Riyadh Art Week kicks off
Following the Eid al-Fitr holidays, Riyadh is gearing up for its inaugural Riyadh Art Week.
Welcome to Al-Monitor Riyadh.
Following the Eid al-Fitr holidays, Riyadh is gearing up for its inaugural Riyadh Art Week, running from April 6-13 across the capital and the JAX District in Diriyah. In this week’s newsletter, we highlight several exhibitions taking place during the week — along with the best spot for a juicy steak in the Saudi capital.
Happy reading, and enjoy the art show!
Rebecca
1. Leading the week: “All beautiful things are fragile”
Mohammad Alfaraj's "I will be your wing" (2022). (Courtesy of the artist and ATHR Gallery)
One of the standout exhibitions of Riyadh Art Week is “All Beautiful Things Are Fragile,” a group show presented by ATHR featuring Saudi artists Mohammad AlFaraj and Ayman Yossri Daydban alongside invited artists Adel Abidin, Rund Alarabi, Hayfa Algwaiz, Neïl Beloufa, Petrit Halilaj, Tamara Kalo, Basim Magdy and Athier Mousawi. Through diverse media, the artists explore the fragility of memory, identity and remembrance, reflecting on how history in the Arab world is often fragmented, rewritten and translated across multiple languages.
This poignant exhibition confronts historical erasure with acts of artistic resilience, reclaiming and reinterpreting the past through new narratives. The works offer a poetic meditation on what it means to remember in the face of disappearance — both literal and metaphysical.
The week-long program features two major exhibition openings by ATHR, including “Vessel of Wreckage” by Basma Felemban, exclusive industry workshops, and the launch of a cultural initiative blending art, music and community. ATHR, one of Saudi Arabia’s pioneering commercial art platforms, is also unveiling its new campaign, #MakeYourMark | #أثرك_اترك, celebrating artists and cultural leaders shaping the kingdom’s evolving art scene.
Location: ATHR, JAX Warehouse space (H21)
Dates: April 7 to June 26
Find more information here.
2. Word on the street: Marble Riyadh
A view of Marble Riyadh. (Courtesy of Marble)
If a juicy steak is what you’re after, this homegrown Saudi steakhouse — widely regarded as one of the best in Riyadh — is the place to be. Run by chef Abdulrahman Alsowailem, this is the place to come for top farm-to-table grilling in the Saudi capital. The restaurant, which recently ranked 16th on MENA’s 50 Best Restaurants list for 2025, began as a small pop-up on Prince Turki Road in 2018, operating just four days a week with a menu of only four dishes. It has now expanded thanks to its increasing popularity and reputation. Specializing in high-quality meats and smoked dishes, Marble is known for its delicious burgers and mouthwatering smoked ribs.
Location: Makkah Al Mukarramah Branch Road, Turki Square, Riyadh
Find more information here.
3. Riyadh diary
• Selma Feriani makes debut in Saudi Arabia during Riyadh Art Week
The gallery, a long-time presence in the Middle Eastern and international art scene, makes its Saudi Arabia debut at Riyadh Art Week. Its booth will feature works by Saudi artist Maha Malluh, French Algerian Zineb Sedira and Tunisian Thameur Mejri.
Mejri’s “Dawn of Men,” a 680 cm x 350 cm painting from his “Fallen Archetypes” series, reflects on historical and civilizational change, critiquing today’s world while hinting at a new one emerging. Other highlights include Sedira’s lightbox exhibition, “No Matter What (Dreams Have No Titles)” (2023), and Malluh’s “Food for Thought” (2025), an installation of stacked, local cooking pots.
Location: JAX District, Riyadh
Dates: April 6-13
Find more information here.
• NEUMA: The Forgotten Ceremony
Villa Hegra, Saudi Arabia’s first French cultural institution, will present "NEUMA: The Forgotten Ceremony" by Sarah Brahim and Ugo Schiavi at the 27th Art Paris fair in the Grand Palais.
Curated by Wejdan Reda and Arnaud Morand, the 150-square-meter installation marks the culmination of the artists’ residency in AlUla, a region known for its striking desert landscape. Drawing from research with archaeologists and local communities, the work symbolically reflects pre-Islamic ritual practices while honoring the land’s present-day inhabitants.
Dates: April 2-6
Location: Grand Palais, Paris
Find more information here.
• "At the Edge” flagship exhibition of Riyadh Art Week
The inaugural art week’s flagship exhibition is curated around three themes: everyday life, landscapes and motifs, reflecting the intersections of tradition, innovation and local narratives with global influences.
The selection features works from prominent galleries across the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Europe, including Hunna Art (Kuwait), Perrotin (France, Hong Kong, China and Japan), Galerie Krinzinger (Austria), Efie Gallery (Dubai, showcasing African art), The Third Line (Dubai), Nature Morte (India), and Galleria Continua (Italy, China, Cuba, Brazil, France and Dubai).
The exhibition highlights contemporary art as a means of fostering dialogue and cultural expression, showcasing Saudi Arabia’s deep connections to both local and international art scenes.
Location: JAX District
Dates: Until April 13
Find more information here.
4. Book of the week: "Queens of the Kingdom"
This book captures the voices of women throughout the kingdom during a time of great change. After spending four years in Saudi Arabia, Nicola Sutcliff compiled dozens of interviews of women she met across the country, discussing their hopes and dreams, the history of their country, and their personal and public lives. Published in 2019 — a few years after Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman’s ambitious government program for change, Vision 2030 — within the pages of “Queens of the Kingdom: The Women of Saudi Arabia Speak” are the voices of Bedouin women, students, fashion and art lovers, and many more. Undoubtedly, significant changes for women have taken place in the six years since this book was published. This book captures a snapshot of Saudi Arabia on the cusp of profound change — and what that shift looks and feels like for women in the kingdom.
5. View from Riyadh
Maha Malluh’s “X-Rayed 1,” (2011). (Courtesy of Galerie Krinzinger and the artist)
Born in 1959, Malluh is a pioneering female Saudi artist who has worked across a wide range of media for several decades. She explores Saudi culture and the impact of globalization, particularly through her X-ray works, which often feature imprints of personal and collective objects — reflecting a blend of tradition and modernity and the challenges of reconciling the two.
6. By the numbers
• 45 local, regional and international galleries are participating in the inaugural Riyadh Art Week.
• At the Al Mousa Center in Riyadh, more than 15 galleries showcase specially curated solo and group exhibitions for Art Week Riyadh.
• The Al Mousa Center, a former commercial complex located on Olaya Street in Riyadh dating back to the 1980s, is now home to around 20 art galleries.