Saudi Arabia can be a hub of creativity

Riyadh, The Gulf Observer: Director of Riyadh Art Program Architect Khalid Al-Hazani believes Noor Riyadh, currently in its second edition, has found its place among celebrations around the world.

He indicated that the main goal of Noor Riyadh was to make Saudi Arabia’s capital city to be a meeting place for artists to present the results of their creativity.Eng. Al-Hazani made the remarks while speaking to Saudi Gazette on the sidelines of the pre-opening of Noor Riyadh.

The Saudi capital has officially been illuminated with the launch of the second edition of Noor Riyadh.The biggest edition of the light and art festival, which is held under the theme “We Dream of New Horizons”, will last for 17 days, providing opportunities for art lovers and those who look for unique works of art to visit the exhibition and discover the ideas behind each piece of art.What distinguishes the current edition of Noor Riyadh is the fact the extent of the event has tripled compared to the first edition with more than 130 artists from 40 countries taking part with over 190 of their artworks.

Al-Hazani said artists in the past used to create their artworks outside Saudi Arabia, and now many of them including those working for major companies have opened shop in Riyadh because of the artistic movement taking momentum in the Kingdom.Now there are more than 190 artworks in Noor Riyadh.

These works will be much cheaper if they were produced here in Riyadh, instead of making them abroad and then shipping to the Kingdom at high costs, he said.”This is an economic process that makes the investor think of investing in Riyadh, and this is one of the goals of Vision 2030 as well as the Riyadh Art project,” Al-Hazani added.He confirmed that 55 artworks are displayed for the first time in Riyadh in the second edition of Noor Riyadh, which is considered a great achievement.The creative industry and the creative economy is one of the goals of Riyadh Art.

Today, such events and the artistic movement encourage businessmen to invest in the fields of art, and in the field of industries that artists need, he noted.Speaking about the impact of artistic works on the economy and investment in Riyadh, Al-Hazani said hotels were witnessing a significant increase in booking due to these events that take place in Saudi Arabia, Riyadh in particular, especially during the winter season, which offers a beautiful and attractive atmosphere. In addition to the Riyadh Season and the Riyadh Art project, many events prepared by the Ministry of Culture are underway in the city.