Rediscovering Gulf Modernism: A landmark art exhibition in Jeddah

Welcome to Al-Monitor Riyadh.

This week, we highlight an exhibition opening at Hayy Jameel in Jeddah that casts a spotlight on art movements and collectives across the 20th century in the Arabian Gulf. We also share announcements about the Saudi film industry from the 78th Cannes Film Festival, showcase Saudi artist Abdulnasser Gharem’s new Arts Tower on Sports Boulevard and feature a new Levantine restaurant in Jeddah.

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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: Redrawing the Boundaries

Mohammed Kazem, “Photographs with Flags.” (1997-2003). (Courtesy of the artist)

Opening this week at Hayy Jameel in Jeddah is a landmark exhibition that explores the largely untold story of the development of modern art in the Khaleej, or Arabian Gulf. Curated by Aisha Stoby, the show was previously presented as “Khaleej Modern: Pioneers and Collectives from the Arabian Peninsula” at the NYU Art Gallery in Abu Dhabi in 2022. The showing in Jeddah marks an expanded edition that includes original works from the first edition alongside new loans from public and private collections, most of which are being shown in Saudi Arabia for the first time.

The show is groundbreaking in that it traces the emergence of modern art movements across Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, collectively referred to as the Khaleej. Instead of opting for a chronological or linear progression of the region’s art history, the exhibition presents creative practices that arose during pivotal periods of nation-building in the region, reflecting how the transformations and tensions between tradition and modernity gave rise to unique artistic vocabularies. The artists showcased are not only significant in terms of forming modernist visual language in fine art but also fundamental in the founding and establishment of art institutions and creative communities across the Arabian Peninsula.

“When I first began this research, it was a dream of mine to tour outputs of the work through the Gulf, and to deepen the research through new manifestations of it,” Stoby told Al-Monitor. “Bringing these pieces together has felt like a homecoming for many of the works by artists from Saudi Arabia whose works have been housed in collections abroad, and it has been a privilege to bring together additional pieces by local collections as well.”

The exhibition borrows its title, “Redrawing the Boundaries,” from an eponymous foundational text by the late curator Okwui Enwezor published in the inaugural issue of Nka: Journal of Contemporary African Arts in 1994, where he explores the boundaries imposed by art institutions that historically excluded artists from visibility and discourse.

The works presented highlight pioneering artists and collectives across Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, exploring abstraction, mysticism, architecture and the experimental spirit found in the Arabian Peninsula.

Dates: May 22 to Oct. 13

Location: Hayy Jameel, Jeddah

More details here.

2. Word on the street: Hazal

Zesty Mediterranean dishes at Hazal in Jeddah. (Photo courtesy of Hazal)

This new homegrown spot in Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea city blends Levantine delicacies with local charm. This restaurant presents cuisine from the Levant — think smoky baba ghanoush, fattoush salad and moutabal — with much heart and soul. The eatery features an understated yet elegant design, replete with natural finishes and hues evocative of the Mediterranean. Be sure to try the mouthwatering selection of mezzes, including hummus awarma with pine nuts and feta paired with seasonal melon and mint, as well as small plates like prawn casserole with garlic and paprika or crispy courgette fritters served with herb labneh and lamb manti — a traditional pasta stuffed with lamb and a tomato and roasted garlic sauce. There’s also the slow-cooked ouzi lamb with cinnamon and saffron rice for the main. This is a place that merits many returns.

Location: Atelier La Vie, 28 King Abdulaziz Branch Road, Ash Shati, Jeddah

More details here.

3. Riyadh diary

Abdulnasser Gharem in front of his Arts Tower on Sports Boulevard in Riyadh. (Photography by Abdul Majeed Al Rodhan)

• Abdulnasser Gharem inaugurates the Arts Tower on Sports Boulevard

Saudi artist Abdulnasser Gharem has unveiled the Arts Tower, a striking new landmark within Riyadh’s Sports Boulevard at the promenade. Rising 83.5 meters and clad in 691 colored panels, the tower is designed as an immersive experience that shifts with the sun, shadows and movement around it. “It is not merely an aesthetic sculpture, but an experience to be lived at every corner,” Gharem said. He envisions the structure as a living artwork — ever-changing like the natural environment.

Location: Sports Boulevard Project, Riyadh, at the Promenade destination at the intersection of Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Road and Prince Turki bin Abdulaziz Al Awwal Road.

More details here.

• ATHR launches The Art Storage

As Saudi Arabia’s cultural scene expands, infrastructure is evolving to support it. ATHR, one of the kingdom’s leading galleries, has launched Saudi Arabia’s first purpose-built, museum-grade art storage facility. Located in Jeddah’s Al-Nakheel District on flood-resistant high ground, the depot offers long-term security for artwork.

Designed specifically for art, the facility features 24/7 CCTV surveillance, climate-controlled storage with stable temperature and humidity, and advanced dust control. A gallery-standard viewing room allows collectors and curators to experience works in ideal conditions, while a dedicated workshop provides custom crate building and packaging services. Administrative and client service areas round out the space.

Date: Unveiling on May 24

More details here.

• New JAX Film Studios in Riyadh unveiled

Saudi Arabia’s film industry continues its ascent, fueled by government investment and growing global interest. At a high-profile lunch during the 78th Cannes Film Festival, the Cultural Development Fund highlighted plans to enhance financing tools — grants, rebates and incentives — to position the kingdom as a global filmmaking hub.

Also at Cannes, the Saudi Film Commission revealed plans for a cutting-edge production complex in Riyadh’s JAX District. The facility will feature two 16,000-square-foot sound stages, a virtual production stage with Sony’s latest LED tech, screening rooms, dining areas, meeting spaces and a VIP lounge.

More details here.

4. Book of the week: “Camels from Saudi Arabia”

This stunning hardcover tome published by Assouline celebrates the beauty and historic legacy of this exceptional desert animal. It features original photography by Oliver Pilcher and text that tells how the camel is an icon of the Arabian landscape, highlighting its particular importance in Saudi Arabia through legends, poetry and art.

5. View from Riyadh

(Courtesy of the Bettmann Archive/Getty)

Saudi Arabia’s King Ibn Saud converses with US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt aboard the USS Quincy at the Great Bitter Lake in the Suez Canal, Egypt, on Feb. 14, 1945. At the time, Roosevelt was returning from the Yalta Conference, the World War II meeting of heads of government of the United States, the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union, to discuss postwar reorganization of Germany and Europe.

6. By the numbers

• According to the Saudi Arabia Movie Market Report 2025, the kingdom’s movie market was valued at $584.04 million in 2024, and it is expected to reach $950.25 million by 2030.
• Saudi Arabia’s Cultural Development Fund has invested in the $100 million Saudi Film Fund, the first of its kind in the region. It has also contributed to 40% of capital to boost the film sector in the country both locally and internationally.