Saudi-backed show explores Palestinian embroidery in Scotland

Welcome to Al-Monitor Riyadh.

This week, we spotlight Art Jameel’s new exhibition at the V&A in Dundee, Scotland, which explores and celebrates Palestinian embroidery; a group exhibition at London’s White Cube gallery including the work of Saudi painter Alia Ahmad; Diwan Kitchen, a new Saudi restaurant in London; and the work of Saudi photographer Osama Yahiya Al-Jabarti.

If you want to receive this newsletter or our other new City Pulse editions — including Dubai, Istanbul and Doha — sign up here.

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: “Thread Memory: Embroidery from Palestine”

A view of “Thread Memory: Embroidery from Palestine,” at V&A Dundee. (Courtesy of Art Jameel)

Amid the ongoing war in Gaza and the starvation and displacement of millions of Palestinians, Art Jameel — the Saudi-based organization supporting artists and creative communities across the Middle East — has staged an exhibition at V&A Dundee, a design museum in Scotland, celebrating the historical legacy of Palestinian embroidery during a time of continuous upheaval.

The free exhibition, “Thread Memory: Embroidery from Palestine,” explores the story of Palestinian dress and the art of tatreez, an intricate, ancient hand-embroidery that reflects themes of identity, transformation, loss and hope in Palestinian women’s lives.

Tatreez, which dates back to the Canaanite era around 3,000 years ago, is still practiced today. It is known for its vibrant designs and unique cuts, colors, textiles, stitches and motifs used to create traditional dresses and garments.

The works on display come from the collections of the Palestinian Museum in Birzeit in the West Bank and V&A Dundee, bringing together more than 30 historical dresses, along with accessories, jewelry, headdresses and archival photography. The pieces, recognized by UNESCO as part of a unique historical art form, date from the late 19th century to the present.

“In these difficult times, it’s vital to tell Palestinian stories, celebrate Palestinian heritage and support the next generation of Palestinian artists and fashion designers,” said Rachel Dedman, Jameel’s curator of contemporary art from the Middle East at V&A South Kensington, in the exhibition’s opening release.

The Dundee exhibition is accompanied by tatreez displays in London, at the Islamic Middle East Gallery at V&A South Kensington and the V&A Storehouse.

“‘Thread Memory: Embroidery from Palestine’ builds on more than a decade of research and exhibitions across Palestine, Lebanon, the UK and Saudi Arabia, which reflect on the rich traditions of tatreez and textiles,” said Antonia Carver, director of Art Jameel, in the press release. “Working with the Palestinian Museum, we are honored to see this expanded iteration of the exhibition open at V&A Dundee, marking 45 years of Dundee’s twinning with Nablus and the enduring ties of culture and solidarity between Scotland and Palestine.”

Dates: Through spring 2026

Location: V&A, Dundee, Scotland

Find more information here.

2. Word on the street: Diwan Kitchen

Traditional Saudi cuisine at Diwan Kitchen in London. (Courtesy of Diwan Kitchen)

This new restaurant and cafe in London re-creates a traditional Saudi restaurant complete with Najdi-inspired architecture, wooden accents, plush cushions and patterned rugs. Diwan Kitchen offers traditional Saudi cuisine spanning breakfast, lunch and dinner, with a host of specialties from around Saudi Arabia. For breakfast, try the Fatirah made with honey and cream, Shakshuka and Foul Medammas. There’s also street food such as Areekah with dates and honey, and Motabaq made with meat, cheese or vegetables. For something sweet, try the Marsah made with mashed bananas. 

Location: 510 Holloway Road, London

Find more information here.

3. Riyadh diary

An installation view of “Alien Shores” featuring a work by Alia Ahmad (center). (Courtesy of White Cube)

• “Alien Shores” at White Cube in London

Saudi artist Alia Ahmad’s evocative expressionist paintings are on view in “Alien Shores,” a group show at White Cube in London curated by Susanna Greeves. The exhibition explores landscape as a site of imagination, memory, yearning and belonging. Drawing inspiration from her memories and observations of the changes of her hometown of Riyadh, Ahmad’s lively painted canvases reflect local Saudi poetry, textiles, calligraphy and the natural diversity of her home country — the rich variety of lush vegetation, coupled with serene mountaintops and seemingly endless desert sands.  

Dates: Through Sept. 7

Location: White Cube, Bermondsey, London

Find more information here.

• MDLBeast presents summer performance lineup

If you’re craving electronic music and a great dance party, then head to these performances in Jeddah for an electrifying spectacle. Saudi entertainment company MDLBeast presents a jam-packed summer calendar of electrifying performances from your favorite artists right in ONYX ARENA in Jeddah. These include international and local artists such as Metro Boomin, Quavo, Don Diablo, Asayel, Central Cee, Black Eyed Peas and Meduza, among others.

Dates: Through Aug. 8

Location: Onyx Arena, Jeddah

Find more information here.

• Taif Summer Racing Season 2025 

For those who love a good horse race, head to Taif, a city in the Makkah province in southwest Saudi Arabia. The return of the annual Taif Summer Racing Season features 20 evenings of races at King Khalid Racecourse on Fridays and Saturdays from the end of July until the end of September. Included is family entertainment, live music, competitions and unique cultural events. 

During the season’s feature weekend of Sept. 19-20, visitors can enjoy live performances, family entertainment and competitions to win exciting prizes. The weekend also features Group 3 King Faisal bin Abdulaziz Cup and the Listed Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Cup — two premier races for purebred Arabian horses with a respective prize of 1 million Saudi riyals (around $266,000), on Sept. 19. On Sept. 20, the National Day Cup for Thoroughbreds takes place, and the winner of the race takes home 500,000 Saudi riyals (around $133,000). Admission is free upon registration; simply pick which evening you wish to attend, and register.

Dates: July 25 through Sept. 27

Location: King Khalid Racecourse in Taif

Find more information here.

4. Book of the week: “AlUla Ever”

This handsome hardcover tome, published by Assouline and authored by French journalist and writer Jerome Garcin, captures AlUla, Saudi Arabia’s ancient desert region in the northwest part of the country, like no other destination. Charting its history dating back over a millennium until its recent opening to the world, Garcin writes about all aspects of the ancient region characterized by its magnificent rock formations, ancient Nabatean tombs and remains — and now its contemporary luxury resorts, hotels, museums, galleries and other sites. Garcin’s text is enhanced by captivating illustrations of this unique destination that is quickly becoming one of the world’s wonders.

5. View from Riyadh

Khaled performs the traditional Al-Taa’sheer dance, 2023. (Photography by Osama Yahiya Al-Jabarti, courtesy of LIST Magazine)

This image by Saudi photographer Osama Yahiya Al-Jabarti presents the journey of the traditional Al-Taa’sheer dance across generations. It features Khaled, a young man who reinterprets this martial dance once performed by his ancestors to cast fear into the hearts of their enemies. Rooted in the culture of warfare and defense, the Saudi dance has transformed into a symbol of beauty and cultural pride.

Jabarti is a visual artist based in Saudi Arabia who began his creative journey with a deep fascination for street photography, which later evolved to include conceptual art, fashion and travel photography. After studying psychology in Morocco, which inspired his sensitivity to human emotion and storytelling, Jabarti began moving more and more into artistic disciplines such as photography. His father, a film photographer, was his childhood inspiration. He grew up surrounded by analog cameras. For Jabarti, whose work was recently shown at the 16th edition of Contemporary Venice, an exhibition exploring the relation between body and space, photography goes beyond documentation. He calls it “a way of seeing, feeling and sharing a personal vision of the world.” See more of his work @osama_jabarti.

6. By the numbers

• US asset manager BlackRock and partners are close to reaching a deal to invest $10 billion in infrastructure linked to Saudi Aramco’s $100 billion Jafurah shale gas project, according to Reuters.
• Uber is partnering with US-based electric vehicle maker Lucid Motors — which is financially backed by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund holding a stock majority of over 60% in the company — and US robotics company Nuro to launch robotaxis in 2026 in Saudi Arabia, with trials expected in Riyadh and AlUla. The aim is to use at least 20,000 Lucid vehicles equipped with the level-4 Nuro Driver platform across the next six years.
• Saudi Arabia may make additional cuts to the workforce at NEOM, according to Semafor, relocating over 1,000 jobs to Riyadh.