Exploring ritual and memory: Sarah Brahim in dialogue with Shirin Neshat

Welcome to Al-Monitor Riyadh.

This week we preview an upcoming exhibition in London showcasing the work of the Saudi artist Sarah Brahim and the Iranian photographer Shirin Neshat, a new restaurant in Riyadh wedding Mediterranean and Hejazi flavors, a craft festival in the city of Hail and a summer festival in Tabuk.

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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: “Cartographies of Presence”

Sara Brahim, “In Search of an Honest Map,” 2025. Black and white film, 6:08 mins. (Image courtesy of the artist and Albion Jeune)

A dialogue between two artists from the Islamic world — Sarah Brahim (born in 1992 in Saudi Arabia) and Shirin Neshat (born in 1957 in Iran) — opens in London in September. Their exhibition “Cartographies of Presence” features the multimedia practices of both female artists, encompassing film, performance, photography and poetry to explore the intersection of the personal, collective and political. While from different countries as well as generations, the works of both Neshat and Brahim explore the human body as a vessel in which to examine the language of ritual, memory, resistance and transcendence.

“At a time of unprecedented instability in the region, showing these two from adjacent histories and consequent generations — both of whom now work in other cultures — is an important opportunity to show cohesion and integrity of purpose and why art making is admirable and significant,” Lucca Hue-Williams, founder and director of the art gallery Albion Jeune, told Al-Monitor.

Among the works selected for the exhibition are one of Neshat’s most iconic films, “Passage” (2001), juxtaposed to Brahim’s “In Search of an Honest Map” (2024), a recently commissioned two-channel video exploring how the language of the body and ritual can be used for mental and physical transcendence and bring about lasting metamorphosis.

Dates: Sept. 6–Oct. 4

Location: Albion Jeune, London

Find more information here.

2. Word on the street: Taleed, by Michael Mina

Charcoal grilled Australian tomahawk steak at Taleed by Michael Mina. (Courtesy of Taleed by Michael Mina)

Taleed — which opened its doors earlier this year in Diriyah, on Riyadh’s northwestern outskirts — offers a delicious symphony of Mediterranean flavors enriched with Hejazi influences. The Egyptian-born American celebrity chef Michael Mina has applied his culinary expertise to blend gastronomical traditions with a modern twist.

Be sure to try the Sayadiah (salt-baked fish), Saleeg (creamy rice with slow-cooked meats) and a selection of modern mezes. Located in the new Bab Samhan, a boutique hotel that blends traditional Arabian heritage, including local architecture and design, with a contemporary touch, the restaurant similarly stands as an ode to tradition while honoring the innovation of Saudi Arabia’s present moment of change.

Location: Bab Samhan, 7628 King Faisal Ibn Abd Al Aziz, Riyadh

Find more information here.

3. Riyadh diary

A view of the Beit Hail Festival. (Photograph courtesy of Beit Hail)

• Beit Hail Festival

The fourth edition of the Beit Hail Festival, celebrating creations by local artisans in open-air spaces, is luring thousands of visitors to one of the top events in the kingdom this month. Under the patronage of Hail’s governor, Prince Abdulaziz bin Saad bin Abdulaziz, the festival converted a popular community space in Hail, in northwestern Saudi Arabia and once the capital of the Arabian desert, into a place for Saudis to promote their hand-made products, rich heritage and traditional crafts. 

This year, the festival takes place during the “Year of Handicrafts,” an initiative spearheaded by the Saudi Ministry of Culture to present and promote the country’s rich history of traditional craftsmanship. On display is such craftsmanship as palm frond weaving, which involves tying together clean, dry fronds, soaking them until softened and then sewing them together to create wicker products, including mats, brooms, bags and other accessories. There are also crafts made using al-Sadu, a traditional form of weaving by Bedouin women in the Arabian Peninsula.

Dates: Through July 29

Location: Aja Park, Hail, Saudi Arabia

Find more information here.

• Poolside by AZIMUTH

Even during the hot summer months, AlUla, Saudi Arabia’s fascinating ancient desert region, is pulsating with a myriad of happenings. Poolside by AZIMUTH, is an event encompassing wellness, adventure, culture and various desert experiences in an exclusive series of weekend poolside events at four premium resorts — Banyan Tree, Dar Tantora, Our Habitas AlUla and Shaden — featuring catchy DJ sets, cool cocktails, immersive entertainment and access to premium poolside facilities. Be sure to book in advance.

Dates: Through Aug. 31

Location: AlUla

Find more information here.

• Tabuk Summer Festival

The Tabuk Summer Festival, open since May 29 in northwestern Saudi Arabia, celebrates the region’s unique heritage and culture. Among its offerings are local art, traditional cuisine and outdoor events such as scenic walks through idyllic landscapes. There are also craft workshops and local musical and dance performances. The festival presents Tabuk at a relaxed pace, showcasing its unique heritage, natural beauty and distinction of its historical significance, having once been a major stop along ancient trade and pilgrimage routes. Tabuk is surrounded by mountains and valleys and scenic bodies of water, or in Arabic, “wadis.” Today, the city is once again growing in  importance due to its strategic proximity to NEOM, the futuristic city currently under construction.

Dates: Through July 31

Location: Tabuk Park Mall

Find more information here.

4. Book of the week: “Costumes of Saudi Arabia”

“Costumes of Saudi Arabia,” a handsome tome from Assouline, examines the rich heritage and culture of traditional Saudi attire, with stunning illustrations of the clothing worn by the numerous tribes throughout the Gulf nation. In compiling the book, Princess Noura bint Faisal Al Saud and the journalist Siân Tichař traveled the kingdom to source meaningful attire and rare accessories that showcase the country’s diverse fashion history. Laziz Hamani photographed the pieces to provide a rare look into the fascinating, diverse range of dress found across Saudi Arabia. 

5. View from Riyadh

A local Asiri young man. (Photograph by Mohamed Mahdy)

The Saudi photographer Mohamed Mahdy, recipient of the Kingdom Photography Award 2025, photographed a local resident of the Asir region standing amid what appears to be one of the region’s mountainous peaks. Mahdy’s intimate compositions explore themes of belonging, the relationship between people and the land, exploring Asir, in southwestern Saudi Arabia, as both a breathtaking terrain and also a place of contemplation and introspection.

6. By the numbers

• The fourth annual Beit Hail Festival has attracted more than 27,000 visitors to the city since its opening on June 28, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
• The Al Baha Summer Festival in the city of Al Baha in the Hejaz region in western Saudi Arabia, running from July 3-27, includes 500 events, encompassing culture, local cuisine and leisure activities, is projected to attract some 2.5 million visitors, according to the Saudi Press Agency.