Exhibition featuring works by shortlisted artists opens on 3 August
- Exhibition presents newly commissioned works highlighting contemporary artistic practices from across the Arab world.
- Finalists include Aseel AlYaqoub, Bady Dalloul, Heba Amin El Mahamly, Alaa Younis, and Jawad Al Malhi.
- The seventh edition of the Ithra Art Prize continues to support artists from, or based in, the Arab world by providing an international platform to present ambitious new works.
Dhahran, Saudi Arabia – 4 August 2026: The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra), an initiative of Saudi Aramco, has opened the exhibition showcasing the shortlisted works for the seventh edition of the Ithra Art Prize, one of the Middle East’s leading contemporary art awards.
Launched in 2017 and presented biennially, the Ithra Art Prize supports contemporary art across the Arab world by providing financial backing to shortlisted artists and offering them a global platform to present ambitious artistic projects that encourage cultural dialogue through diverse creative practices. The winning artwork will become part of Ithra Museum’s permanent collection.
The exhibition features works by the five shortlisted artists: Aseel AlYaqoub, Bady Dalloul, Heba Amin El Mahamly, Alaa Younis, and Jawad Al Malhi. The exhibition brings together installations, paintings, textiles, and conceptual works that explore historical, cultural, and material narratives through innovative artistic approaches.
Farah Abushullaih, Head of Ithra Museum, said:
“This exhibition reflects the continued evolution of the Ithra Art Prize as a dynamic platform for artistic production and cultural dialogue. By bringing together all shortlisted works under one roof for the first time, we offer audiences a deeper opportunity to engage with the ideas, creative processes, and artistic visions shaping the future of contemporary art in our region.”
For the first time in the history of the award, all shortlisted works are presented together in a single public exhibition in Dhahran, creating greater engagement between regional and international audiences while strengthening the artistic legacy of participating artists.
The featured artworks include:
- Flora Incognita (2026) by Aseel AlYaqoub (Kuwait): A botanical garden of hybrid desert plants examining how systems of botanical classification have shaped knowledge and perceptions of the Gulf region.
- Drawing in Matchboxes (2026) by Bady Dalloul (Syria): A series of miniature drawings housed inside matchboxes exploring the role of imagery in shaping lived history and collective memory.
- The Last Carrier: Iteration 1 (2026) by Heba Amin El Mahamly (Egypt): A textile-based artwork reinterpreting an eighteenth-century depiction of Egypt’s Mahmal procession through collaborative production methods.
- Lifted Arches (2026) by Alaa Younis (Jordan): An installation inspired by architect Minoru Yamasaki’s work in Dhahran and Riyadh, exploring light, modularity, and the intersection of Islamic architectural traditions with modernism.
- Ashes of Absence (2026) by Jawad Al Malhi (Palestine): A multimedia painting series portraying ghost-like figures while examining themes of absence, loss, and fragile presence.
The finalists were selected by an international jury comprising leading curators, academics, artists, and museum professionals, including Farah Abushullaih, Tarek Abou El Fetouh, Dr. Nada Shabout, Jérôme Sans, and Nadia Al Kaabi, winner of the fourth Ithra Art Prize.
The winner of the seventh Ithra Art Prize will be announced in October 2026, with the winning artwork joining Ithra’s permanent collection.
Through the Ithra Art Prize, Ithra continues to champion artists across the Arab world, supporting transformative creative practices, fostering meaningful artistic exchange, and promoting innovative artistic voices that contribute to the region’s rapidly evolving cultural landscape.
