RIYADH: The late Saudi artist Zakia Al-Dubaikhi’s artwork is showcased at the “Once Upon a Time” exhibition at Ahlam Gallery in Riyadh.
Her work focused on Saudi women’s rights at a time when it was not common to do so, while celebrating multicultural neighborhoods in the Eastern Province.
The exhibition is being hosted by Al-Dubaikhi’s daughter, Basma Al-Zamil, and the artist’s husband, in celebration of the painter’s profound work and legacy.
Al-Zamil said: “It is important to me in this exhibition to keep her legacy and her name alive and to kind of help people know that art never dies.”
Al-Dubaikhi was born in Dammam, in a multicultural neighborhood with narrow streets, and played and grew up with children from different nationalities.
She began painting at a young age, encouraged by her late father who bought her all the required tools, from brushes to painting colors and canvases.
In the 1980s, at a time when being a Saudi artist was uncommon, Al-Dubaikhi overcame many obstacles, taking painting lessons from renowned female Saudi artists, which led to her work being showcased in Dammam, Riyadh, and Jeddah.
Later focusing on her family and her career as an English teacher, Al-Dubaikhi parted company with her brushes but never deserted her artistic inclinations, using her knowledge to help her students.
Her artistic mindset and love for painting never left her and she aspired to present a solo exhibition and open an art gallery.
Her ambitions were never achieved, though, and she died in November 2018.
Al-Zamil and her father have showcased Al-Dubaikhi’s artwork in several cities around the Kingdom, including Dammam, Al-Ahsa, Riyadh, and Jeddah, and outside the Kingdom in Manama, Bahrain.
The “Once Upon a Time” exhibition opened its doors on Sept. 27 and runs until Oct. 2.
Tania Mehanna Cantone, the wife of the Italian ambassador to the Kingdom, attended the opening day of the exhibition.
Pointing at one of Al-Dubaikhi’s paintings, Cantone said: “It is an expression of what Saudi women were feeling in the middle of between 2000 and 2016, and really it touches each one of us because you see the call for freedom.
“You see this hope in the eyes of the different ladies, lots of ladies that she has been painting, and it is a beautiful way of looking at Saudi Arabia.”
Another guest of honor on opening night was Ahmed bin Abdullah Al-Maghlouth, an artist and cartoonist from the Eastern Province.
He said: “I was very happy to attend this exhibition. I was impressed with her interest in the environment and heritage portrayed through her paintings, and the depth of her work showcasing the history of the Kingdom and the Gulf region at large.”
Al-Dubaikhi’s paintings reveal her take on Saudi women’s rights, along with her other interests, including Indian culture and her love of cats.
Al-Zamil said: “She was living with neighbors from different nationalities in the Eastern Province, and she was interested in Indian culture, music, and food.”
Al-Dubaikhi saw early changes toward women’s rights in the Kingdom just before her death.
Al-Zamil added: “My mother recorded a time in our history, and not too many artists were able to do that.
“In her humble way she covered the times of Saudi Arabia before Vision 2030 and after Vision 2030.”
“Once Upon a Time” is a walk through Al-Dubaikhi’s life, passing significant moments from her early childhood in the Eastern Province to her artistic journey and roles as Saudi artist and loving mother.
Riyadh exhibition pays tribute to Zakia Al-Dubaikhi, acclaimed painter, loving mother
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Riyadh exhibition pays tribute to Zakia Al-Dubaikhi, acclaimed painter, loving mother
- The exhibition is being hosted by Al-Dubaikhi’s daughter, Basma Al-Zamil, and the artist’s husband, in celebration of the painter’s profound work and legacy
- She began painting at a young age, encouraged by her late father who bought her all the required tools
Jeddah Fit Expo 2026 offers inspiration, innovation
- Sports, fitness, wellness in spotlight at Jeddah Superdome
- Gyms and fitness brands offer visitors a wide range of interactive experiences
JEDDAH: Jeddah Superdome welcomed more than 1,000 athletes of all ages on Wednesday for a heart-pounding session which placed sports, fitness and wellness in the spotlight.
The Jeddah Fit Expo 2026 is taking place until Jan. 31 and visitors on the first day were treated to a heady environment filled with high-intensity energy and in which cutting-edge fitness trends met the inspirational spirit of sportsmanship.
More than 300 brands and over 200 exhibitors engaged in in-depth exchanges and interactions according to organizers, while jointly forging an event for the global sports and fitness industry.
Mohammed Al-Aidarous, from the event’s organizing committee, told Arab News the expo aimed to spread the culture of fitness as a daily lifestyle and sought to encourage best international expertise and practices, while empowering and developing local sports talents.
He said: “The sports and fitness industry is a rapidly growing sector globally. Especially in Saudi Arabia, there is an increasing focus on health and fitness among the general public. Consequently there is a growing demand for fitness-related products and services.”
The exhibition, which is in its fourth edition, has brought together suppliers of fitness equipment and sports and leisure products, along with representatives from nutrition and health sectors, wellness clinics, youth sports education, and artificial intelligence solution providers.
Many of the participants are introducing new products to meet changing market trends, leveraging the national fitness policies, deeply exploring market demand, and expanding their presence in the sports industry market, thereby providing users with more professional services.
Gyms and fitness brands at the event are offering visitors a wide range of interactive, educational and commercial opportunities designed to promote healthy lifestyles while showcasing the latest industry innovations.
Danya Aljamal, an event coordinator at GymNation, said: “We are here to show sports enthusiasts who we are and what we can do to make them change their lifestyle with sports. GymNation is about enjoying your time, having fun, challenging yourself and making the best form of your body.”
She added: “We will be offering visitors our famous Hyrox class. It is designed to help enhance your strength and explosive power through a combination of targeted, high-intensity exercises and I hope people enjoy it.”
AI is rapidly reshaping athletic training environments. The exhibition features platforms that analyze an athlete’s movement, track progress, and offer automated corrections.
Saudi entrepreneur Mohammed Kaki, founder and CEO of FitLife, an Al-powered health-tech startup delivering B2B personalized nutrition and wellness plans, said: “We are proud to share the FitLife platform and feel excited to take these insights and relationships to the next level during this three-day event.
“FitLife is an app developed to make people’s fitness journey much easier and more convenient. Our algorithms were developed to produce accurate programs with a full range of workouts and recipes designed to fit people’s daily schedule and preferences.
“Our objective at FitLife is to foster growth and revolutionize the way people perceive health and fitness.”
Kaki indicated that the startup was also aiming to support coaches and specialists in sports and health organizations through AI solutions.
Beyond the exhibition stands and workshops, bodybuilding, calisthenics, taekwondo and volleyball are among the activities taking place at Jeddah Superdome.
