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RIYADH: “This whole exhibition is about showing the power of Islamic coins and explaining the message that they bring to society,” says Dr. Alain Baron, founder of Numismatica Genevensis SA. “They are the most complete source of information in history, as you can have, on some coins, the names of viziers, personalities, and historical figures that would never be known if it were not for the coins.” 

Baron is talking to Arab News about “Minted Narratives: ��������’s Legacy in Coins,” an exhibition running at Riyadh’s National Museum until Dec. 16.  

Baron co-curated the exhibition with Dr. Naif Al-Sharaan, an expert in Islamic numismatic history. Many of the pieces on display come from Baron’s extensive personal collection, alongside selections from the Ministry of Culture’s holdings. 

“This exhibition is very important because it (features) the largest collection of coins ever struck on Saudi ground — coins struck in Makkah and Madinah that have been collected in Europe and America for decades,” Baron explains. “And this is the first time that these coins have been unveiled to the public on this scale.” 

The show traces the evolution of coins from pre-Islamic times to the modern Saudi riyal, highlighting currency’s role in documenting artistic, economic, and political transformations. It includes scenography designed by Studio Ghaith&Jad and Farah Fayyad, with contributions from Al-Sharaan, and blends artistic and architectural elements to reflect different historical periods. 

“When we came up with the title ‘Minted Narratives,’ we realized we wouldn’t be displaying everything in chronological order — but dividing it into different stories,” Jad Melki, of Studio Ghaith&Jad tells Arab News. 

“Now we (barely) use coins anymore, so somehow when we look at these as historical objects and put them in such a contemporary space that we were trying to create, you start to focus more on what the coin is telling you,” he continues. “What is the narrative behind it? What was minted at that time? And how did people move these coins from one place to the other? It maps out an entire system of economies and cultures that are being minted on these coins, whether it is cultural emblems or different faces, or different typographies on them.” 

The exhibition contains seven sections. It begins with “Pre-Islamic Coins,” highlighting symbols and meanings related to trade and authority. It is followed by “The Birth of Islamic Coins and Coins in the Islamic Dynasties,” which illustrates the unity and diversity of Islamic civilization over the centuries. 

“One thing that we really wanted to emphasize in the scenography is to have those different experiences because we have a shift in narratives,” Melki said, sharing that the first section’s aesthetic is very “somber” with dark lighting and earthier tones, while the birth of the Islamic civilization is a brightly-lit space, suggesting the enlightenment of the time. 

The section “Women in Coins” showcases the presence of women in numismatics. “A lot of women’s names have been mentioned on coins,” says Baron. “I was relatively ignorant about that. I started to dig into the topic and found that lots of queens in Arab culture had been mentioned on coins, which obviously underlines their importance, and that brought me to Zubaidah (bint Ja’far) — one of the key figures in (Islam).” (Queen Zubaidah significantly financed Darb Zubayda, a pilgrimage route that offered those performing Hajj an easier journey to Makkah.) 

“Treasures and Coins of ��������,” meanwhile, tells the story of the Kingdom’s unification, and the building of the modern state. Melki describes this as “the most important section” of the exhibition. 

“There we wanted to create the typography of Makkah and to highlight that these coins were minted there, or in Madinah,” he says. “So there are different elements that reference geography or architecture.” 

“(Coins) are an incredible source of knowledge. The world should know that cities like Makkah and Madinah had a rich history,” says Baron. “Qur’ans and artworks from this period have almost all disappeared, or are awfully rare. So what you see here, basically, are the last remaining witnesses of the earliest stages of the history of Islam.” 

RIYADH: For Saudi filmmaker Shahad Ameen, presenting her work on the international stage is more than a personal achievement — it is an act of cultural expression.

Ameen’s latest film, “Hijra,” an exploration of female identity across generations, was shown at the recent 82nd Venice International Film Festival, putting the Kingdom firmly on the map of world cinema.

“There’s something special about being seen in a space like Venice,” the filmmaker told Arab News.

Ameen’s pride, however, extends beyond personal acclaim and is as much about demonstrating that Saudi stories carry significant “emotional weight, spiritual depth, and cinematic ambition.”

“Hijra” is supported by the Saudi Film Commission, as part of its efforts to make local films global.

The film marks a stylistic shift from her critically acclaimed debut “Scales,” a mythic allegory. The director described her latest production as a road film exploring how women across different generations perceive their identity.

“It’s a story of women navigating who they are, and understanding what freedom means to them,” Ameen said. “Where ‘Scales’ was mythic, ‘Hijra’ is more intimate. It’s about the pilgrimage we make toward ourselves, and the cost of that journey.”

A central theme in Ameen’s work is challenging widely held views of ��������. She rejects the notion that Saudi stories are binary, either about oppression or exoticism.

“I want to move past that,” she said. “Our lives are layered, our women are complex, and our culture is evolving in ways that deserve nuance.”

Ameen’s goal is not to explain Saudi culture, but to express it through “characters who feel real, flawed, and emotionally alive.”

Through “Hijra,” she hopes to share the “rhythm of our lives” — the quiet rituals, unspoken emotional codes between women, and the landscapes steeped in memory.

“There’s a softness in our culture that’s often missed,” she said. “I hope people feel the beauty in our resilience, and the complexity of our choices.”

Ameen is candid about the significant challenges in the film’s production — filming took place in eight cities, with tight timelines and only limited resources — and credits the rapidly evolving Saudi film infrastructure for making “Hijra” possible.

“The Saudi film space is growing, and our partnership with the Saudi Film Commission was absolutely essential,” Ameen said, acknowledging their help with permits, location scouting, and funding. “Most of our budget came through their support.”

She also highlighted crucial on-the-ground support from Film AlUla and Neom, calling it a “collaborative effort” with institutions that “truly believe in the future of Saudi cinema.”

For Ameen, authenticity is essential, and she rejects any idea of consciously balancing local and global themes. “I don’t think about balance, I think about truth,” she said. “I write from a Saudi lens, but I write about longing, loss, rebellion, love. These are not regional — they’re human. The specificity is the strength.”

As one of the leading voices in a new wave of Saudi cinema, Ameen is aware of her role in paving the way for others. “Success creates space,” she said. She hopes that these achievements will encourage greater investment in mentorship and infrastructure, giving the abundant local talent “room to breathe.”

Ameen sees her career as a chance to “rewrite the narrative” for herself and future generations. “I grew up without cinematic mirrors,” she said. “Now I get to hold one up.”

Looking ahead, Ameen said that she is committed to telling stories rooted in the Saudi experience, and describes the Kingdom as “the most exciting place in the world to make films.”

“We finally get to speak for ourselves,” she said. “That’s significant.”