Business & Money | Thursday 16 February, 2017 5:48 am |

King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC) hosted the inauguration of the 4th edition of the Art of Jeddah 21,39 exhibition titled “Safar” meaning “Travel”. The exhibition is organized by the Saudi Art Council over a three-month period, and features more than 50 cultural and artistic works. The exhibition was opened on Friday, February 3, at the Prince Mohammed bin Salman College of Business and Entrepreneurship (MBSC).

“We are proud to be partnering with the Saudi Art Council to host Safar,” said Mr. Fahd Al-Rasheed, KAEC Group CEO and Managing Director. “The annual Saudi Art Council event has become an important focal point for the artistic community, bringing together local talents and promoting community interaction with the arts and cultural scene in the Kingdom.”

Attending the opening ceremony was H.E. Shiekha Mai Bint Mohammed Al Khalifah, President of the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities accompanying the Head of the Saudi Art Council Her Royal Highness Princess Jawaher bint Majed bin Abdulaziz, as well as a number of VIPs and local and international art enthusiasts. The opening was also attended by Sam Bardaouil and Till Fellrath who curated this unique exhibition.

The Safar exhibition represents the Kingdom’s future, while the two previous exhibitions represented the past and present. 

Safar showcases a number of audio-visual works by international artists, shown for the very first time in the Middle East. The works portray the integration of KAEC’s innovative lifestyle as part of a civilized society. Each piece displays the concept of travel from a different, unique perspective ranging from personal journeys to chronological boundaries.

The exhibition is being held at KAEC for three months, open during Thursday, Friday and Saturday of each week, starting February 4 and until next May. KAEC will organize private visits for schools, art groups and companies interested in this field. Attendance of the exhibition requires online registration through visit.kaec.net.

The 4th edition of Safar is supported by the General Authority for Entertainment, as well as UBS, the strategic partner of the Saudi Art Council. This year, the non-profit initiative includes a number of artistic, cultural and social galleries and seminars.

“At KAEC we aspire to become a sustainable incubator for different social, artistic and cultural events and activities and a supporter of local talents by attracting international events that bring the highest standards of art to the Kingdom,” said Fahd Al-Rasheed.  “This event is a valuable addition to our journey, complementing the prestigious artistic and cultural events we hosted in the past and presaging the ones we will host at KAEC in the future.”