Winter at Tantoura: heritage meets desert spectacle

Welcome to Al-Monitor Riyadh.

As the year draws to a close, cultural institutions in the kingdom are celebrating Saudi Arabia’s rich artistic heritage. In AlUla, the seventh edition of Winter at Tantora has kicked off a three-week program of performances by leading Arab stars, alongside immersive experiences that bring the land and culture of AlUla to life. Elsewhere, Saudi-Palestinian artist Dana Awartani is presenting a solo exhibition in Eastbourne in the United Kingdom and Ahmed Mater, one of Saudi Arabia’s most influential contemporary artists, will be featured in ATHR’s presentation at the inaugural Art Basel Qatar in February.

As New Year festivities unfold throughout the kingdom, we wish you happy reading and a joyous start to 2026!

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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’s 'Winter at Tantoura' whisks visitors back in time

A traditional performance for Old Town Nights during "Winter at Tantoura" 2025. (Courtesy of the Royal Commission for AlUla)

If you’re looking to step back in time and explore the ancient cultural heritage of AlUla, "Winter at Tantoura" offers an otherworldly and deeply authentic experience. The three-week festival takes its name from the traditional tantoura sundial in AlUla’s Old Town — a mud brick obelisk that for centuries marked the beginning of winter and the planting season. By casting shadows across nearby surfaces, the sundial allowed local farmers to tell the time of day and identify seasonal shifts. Today, the original tantoura still stands at the entrance of Dar Tantoura, a restored hotel whose candlelit interiors echo AlUla’s timeless atmosphere.

Now in its seventh edition, "Winter at Tantoura" has expanded its offerings with spectacular performances by Arab and international artists alongside experiences that revive AlUla’s ancient traditions. This year’s highlights include Emirati superstar Ahlam on Dec. 26, followed by Lebanese singers Assala Nasri and Adam, who will close out the year on Dec. 31 as part of the outdoor Thanaya Concert Series set amid dramatic rock formations. At the mirror-clad Maraya Concert Hall, Lebanese icon Elissa will perform on Jan. 9, bringing her beloved hits to one of the world’s most striking cultural venues.

Other experiences lean into AlUla’s historic landscape. At "Ilkmah After Dark, Secrets of the Scribe," held in Ikhmah — home to nearly 300 ancient inscriptions and often described as AlUla’s “open-air library” — visitors are guided by performers through the candlelit rocks for storytelling and theatrical reenactments inspired by life during the Dadan and Lihyan kingdoms some 3,000 years ago. Beneath clear desert skies, guests listen to legends from antiquity before enjoying warm refreshments from the AlUla oasis. The experience ends with a hands-on carving session, where visitors learn to inscribe letters from the ancient Dadanitic alphabet.

In AlUla Old Town, an evening culinary trail invites visitors to sample regional dishes at traditional restaurants such as Joontos, Tofareya, Tawabeen and Huna, where Saudi coffee is served in a classic majlis setting. The district also comes alive with the AlManshiya Carnival, where local performers in traditional masks and stilt costumes animate the streets with music, dance and a festive ambience alongside bustling farmers markets.

A view from a hot air balloon during "Winter at Tantoura" 2025. (Rebecca Anne Proctor)

Winter is a magical season in AlUl thanks not only to its cooler temperatures, which make it ideal for exploring historic and natural landmarks, but also the communal warmth the season brings. Visits to the UNESCO World Heritage site Hegra, with its monumental Nabataean tombs dating back to the 1st century BCE to 106 bCE, can be paired with dawn rides in hot-air balloons that drift above AlUla’s sandstone canyons. Few experiences match the feeling of watching the sun rise over the region’s sweeping landscapes, filling the sky with shades of orange against the ancient rock formations.

Date: Until Jan. 10, 2026

Location: AlUla, Saudi Arabia 

Find more information here.

2. Word on the street: Tofareya

Red Jareesh, a Saudi dish made from ground, cracked wheat, slow-cooked and served with meat and yoghurt at Tofareya. (Courtesy of Tofareya)

A favorite among AlUla locals, the AlUla branch of Tofareya — which is also found in Jeddah — is set inside a charming village house just off the main road, offering two intimate dining rooms and an outdoor terrace overlooking a palm grove. The restaurant serves traditional Saudi recipes and regional dishes alongside a selection of Middle Eastern classics. Tofareya was recently awarded the Michelin Bib Gourmand, recognizing it as one of the kingdom's standout culinary destinations. Signature dishes include the Red Jareesh and the Kabsa infused with AlUla’s homegrown oranges, while the perfect finish is a warm serving of the beloved dessert Umm Ali.

Location: AlUla Old Town

Find more information here. 

3. Riyadh diary

Ahmed Mater's "Black Stone." (2012) (Courtesy of Ahmed Mater and ATHR Gallery)

• Ahmed Mater at inaugural Art Basel Qatar

Leading Saudi artist Ahmed Mater will present his photographic project, "Temporal Migration," at the inaugural edition of Art Basel Qatar, at the booth of Saudi gallery ATHR. The work examines Mecca as a city in perpetual transformation, capturing an urban landscape shaped by construction, culture and continuous expansion. Through Mater’s lens, the evolving fabric of the Holy City becomes a meditation on memory, faith and the rhythms of modern life in the kingdom.

Mater’s photographs stand out for portraying Mecca as a city in constant flux, its skyline punctuated by a constellation of cranes, markers of developmen and architectural ambition.

Highlighted works from the series include "The Empty Land," inspired by 19th-century depictions of the American West. The piece presents aerial views of Mecca's quiet streets, military bases, abandoned public projects and discarded oil barrels, offering a reflection on space and change. In the diptych Black Stone, Mater turns to themes of faith and collective devotion: an image of pilgrims rushing toward the Kaaba, Islam’s most sacred site, captures not only the physical momentum of Hajj but also the spiritual pull that draws millions each year.

Together, Mater’s images portray a country undergoing profound transformation — a place where sweeping development and future-driven planning unfold alongside enduring reverence for religious history and tradition.

Date: Feb. 5-7, 2026

Location: M7, Msheireb Downtown Doha, Qatar

Find more information here. 

• 'Standing by the Ruins' by Dana Awartani

Palestinian-Saudi artist Dana Awartani, who will represent Saudi Arabia at the 2026 Venice Biennale, is currently showcasing "Standing by the Ruins" at Towner Eastbourne in the United Kingdom. Named for her ongoing series of paintings and floor installations, the exhibition examines three central themes: remembrance, forgetting and healing. Each work reflects on what is absent or lost while inviting viewers to consider how our relationship with the present can shift and renew.

The works are rooted in Awartani’s creative practice that sheds light on the art-making process of her art as much as the resulting finished work. Working across installation, textiles, performance and film, her art draws attention to creation as a response to human loss, particularly the destruction wrought by conflicts in the Middle East and the architectural scars left by colonial histories. 

The works on display, like much of Awartani’s oeuvre, honor traditional craft techniques and are often produced in collaboration with local artisans connected to the places and cultural lineages she invokes. From adobe building to darning and tilework, her practice integrates skilled craftsmanship and locally sourced materials enriched with references to Islamic and Arab artistic traditions.

Date: Until Jan. 26, 2026

Location: Towner Eastbourne, Eastbourne, England

Find more information here. 

• Saudi Arabia prepares for News Year’s celebrations

Across the kingdom, preparations for Dec. 31 are well underway. While Saudi Arabia does not officially celebrate New Year’s Eve — the kingdom follows the Hijri, or Islamic, calendar — year-end festivities have grown popular over the past decade as the country continues to open up. The Islamic lunar year begins on the 1st of Muharram, commemorating Prophet Muhammad’s Hijra from Mecca to Medina, which means the date shifts annually relative to the Gregorian calendar.

Today, however, many cities across Saudi Arabia mark the turn of the Gregorian year with lively celebrations. In Riyadh, most restaurants offer special dinners, while Boulevard City hosts fireworks and entertainment throughout the night. In Jeddah, crowds gather along the Corniche for sea views and festivities, and in Khobar, the Northern Corniche becomes a popular spot for fireworks and family picnics.

For a quieter way to welcome 2026, visitors can retreat to AlUla’s ancient desert landscapes. There, "Winter at Tantoura" offers cultural performances and seasonal experiences, or one can simply enjoy desert camping and stargazing beneath AlUla’s clear winter skies.

Date: Dec. 31, 2025

Location: Various

Find more information here.

4. Book of the week: ‘AlUla Old Town: An Oasis of Heritage'

For a thousand years, AlUla’s Old Town has served as a crossroads of cultures and a center of daily life in the region. Today, the area is being thoughtfully revived through conservation efforts that safeguard its heritage while integrating modern amenities. A stroll down the main street reveals an array of local Saudi restaurants using ingredients sourced from AlUla as well as boutiques selling moringa oil produced in the region, handcrafted ceramics and fashion by Saudi designers and artisans.

The hotel Dar Tantoura exemplifies the broader regeneration of Old Town: an ecolodge created through the careful restoration of historic homes, beautifully documented in this book through the photography of Oliver Pilcher. The hardcover volume also highlights the vibrant district of AlJadidah, a cultural and culinary hub that has emerged within Old Town and is now one of AlUla’s most dynamic areas. As portrayed throughout the book, visitors to this magical place will feel as if they have been taken back in time. 

5. View from AlUla

A man pours a cup of Saudi coffee as part of the Old Town Culinary Voyage during "Winter at Tantoura" in the ancient desert region of AlUla, Saudi Arabia. (Courtesy of the Royal Commission for AlUla)

6. By the numbers

• AlUla is set to embark on around 41 billion Saudi riyals (approximately $11 billion) in investment opportunities between now and 2030, Phillip Jones, chief tourism officer for the Royal Commission for AlUla, told Skift at the Tourism Summit in Riyadh in November 2025.
• AlUla has expanded its aviation capacity to 30 weekly flights and aims to double its hotel room supply to 2,000, a senior spokesperson for the organization told Arab News in November 2025.