Spotlight on Saudi architecture at Venice Biennale panel

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Diriyah Art Futures, or DAF, announced their collaboration with Italian architecture firm Schiattarella Associati to host a panel in Venice. (Supplied)
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Diriyah Art Futures, or DAF, announced their collaboration with Italian architecture firm Schiattarella Associati to host a panel in Venice. (Supplied)
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Updated 01 May 2025
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Spotlight on Saudi architecture at Venice Biennale panel

  • Panel talk is part of “Building of the Future,” an initiative highlighting leading global architectural projects that redefine contemporary design

RIYADH: A discussion on Saudi architecture will be held on the sidelines of the Venice Biennale of Architecture on May 7. 

Diriyah Art Futures, or DAF, announced their collaboration with Italian architecture firm Schiattarella Associati to host a panel in Venice, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.

The panel, titled “A New Era for Art in Saudi Arabia: Building Future Institutions and Pioneering Architectures,” will discuss the role of contemporary design and digital innovation in Saudi architecture.

Speaking at the panel will be Mona Khazindar, adviser to Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Culture; Haytham Nawar, director of Diriyah Art Futures; and Andrea and Amadeo Schiattarella, principal architects of Schiattarella Associati. The session will be moderated by acclaimed architect and art critic James Steele.

The panel talk is part of “Building of the Future,” an initiative highlighting leading global architectural projects that redefine contemporary design.

The panel will be held in the Querini Stampalia Foundation, one of Venice’s most prestigious cultural institutions. The event will bring together architects, cultural leaders, artists and media to engage in a dialogue about Saudi Arabia’s evolving role in the international creative and architectural landscape.

The foundation will also host an accompanying exhibition curated by Schiattarella Associati displaying models, sketches, videos, drawings, photographs and objects, inspired by the rocky escarpment of Diriyah’s landscape.

The exhibition, from May 7 to June 15, will showcase the Saudi Museums Commission’s contributions to Riyadh’s cultural development as part of Vision 2030.

Developed by the Saudi Museums Commission in partnership with Diriyah Co., DAF contributes to the global new media and digital art landscape by integrating regional voices and pioneering practices in art, technology and innovation.


Saudi scientific organization celebrates 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry laureate Omar Yaghi

Updated 42 min 28 sec ago
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Saudi scientific organization celebrates 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry laureate Omar Yaghi

  • King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology honors him with a reception at its headquarters in Riyadh
  • Yaghi, the first Saudi recipient of a Nobel Prize, shared the Nobel Prize with 2 other scientists for their pioneering work in molecular chemistry

LONDON: King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology in Riyadh honored Omar Yaghi, the Saudi scientist and recipient of the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, with a reception at its headquarters in Riyadh on Thursday.

Yaghi is the first Saudi scientist awarded a Nobel Prize. He received it in December, alongside two other scientists, for their pioneering work in the field of molecular chemistry, and for contributions to energy, the environment and advanced materials.

He is also supervisor of the Center of Excellence for Nanomaterials for Clean Energy Applications, a collaboration between KACST and the University of California, Berkeley.

Munir Eldesouki, the president of KACST, said that the Kingdom is keen to recognize its scientific talents, in keeping with Saudi Vision 2030 and its goals relating to the fostering of scientific research.

King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology in Riyadh honored Omar Yaghi, the Saudi scientist and recipient of the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. (SPA)

Yaghi said he appreciated the support he had received from Saudi leaders during his career, and praised them for creating an enabling environment in which scientists are able to pursue world-class research, development and innovation.

Investment in national talent has created a research ecosystem that positions Saudi Arabia among the leading scientific nations, he added.

Thursday’s event, attended by the organization’s staff and students, also honored the winning teams from the recent “GenAI for Materials Discovery Hackathon,” which KACST organized in partnership with the University of California, Berkeley, and Academy 32, a nonprofit Saudi organization dedicated to research, development and innovation.

The celebration concluded with an interactive discussion session during which Yaghi talked with students and researchers, reflected on key milestones in his scientific journey, and shared insights into the factors that helped shape his career, the Saudi Press Agency reported.