform.
He added that this focused approach allowed participants “to present high‑quality ideas and advanced prototypes at levels comparable to international competitions.”
Participants also took part in more than 80 training programs delivered by global partners including Google Cloud, Meta, NVIDIA, and Huawei, an experience Al-Hamid said significantly strengthened both the competition and participants’ skills.
Al-Hamid said that the hackathon’s impact extends beyond prize money. “More important than the cash reward is the opportunity to turn creative ideas into real products that make an impact on citizens, residents, and visitors.”
Standout participants often attract the attention of leading national technology companies seeking new talent, he added.
Participation was open to individuals and teams from across Saudi Arabia, from high school students to industry professionals, highlighting the inclusivity of the event and the breadth of the Kingdom’s innovation ecosystem.
The hackathon forms part of the wider Absher Tuwaiq initiative, a core pillar of the upcoming Absher Conference 2025, which will empower more than 100,000 participants across seven technical tracks in 16 cities, in partnership with 20 local and international organizations.
The conference, organized by the Ministry of Interior and Tuwaiq Academy, sponsored by Elm Company and held in strategic partnership with the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority, will take place in Riyadh from Dec. 17 -19.
The event will showcase national digital innovations and reinforce Saudi Arabia’s role in global technology.
