Global talent meets Saudi heritage at AlUla Design Residency

Welcome to Al-Monitor Riyadh.

This week we are highlighting the second edition of the AlUla Design Residency 2026 and its  culmination in an exhibition of completed works in January 2026, film programs at Hayy Jameel in Jeddah, and Saudi Arabia’s participation at the upcoming Frieze Seoul 2025 in September.

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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: AlUla Design Residency Returns for second edition

Work in progress by Saudi designer in residence Aseel Alamoudi. (Courtesy of the Royal Commission for AlUla)

The AlUla Design Residency has returned for its second edition with resident artists and designers soon to be working on creations to be publicly showcased in January. The residency, launched in early 2024 alongside Design Space AlUla, a contemporary design center located in the AlJadidah Arts District of AlUla, is this year themed “Designing Within” and is curated by Dominique Petit-Frere, co-founder of the spatial design and research practice Limbo Accra, in Ghana.

The selected designers will explore natural and manmade subjects, such as crafts and heritage unique to the ancient Saudi region, in the process demonstrating how art can emerge from an intimate connection to the landscape.

This year’s group of creatives includes Saudi artist and architect Aseel Alamoudi; Altin, a craft-based duo from Tunisia; Paul Ledron, a designer from Ivory Coast; and Ori Orisun Merhav, a designer from Brussels and Studio Thus That from the Netherlands.

Once again, the residency represents a collaboration between designers, artists and international curators and regional experts. 

“At the heart of this program is a guiding principle: creating from the ground up — place,” Arnaud Morand, co-director of the residency and head of art and creative industries, AFALULA (French Agency for AlUla Development), told Al-Monitor.

“It embraces a grassroots philosophy intrinsic to AlUla’s identity, weaving traditional craftsmanship with contemporary design practices, while resonating strongly with the designation of 2025 as the ‘Year of Saudi Craft,’ aligning local heritage with forward-looking creative visions.”

The work of the five designers will be exhibited as part of the AlUla Arts Festival in January 2026.

Dates: Jan. 15, 2026 

Location: Madrasat Addeera, AlUla, Saudi Arabia

Find more information here.

2. Word on the street: La Cantina

A dish from La Cantina, Jeddah. (Courtesy of La Cantina)

If you’re craving a Mexican food fix, head over to the recently opened La Cantina, in Jeddah’s An-Nahdah district, known for its diverse dining scene. Open the door and find yourself in a vibrantly colored restaurant that makes you feel like you’ve entered  an eatery in Mexico City. Here you can order all of your favorite classic Mexican dishes, such as signature quesadillas, nachos, tacos, burritos and Mexican-inspired mocktails. La Cantina’s emphasis on locally sourced fresh ingredients adds a Saudi twist to traditional Mexican fare. Be sure to try the habanero-cured, locally caught red snapper topped with avocado, roasted strawberries, onions and black quinoa—giving a local edge to a delicious Mexican dish.

Location: An-Nahdah, Jeddah

Find more information here

3. Riyadh diary

A still from “Shams Al-Ma’arif,” screening at Hayy Jameel, in Jeddah. (Courtesy of Godus Bros)

• “Shams Al-Ma’arif,” by the Godus Brothers

It has been five years since the release of “Shams Al-Ma’arif” (The Book of the Sun), a Saudi film comedy produced by Faris Godus. The plot charts the story of a high school senior who sets out to make a no-budget horror movie with his best friend, one-time rival, and teacher that puts them in danger. The popular film is being celebrated this month with a retrospective at the Hayy Jameel dedicated arts complex and creative hub, featuring an exclusive director’s cut, masterclasses and live table reads.

Dates: August 14-17

Location: Hayy Jameel, Jeddah

Find more information here.

• Sketch and Memento at Hayy Cinema

Also screening at Hayy Cinema during the second half of August are “Sketch” (2024) and “Memento” (2000). The latter is director Christopher Nolan’s famous thriller charting the story of Leonard Shelby, who, suffering from short-term memory loss, tries to track down his wife’s murderer. To do so, he uses Polaroids and tattoos to pull together clues as he pieces together the mystery, all the while questioning the nature of truth itself. On the other hand, Seth Worley’s “Sketch” recounts the surreal tale of a young girl’s sketchbook falling into a strange pond, with her drawings then coming to life in a chaotic frenzy prompting her family to come together to fight off the monsters she drew.

Dates: August 20–31

Location: Hayy Cinema, at Hayy Jameel, Jeddah

Find more information here.

• Saudi Arabia at Frieze Seoul 2025

Saudi Arabia is participating in Frieze Seoul 2025, in the first week of September. Supported by the Ministry of Culture, the Saudi delegation will showcase various art and cultural initiatives at the prestigious art fair, emphasizing the kingdom’s broad effort to foster global cultural exchange. Additional information on Saudi participation at the fair has not yet been released.

Dates: September 3-6

Location: COEX Seoul, South Korea

Find more information here.

4. Book of the week: Ibn Saudi: The Desert Warrior Who Created the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Published in 2015, “Ibn Saud, the Desert Warrior Who Created the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia” tells the gripping story of a man who grew up a desert nomad but used his physical and mental courage to defeat enemies and local tribes more powerful than his own and establish a country that took his clan’s name as its own. Michael Darlow and Barbara Bray portray Ibn Saud, courted by world leaders, including Roosevelt and Churchill, as a statesman who led the transformation of Arabia from disparate regions run by various tribes into a unified, major player on the world stage.

5. View from Riyadh

A view of a construction site  and excavation work in Riyadh, photographed by Peter Bogaczewicz in 2018. Courtesy of Peter Bogaczewicz

Since April 2026 — when Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman launched his ambitious Vision 2030 plan to alter Saudi Arabia’s society and economy, diversifying away from a hydrocarbon-reliant economy — the desert kingdom has been in the throes of largely unparalleled, rapid urban development and transformation at a speed not witnessed elsewhere in the world. Bogaczewicz’s photograph of a construction site in the King Abdullah Financial District exemplifies the changes.

6. By the numbers

• Saudi Arabia’s King Khalid International Airport (JED) has set a record of 3.9 million passengers during the month of July, according to the official Saudi Press Agency. JED handled 25.5 million passengers during the first half of 2025.
• To accommodate the increase in domestic and international travelers, the governor of the Eastern Region, Prince Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz, on July 20 announced a $426 million aviation development plan for King Fahd International Airport in Dammam.