The Red Sea's shared history comes alive in Jeddah

Welcome to AL-MONITOR Riyadh.

The Red Sea has long captured the fascination of travelers and artists. As the region is increasingly under global watch following the escalation in the ongoing Iran war, we highlight an exhibition at Hayy Jameel in Jeddah that looks at its history, nature and cultural diversity through contemporary artists. 

Elsewhere, we celebrate Saudi Arabia’s debut participation in Frieze Seoul this September with the participation of Hafez Gallery and highlight several Red Sea Film Foundation-backed films selected for the 83rd Venice International Film Festival this 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: ‘Red Wind, Coral Worlds’ 

An exhibition view of “Red Wind, Coral Worlds” at Hayy Arts in Hayy Jameel in Jeddah. (Courtesy of Art Jameel)

The Red Sea has long served as a powerful geographic and cultural crossroads, acting as a bridge between Africa, the Middle East and Asia. The area has deeply inspired artists, travelers and intellectuals not only for its natural beauty but also for the centuries of migration that have influenced its unique and varied culture. 

Curated by Red Sea Curatorial Open Call recipients Huda Tayob, a South African architectural historian and theorist currently based at the Royal College of Art in London, and Miriam Hillawi Abraham, a multidisciplinary designer from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, “Red Wind, Coral Worlds” explores the Red Sea as an expansive oceanic hub shaped by centuries of migration, trade and cultural exchange. Through a blend of archival documents, sensory installations and contemporary artworks, the exhibition traces the shared histories and physical remnants left behind by travelers, pilgrims and displaced communities. The showcase highlights the coastal connections binding Jeddah to East Africa, the Arabian Peninsula and the Indian Ocean. 

Participating artists include Abeer Sultan, Ameena Aljerman Al Ali, Basmah Felemban, Dima Srouji, Gouled Ahmed and Asmaa Jama, Hashim Nasr, Henok Melkamzer, Hoda Afshar, Hussein Shariffe, Joseph Kamaru, Madiha Sikander, Mustafa Saeed, Myriam Omar Awadi, Rund Alarabi, Sara Abdu, Sarah Al Abdali and Shiraz Bayjoo. Their works incorporate texture, sound and scent to construct a sensory map of ecological and ancestral memories, guiding visitors through distinct thematic zones dedicated to coral archives, windswept currents and tidal offerings. Speaking to ongoing waves of disruption and continuity, the displayed artworks understand the Red Sea as part of an expansive network of economic and cultural exchange, bound by ecological and social currents. 

Dates: Until Oct. 26

Location: Hayy Jameel, Arwa bint Abdulmutalib Street in the Al Muhammadiyah District, Jeddah

Find more information here. 

2. Word on the street: Long Chim

A view of Thai dishes at Long Chim in Bujairi Terrace in Riyadh. (Courtesy of Long Chim)

While Riyadh has no shortage of Arabic cuisine, Asian restaurants are becoming increasingly common across the Saudi capital. One is Long Chim, a must-visit for Thai cuisine lovers. The upscale yet cozy eatery opened in 2022 alongside the launch of Bujairi Terrace in the historic area of Diriyah in Riyadh. The restaurant whisks diners off to Thailand, with a name that literally translates as “come and try.” Seating is available indoors and outdoors. Be sure to try the chicken satay leu, green papaya salad, and the popular Prawn Pad Thai. For the mains, some top dishes include Khao Soi Chiang Mai, a northern Thai curry noodle soup with an aromatic broth topped with crispy noodles; Nong’s long eggplant, a perfect vegetarian dish made with yellow beans, Thai basil, bean curd and chili; and the classic Tom Yum soup packed with lemongrass and galangal, resulting in a perfectly balanced, spicy taste. Top off your meal with one of the restaurant’s homemade ice creams.

Location: Ad Diriyah, Bujairi Terrace, Riyadh

Find more information here.

3. Riyadh diary

Ibrahim El Dessouki. “Portrait in Turquoise.” 2019. Oil on canvas. (Courtesy of the artist and Hafez Gallery)

• Hafez Gallery: First Saudi gallery to debut at Frieze Seoul

Hafez Gallery will make history as the first Saudi gallery to participate in Frieze Seoul in September. The gallery, which has branches in Jeddah and Riyadh, will present a solo exhibition of works by Egyptian artist Ibrahim El Dessouki. The presentation will showcase a selection of recent works spanning new landscape paintings from the artist’s “Cotton Flower” series featured in his previous show, “Testimony of the Soil” — curated by Sara Raza at Frieze London’s No. 9 Cork Street location in 2025 — alongside older works incorporating newspaper imagery, architectural elements and portraiture. Defined by textured oil layers, expressive brushstrokes and nods toward abstraction, El Dessouki’s art deeply engages with Egyptian culture, capturing resilience, memory and the social forces shaping present and past individual and collective experiences.

Dates: Sept. 2 to 5

Location: COEX, Booth A16, Seoul, South Korea

Find more information here.

• 40 participants conclude Art Bridges 2025-2026

Saudi Arabia’s Visual Arts Commission concluded the Art Bridges 2025-2026 season, an initiative that united 40 Saudi and Saudi-based visual artists, cultural producers and creative professionals with the international art community. Aimed at fostering long-term global dialogue, the four distinct programs enabled participants to address shared challenges, including audience engagement, heritage preservation and career sustainability.

The season officially ended with a collective gathering in Riyadh this July. Across the four programs — which were held in Scotland, Japan, South Korea and Spain — participants explored how artists, institutions and creative communities approach shared challenges, from supporting emerging talent and engaging audiences to preserving cultural heritage and developing sustainable careers in the arts. “Our objective in launching Art Bridges was to create opportunities whose impact would continue long after participants returned home,” said Dina Amin, chief executive officer of the Visual Arts Commission, in the event’s press release. “Throughout the season, we have seen artists and cultural practitioners build relationships with peers around the world while sharing their own experiences of Saudi Arabia's evolving visual arts sector,” Amin said.

Find more information here.

• Red Sea Film Foundation-backed films selected for 83rd Venice International Film Festival

Saudi Arabia will have a strong presence at the upcoming Venice Film Festival with three Red Sea Film Foundation-backed films selected for the official program. These include “Conversation with the Sea,” directed by Muayad Alayan and “Guria,” directed by Levan Koguashvili — both of which have been selected for the Venice Spotlight section — and “House of the Wind,” directed by August Bernard Cuimo Yangho, which will complete the Horizons section, according to the Saudi Press Agency. An additional eight Red Sea-backed projects will participate in the festival’s industry platform.

Dates: Sept. 2-12

Location: Venice, Italy

Find more information here.

4. Book of the week: ‘The Southern Gates of Arabia’

This book charts the tale of famed British traveler Freya Stark and her 1934 journey down the Red Sea, ending in Aden at the tip of the Arabian Peninsula. From this position, Stark then begins her journey through the ancient Frankincense routes of the Hadhramaut Valley, the most fertile in Arabia. Stark, an Anglo-Italian explorer, cartographer and travel writer, became one of the first Western women to travel alone through the Arabian deserts. During her journey, she sought to be the first Westerner to locate and document the lost city of Shabwa. In this book — which includes a new introduction by Jane Fletcher Geniesse, Stark's biographer — Stark chronicles her journey through the towns and encampments of the Hadhramaut, telling her tale with vivid details, including moments with sheikhs and sultans and times of tragedy and triumph. 

5. View from (beyond) Riyadh

“Thikra: Night of Remembering,” commissioned by Wadi AlFann, performed at Lincoln Center in New York City. (Photography by Christopher Duggan, © Lincoln Center 5 copy)

“Thikra: Night of Remembering,” the critically acclaimed site-specific dance production by Akram Khan Company, was commissioned by Wadi AlFann, a global cultural destination for contemporary art in AlUla. The production completed its landmark US premiere at New York City’s prestigious Lincoln Center. The performance was unveiled to audiences at the Alice Tully Hall in Lincoln Center July 2-5 and marked a milestone in Saudi Arabia’s emergence in contemporary performance on a global stage. Thikra was devised by choreographer and director Akram Khan in collaboration with acclaimed Wadi AlFann visual artist Manal AlDowayan.

6. By the numbers

• Saudi Arabia has documented 1,293 underwater cultural heritage sites and assets along its Red Sea and Arabian Gulf coastlines and recovered more than 1,000 artifacts through a series of marine archaeological expeditions, according to the Heritage Commission. The figures were presented during Saudi Arabia’s participation in the 17th meeting of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Body of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in Paris on June 10, 2026.
• According to Saudi Vision 2030, Red Sea Global’s ultimate goal is to encompass 50 hotels and 8,000 rooms across an archipelago of over 90 islands.
• The Saudi Red Sea Authority's goals for the coastal tourism sector are to contribute 85 billion Saudi riyals to the gross domestic product by 2030, increase spending to reach 123 billion Saudi riyals and create over 210,000 localized jobs.