‘Simsimiyya’: Saudi, Egyptian musical instrument joins UNESCO’s intangible heritage list
Simsimiyya has passed down through the generations in and become part of the Kingdom’s collective memory (Courtesy: @mocsaudi_en)
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Updated 05 December 2024
Arab News
‘Simsimiyya’: Saudi, Egyptian musical instrument joins UNESCO’s intangible heritage list
supported an Egyptian request to inscribe the Simsimiyya on UNESCO’s list
Updated 05 December 2024
Arab News
RIYADH: Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan, Saudi minister of culture and chairman of the Heritage Preservation Society, has announced the success of including the Simsimiyya musical instrument in UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage list.
supported on Wednesday an Egyptian request to inscribe the Simsimiyya on UNESCO’s list during the 19th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Simsimiyya is part of Saudi culture in coastal towns, and is used to play traditional music at weddings and festivals alongside songs narrating stories of sailors and social life near the sea, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The Simsimiyya, which is made from a wooden box or bowl lyre with strings, is also famous in Egypt.
It is the latest Saudi cultural element to be added to UNESCO’s intangible heritage list. Other elements were Saudi Khawlani coffee beans, the art of engraving on metals, the Harees dish, Arabic calligraphy, and the palm tree.
Simsimiyya has passed down through the generations in and become part of the Kingdom’s artistic identity and collective memory, and is still played at cultural and social events, SPA reported.
Noor Riyadh announces artists for this year’s festival of light and art
This year’s curatorial theme, “In the Blink of an Eye,” reflects the rapid transformation shaping Riyadh
Updated 05 November 2025
Nada Alturki
RIYADH: The annual Noor Riyadh, the region’s largest international festival of light and art, has announced its list of participating artists, gearing up for the 2025 launch that will run from Nov. 20-Dec. 6.
The show, curated by Mami Kataoka, Li Zhenhua and Sara Almutlaq, takes place in various hubs across Riyadh and will include 60 artworks by 59 artists, representing 24 nationalities, with 35 newly commissioned pieces.
“Noor Riyadh is defined by its artists; their ideas, their courage and their vision,” said Nouf Almoneef, festival director of Noor Riyadh. “Each work captures the city’s momentum through light, reminding us that creativity is a universal language that connects cultures and inspires dialogue.”
Italian artist Michelangelo Pistoletto's "Love Difference" (2025). (Supplied)
This year’s curatorial theme, “In the Blink of an Eye,” reflects the rapid transformation shaping Riyadh.
The festival will present work responding to the theme by leading international and local artists, including Saad Al-Howede, Monira Al-Qadiri, Abdulrahman Al-Soliman, James Clar, Ivana Franke, fuse*, Ayoung Kim, Shinji Ohmaki, Michelangelo Pistoletto and Muhannad Shono.
The show will also include a special installation dedicated to the work of the late Safeya Binzagr (1940–2024), a leading figure of ’s modern art movement and the first female Saudi artist to hold a solo exhibition in 1968.
Croatian artist Ivana Franke's "Center" (2024). (Supplied)
“Light is both a medium and a metaphor for transformation,” said Kataoka, the curatorial advisory lead. “‘In the Blink of an Eye’ reveals how quickly perception can shift — offering a moment to pause within the momentum of change and see beauty in what is constantly evolving.”
The 2025 festival is led by an international curatorial team that brings together distinct perspectives on contemporary culture, whose vision connects Riyadh’s historical heart to its modern skyline and metro network. The show invites audiences to encounter light as a medium for perception, memory and momentum.
The festival’s program will have Noor Riyadh unfold across six locations this year: Qasr Al-Hokm District, King Abdulaziz Historical Center, stc Metro Station, KAFD Metro Station, Al-Faisaliah Tower and JAX District.
Saudi artist Saad Al-Howede's "Memory Melting" (2025). (Supplied)
Held under the umbrella of the Royal Commission for Riyadh City and Riyadh Art, Noor Riyadh echoes Riyadh Art’s mission to transform the Kingdom’s capital city by sparking creativity and enriching daily lives.
Since its inception, Riyadh Art has showcased more than 550 artworks by 500 Saudi and international artists, attracting more than 9.6 million visitors and spectators through its major programs. Noor Riyadh transforms everyday public spaces into distinctive encounters, hoping to create a sense of shared wonder across communities through art.
The full list of the festival’s 2025 participating artists includes: Addie Wagenknecht (US), Abdulrahman Al-Soliman (), Abdelrahman Elshahed (), Ahmad Angawi (), Alex Schweder (US), Alexandra Gelis (Colombia and Canada), Ayoung Kim (South Korea), atelier oi + WonderGlass (Switzerland), Christian Partos (Sweden), Christophe Berthonneau (France), dies_ (Italy), Saad Al-Howede (), Edwin van der Heide (Netherlands), Encor Studio (Switzerland), Fatma Abdulhadi (), Francesco Simeti (Italy), fuse* (Italy), Guillaume Cousin (France), Hmoud Alattawi (), Iregular (Canada), Ivana Franke (Croatia), James Clar (Philippines and US), Karolina Halatek (Poland), Khalid Zahid (), Kurt Hentschlager (Austria), Laszlo Zsolt Bordos (Hungary), Loris Cecchini (Italy), Marnix De Nijs (Netherlands), Michelangelo Pistoletto (Italy), Mohammed Farea (), Monira Al-Qadiri (Kuwait), Muhannad Shono (), n + n Corsino (France), Nebras Aljoaib (), Obaid Alsafi (), Otolab (Italy), Plastique Fantastique (Germany), Random International (UK), Rejane Cantoni (Brazil), Robert Seidel (Germany), Roman Hill (US and France), Ryoichi Kurokawa (Japan), Safeya Binzagr (), Saeed Gebaan (), Shinji Ohmaki (Japan), Shiro Takatani (Dumb Type, Japan), Shun Ito (Japan), Six N. Five (Ezequiel Pini, Argentina), someform Studio (Germany), Studio Above&Below (UK), Tonoptik (Russia), Traumnovelle (Belgium), Vali Chincisan (Romania), Wang Yuyang (China), Wu Chi-Tsung (Taiwan), Zeitguised (Germany), Zhang Zengzeng (China), Zheng Da (China) and Ziyad Alroqi ().
