Tracing memory through art

Welcome to AL-MONITOR Riyadh.

Have you ever wondered how memories reflect a person’s identity and their relationship with the place they call home? A new group show at Hafez Gallery in Jeddah explores such ideas through the works of three artists from the Gulf. Elsewhere, we preview the upcoming Paris edition of the Esports World Cup, marking the first time the tournament will be held outside Riyadh. For those who love Nikkei cuisine, we also profile The Lucky Llama, a new popular eatery in Jeddah that merges Peruvian and Japanese cuisine.

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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: ‘Between Mist and Meridian’

Thuraya Al-Baqsami. “Departure.” 2022. Silkscreen on paper. (Photo courtesy of the artist and Hafez Gallery)

How does memory affect where we come from and who we are? A group exhibition at Hafez Gallery in Jeddah explores these questions through the work of three Arab artists: Hakim Al Akel, Abdelsattar Al Mussa and Thuraya Al-Baqsami. Titled “Between Mist and Meridian,” the exhibition unfolds as a visual dialogue between places, people and collective memory.

Born in 1955, Mussa is a pioneering artist from Al-Ahsa, widely recognized for his mixed-media work combining graphic arts, typography and carving. He trained in the former Soviet Union during the 1970s and is known for capturing daily life and regional landscapes.

Kuwaiti artist, writer and printmaker Al-Baqsami portrays female figures not just as subjects but as symbols, carriers and custodians. Rooted in Gulf and Arab cultural traditions, folklore and the textures of everyday life, her work offers vibrant visual narratives in which women emerge as active architects of cultural consciousness rather than mere inheritors.

Yemeni painter and writer Akel depicts mountainous villages, valleys and mythical figures that occupy the threshold between reality and imagination. Employing vibrant colors, layered compositions and intuitive brushstrokes, he transforms memory into visual poetry.

Through the medium of painting the three artists trace how their personal histories and cultural narratives embed themselves within diverse landscapes, figures and symbols and how the relationship between individual experience and collective identity endures even as it shifts and transforms over time.

Date: until Aug. 1

Location: Hafez Gallery, Al Rawdah, Jeddah

Find more information here.

2. Word on the street: The Lucky Llama

A Peruvian-Japanese fusion dish at The Lucky Llama, Jeddah. (Photo courtesy of The Lucky Llama)

This popular Nikkei restaurant has become a favorite in Jeddah’s burgeoning culinary scene. Bringing a taste of Japan and Peru to the city, The Lucky Llama is an ode to the restaurant’s chef and owner, Nihal Felemban, and her various travels around the world. Step inside the restaurant and you are greeted with decor that reflects the menu’s Peruvian-Japanese fusion. Think kintsugi plates on the wall, as well as Peruvian woven baskets used as ceiling lights, within an upscale, elegant setting with black-and-white checkered floor tiles. Be sure to try the TNT Shrimp and Salmon Tiradito, Aji Amarillo Ceviche and the Salmon Nigiri with Crispy Rice.

Location: Al-Mohammadiyyah district, Jeddah

Find more information here.

3. Riyadh diary

A view of Esports World Cup 2025, Riyadh. (Photo courtesy of Esports World Cup)

• Saudi takes its Esports World Cup to Paris

The countdown to the Esports World Cup 2026 in Paris has begun. The inaugural edition took place in 2024 in Riyadh, followed by a record-breaking second edition in 2025, also in Riyadh. Marking the first edition hosted outside of Saudi Arabia, the tournament is drawing global attention, with Saudi clubs competing on one of the biggest stages in international esports, reflecting its continued growth and expanding global reach.

While Saudi Arabia is the primary funding source, organizer and founding home of the Esports World Cup (EWC), the decision to stage this year’s event in Paris, said Chief Product Officer of the Esports Foundation Faisal bin Homran in a press release, reflects the country’s position as a leader in developing the global gaming and esports sector. 

This edition of the EWC will welcome over 2,000 players and 200 clubs from more than 100 countries, who will compete in 24 games across 25 tournaments for a share of the record-breaking $75 million prize pool.

Date: July 6 - Aug. 23

Location: Paris

Find more information here.

• SAIF Summer Program at SAMoCA

SAMoCA at JAX has announced the schedule for SAIF 2026, a summer program designed to bring Saudi creativity to life through workshops, film screenings and activities for children, teenagers and young audiences. The program offers visitors opportunities to channel their creativity through ceramics workshops, fashion and tailoring sessions, and papermaking classes. It will also feature a range of engaging activities spanning photography, writing and voiceover work. Art of Heritage, a Saudi nonprofit organization dedicated to transforming heritage into contemporary inspiration, will contribute workshops celebrating traditional craftsmanship, design and cultural identity.

Date: July 12 - Aug. 29

Location: SAMoCA, JAX District, Riyadh

Find more information here.

• Aseer Summer Season 2026

This is a major tourism initiative in southwestern Saudi Arabia designed to celebrate and promote the region’s mountainous landscapes, heritage villages and cooler summer weather. Visitors can explore over 100 experiences, including the Husaak Adventure Center, the Sound of Abha Festival, a FIFA World Cup Fan Zone and a variety of musical concerts.

Date: until Aug. 31

Location: Various locations across the Aseer governorate 

Find more information here.

4. Book of the week: ‘Throwing Sparks’

Saudi author Abdo Khal’s award-winning novel captures a period of great change in the kingdom. Winner of the 2010 International Prize for Arabic Fiction, the book is set in Jeddah during the 1980s. It made history as the first Saudi novel to receive the prestigious award and explores the cycle of corruption and absolute power as the city is controlled by a powerful tycoon known as The Master. The novel offers an unsettling meditation on the corruptive power of wealth and remains one of the boldest works to emerge from the kingdom.

5. View from Riyadh

Nigerian wrestler Oba Femi celebrates while standing on the ring ropes during the WWE Night of Champions wrestling event in Riyadh on June 27, 2026. (Photo by Fayez NURELDINE / AFP via Getty Images)

6. By the numbers

• Saudi Arabia’s gaming and esports industry generated $1.2 billion in revenue in 2024, according to state-backed gaming firm Savvy Games Group. This represented 20% of the wider Middle East and North Africa gaming market, which reached $6 billion. 
• In 2025, the Esports World Cup reached over 750 million viewers worldwide, distributed across 28 platforms and more than 800 channels in 35 languages, reaching audiences in 140 countries.