Desert X AlUla 2026 returns

Welcome to Al-Monitor Riyadh.

Monumental contemporary artworks will once again transform AlUla, interacting with the desert landscape as Desert X AlUla returns for its fourth edition in January. In Riyadh, the Middle East’s first performance of “Wicked, The Musical" is underway and has already been extended due to popular demand. Meanwhile, the Saudi National Museum will mark World Arabic Language Day this month with a three-day program celebrating the Arabic language.

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Rebecca

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1. Leading the week: Desert X AlUla returns for fourth edition

Rebecca Anne Proctor during the first Desert X AlUla in 2020 next to a work by Nasser Al Salem. (Courtesy of Rebecca Anne Proctor)

Monumental, site-responsive artworks that challenge how we perceive art and its relationship to the surrounding environment will once again be presented in AlUla, as Desert X AlUla returns in January for its fourth edition.

When Desert X AlUla was first staged in January 2020, it marked the kingdom’s first exhibition of its kind to feature artworks set within an outdoor landscape.

Staged under the theme Space Without Measure, Desert X AlUla 2026 draws inspiration from the literary and poetic works of Lebanese American artist Kahlil Gibran. The installations set amid AlUla’s mystical desert landscape reflect meditations on perception, possibility and the boundless resilience of the human spirit. The theme positions AlUla as a metaphor for an infinite horizon, layered with history, memory, creativity and future growth.

The fourth edition will be curated by Wejdan Reda and Zoe Whitley. Reda, a leading Saudi curator and founder of Sahaba, co-curated the first and second Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale and currently serves as curatorial associate director at the Diriyah Biennale Foundation. Whitley is an award-winning curator and writer based in London.

Zoe Whitley and Wejdan Reda, Desert X AlUla 2026 curators (Courtesy of the Royal Commission for AlUla)

“AlUla’s landscape is a living archive of stories, traditions and encounters that span centuries,” said Reda, co-curator of Desert X AlUla 2026, in the opening press release. “For this edition of Desert X AlUla 2026, artists have engaged with its valleys and historic routes to create works that honor its landscape while opening new spaces for imagination.”

The exhibition is a highlight of the AlUla Arts Festival, an annual celebration, now in its fifth edition in 2026, that transforms the ancient city into an immersive platform for contemporary art, design and culture.

Date: Jan. 16 - Feb. 28

Location: AlUla, Saudi Arabia

Find more information here.

2. Word on the street: Tameesa

Breakfast dishes at Tameesa in Riyadh. Courtesy of Tameesa

Wondering where to go for an authentic and delicious Saudi breakfast? Tameesa, a beloved traditional eatery, stands out not only for its mouth-watering Saudi breakfast classics but also for its bright, retro-inspired interiors filled with vibrant, welcoming colors. As you settle in with friends or family, you can watch the chefs at work through the restaurant’s glass-fronted kitchen.

One of Riyadh’s most popular breakfast spots, Tameesa offers a wide range of Saudi favorites, with many dishes rooted in Hijazi cuisine — from foul, falafel and shakshouka to moutabal, mutabbaq, samosas, kebda and more.

To round off your meal, finish with a bowl of sweet areeka made with mashed dates, bread crumbs, layered with cream, ghee, honey and at times condensed milk, cheese and nuts. Tameesa was included in the 2025 Michelin Bib Gourmand guide.

Location: King Abdul Aziz Branch Road, Alyasmin, Riyadh

Find more information here.

3. Riyadh diary

A poster of "Wicked, The Musical" (Courtesy of the Royal Commission for Riyadh City)

• ‘Wicked, the Musical’ comes to Riyadh

Billed as one of the most popular musicals ever staged, “Wicked, the Musical" is currently running at Riyadh’s King Fahad Cultural Center, marking the launch of its Gulf tour. The new Saudi production opened on Dec. 3 and has already been extended to Jan. 3, 2026, due to popular demand.

The musical serves as a prequel or parallel story to the classic “The Wizard of Oz.” Based on Gregory Maguire’s novel, it reimagines the hidden fairyland of Oz from the witches’ perspective, following two young women — Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West — as they navigate friendship, power and perception.

The new Saudi production features 100 performers, crew and orchestra members, and 350 costumes. The musical is staged by the Royal Commission for Riyadh City in collaboration with Broadway Entertainment Group and marks the show’s first performance in the Middle East.

Date: Until Jan. 3, 2026

Location: King Fahad Cultural Center, Riyadh 

Find more information here. 

• World Arabic Language Day at Saudi National Museum

Observed annually on Dec. 18, World Arabic Language Day will be marked this year with a cultural program at Saudi Arabia’s National Museum. The three-day event offers visitors an immersive experience of the Arabic language through visual art and heritage, featuring dialogues on its rich human and cultural dimensions, along with workshops, interactive activities and performances.

Date: Dec. 18-20

Location: Saudi National Museum, Riyadh

Find more information here. 

• Najwa Karam and Adam perform in Riyadh

As part of the headline events for the sixth edition of Riyadh Season, Lebanese singing sensation Najwa Karam will perform at the Mohammed Abdo Arena alongside Lebanese artist Adam. Audiences can expect a magical evening as the two deliver powerful songs and an electrifying presence, with their soulful vocals intertwining on stage.

Date: Dec. 19

Location: Mohammed Abdo Arena, Riyadh

Find more information here. 

4. Book of the week: ‘The New Gulf'

Edmund O’Sullivan’s 2008 book explores the profound economic, political and social transformation of the Arabian Gulf states of the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman. Drawing on their vast oil wealth, O’Sullivan argues that these governments are shaping what he calls the New Gulf, a region whose growing global influence is reshaping the 21st century through rapid urban growth, shifting geopolitical dynamics, and advances in economics and technology.

5. View from AlUla

“Crossings,” choreographed by Noe Soulier and performed by Paris Opera Junior Ballet at Villa Hegra in December 2024. Courtesy of the Royal Commission for AlUla

6. By the numbers

• Since its inception, Desert X AlUla has completed more than 45 commissions in Saudi Arabia, some of which still remain in the landscapes of AlUla today.
• The most recent edition of Desert X AlUla, held in 2024, featured 18 commissioned artworks. The inaugural 2020 edition presented 14 works, while the second edition in 2022 showcased 15.