Dana Awartani revives lost mosaics

Welcome to AL-MONITOR Riyadh.

 It remains a difficult moment for Saudi Arabia’s cultural scene, with international events still being cancelled amid regional tensions. But the uncertainty hasn’t brought Riyadh’s cultural life to a standstill. This week, we turn to projects moving forward: Dana Awartani’s upcoming London exhibition, a new Arab art prize backed by Saudi Arabia’s ATHR Foundation and Misk Art Institute’s “Along the Way” exhibition in Riyadh. We also look at figures from the first half of 2026 that offer a glimpse of how the kingdom’s entertainment sector fared during the early months of the war. 

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Happy reading,

Rebecca

P.S. Have feedback or tips on Riyadh's culture scene? Send them my way at contactus@al-monitor.com.

1. Leading the week: Dana Awartani in London 

Dana Awartani, “May your tears never dry, you who weep over stones,” 2026 © Dana Awartani. (Photo courtesy of the artist and the Visual Arts Commission, Commissioner of the National Pavilion of Saudi Arabia)

Saudi Palestinian artist Dana Awartani is presenting her debut exhibition at Lisson Gallery in London, titled “Give and be generous with all your hand possesses.” The exhibition will present four installations that continue the series of mosaics made for her recent work, “May your tears never dry, you who weep over stones,” for the Saudi Pavilion at the 61st Venice Biennale, on view until Nov. 22.

Working near Riyadh with artisans of Afghan, Pakistani and Syrian heritage, Awartani recreated lost geometric mosaic patterns in handmade brick tiles using sun-dried regional clay. The installations reproduce documented historical floor designs from religious and architecturally significant sites, including a Byzantine church in Khirbet Midras, Hisham’s Palace in Jericho and the Church of the Nativity.

Spanning histories from ancient Mesopotamia to recent conflicts, the works’ fragmentary forms evoke the shattering of shared cultures. Their painstaking reconstruction preserves a dying art form while bringing fragments of cultural heritage into a unified composition.

Drawing on Islamic and Arab artistic traditions, Awartani’s broader practice explores craft, sustainability and cultural loss, using ancient techniques and artisanal knowledge to address contemporary concerns.

Dates: Nov. 20, 2026 - Feb. 14, 2027

Location: Lisson Gallery, London

Find more information here.

2. Word on the street: Amar 

A view of Lebanese dishes at Amar in Jeddah. (Photo courtesy of Amar)

Located at Jeddah Walk Mall on Tahlia Street, Amar is a premium Lebanese fine-dining establishment that seamlessly blends traditional Levantine flavors with contemporary luxury. Originally from Beirut, the restaurant has quickly become a prominent culinary hotspot in Saudi Arabia, earning a respectable rating of 11.5/20 from Gault&Millau Saudi Arabia.

Standout dishes include crisp fattoush salad and savory fattet batenjen. Other highly recommended selections include Makanek Bel Karaz, Hommos Wagyu and the traditional Kebbeh Bel Laban.

Location: 3364 Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Street, Al Khalidiyyah, Jeddah

Find more information here.

3. Riyadh diary

A visitor at “Along the Way” at the Misk Art Institute in Riyadh. (Photo courtesy of Misk Art Institute)

• ‘Along the Way’ at the Misk Art Institute

The Misk Art Institute has announced the launch of a major group exhibition titled “Along the Way” featuring 34 artists from Saudi Arabia and around the world, alongside a rare collection of historical manuscripts. Inspired by the journeys of the renowned Muslim traveler Ibn Battuta, the exhibition explores travel as a transformative journey of knowledge and self-discovery. Through paintings, sculptures, installations and photography, it examines themes of mapping, wayfinding, memory and humanity's connection to nature.

Dates: until March 31, 2027

Location: Misk Art Institute, Prince Faisal bin Fahd Arts Hall, Riyadh

Find more information here.

• Tafasahu: Make Room’ by Nada AlMulla

Saudi architect and artist Nada AlMulla explores the traditional majlis through her commissioned installation, “Tafasahu: Make Room,” which reimagines the gathering space as a living inheritance of hospitality and heritage. The exhibition deconstructs the majlis into its essential elements, reflecting on belonging through the sensory and spatial practices passed down across generations.

Dates: until March 20, 2027

Location: Ithra, Gallery O

Find more information here.

• IMA Contemporary Art Prize

The Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris announced the IMA Contemporary Art Prize on Oct. 22 during Paris Art Week. The annual international award will recognize contemporary art from the Arab world and its diaspora. The initiative brings together Saudi Arabia’s ATHR Foundation, Arab Bank Switzerland and Paris-based creative studio TRÈS/TRAME, with the aim of supporting emerging and established artists and curators.

For more information here.

4. Book of the week: ‘Girls of Riyadh’ 

A modern classic by Saudi author Rajaa al-Sanea, this novel serves as an essential cultural touchstone, reflecting a period before Vision 2030 and before women were permitted to drive in Saudi Arabia. Against the backdrop of the kingdom’s ongoing transformation, revisiting this renowned novel offers readers a perspective on the past decade and the broader changes in Saudi society. Written in a format that mimics early digital blogs, the book offers an intimate, localized look at how young women in the capital navigate the delicate balance between conservative traditions, relationships and modern pop culture.

5. (Beyond) View from Riyadh

ATHR co-founders Mohammed Hafiz and Hamza Serafi at the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris for the launch of the Contemporary Art Prize. (Photo courtesy of Michael Huard)

6. By the Numbers

• Entertainment events and activities across the kingdom attracted 45.7 million visitors during the first half of 2026, alongside a visitor satisfaction rate of 96%, according to an official report published by the Saudi General Entertainment Authority on Aug. 3.
• The number of active commercial registrations for entertainment centers jumped to 8,462 in the first half of 2026, a 62% increase from the 5,216 registered in 2024, according to Ministry of Commerce data obtained by Al-Eqtisadiah and reported by Arab News.