Saudi-Thai Coordination Council holds inaugural meeting in Bangkok
Saudi-Thai Coordination Council holds inaugural meeting in Bangkok/node/2586685/saudi-arabia
Saudi-Thai Coordination Council holds inaugural meeting in Bangkok
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The first meeting of the Saudi-Thai Coordination Council is held in Bangkok on Thursday. (SPA)
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The first meeting of the Saudi-Thai Coordination Council is held in Bangkok on Thursday. (SPA)
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The first meeting of the Saudi-Thai Coordination Council is held in Bangkok on Thursday. (SPA)
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Updated 16 January 2025
Arab News
Saudi-Thai Coordination Council holds inaugural meeting in Bangkok
Cooperation between nations has been growing in several areas
Talks co-chaired by Saudi, Thai foreign ministers
Updated 16 January 2025
Arab News
RIYADH: The first meeting of the Saudi-Thai Coordination Council was held in Bangkok on Thursday, in the latest sign of warming relations between the two nations after diplomatic ties were restored in 2022.
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and his Thai counterpart Maris Sangiampongsa co-chaired the meeting, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The council aims to enhance cooperation between the two countries in various fields, including politics, security and defense, energy, economy, investment, education, culture, tourism and other areas of common interest.
The co-chairs reviewed relations, emphasized the importance of ongoing coordination and expressed satisfaction with the outcomes of related meetings, which have resulted in more than 70 joint initiatives.
Ties between º£½ÇÖ±²¥ and Thailand stalled in the 1980s but were renewed following a visit by the Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to Riyadh at the invitation of the crown prince.
Numerous diplomatic, trade agreements and official visits have followed and the two governments have signed a series of cooperation deals.
Cultural outreach programs include Arabic language training in Thai universities by the King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language, which launched the Arabic Language Month in Thailand in November.
Riyadh also hosted a Thailand International Mega Fair in November, aiming to boost trade between the two countries.
Following Thursday’s meeting, the two sides signed a program for joint cooperation between the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, represented by the Prince Saud Al-Faisal Institute for Diplomatic Studies, and the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs, represented by the Devawongse Varopakarn Institute of Foreign Affairs.
The program was signed by Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Ambassador Saud Al-Sati and Phubadi La-or-ngern, ambassador and dean of the Devawongse Varopakarn Institute.
The next meeting of the council will be held in º£½ÇÖ±²¥.
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.â€
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 º£½ÇÖ±²¥â€™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.â€
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 (º£½ÇÖ±²¥), Abdelrahman Elshahed (º£½ÇÖ±²¥), Ahmad Angawi (º£½ÇÖ±²¥), 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 (º£½ÇÖ±²¥), Edwin van der Heide (Netherlands), Encor Studio (Switzerland), Fatma Abdulhadi (º£½ÇÖ±²¥), Francesco Simeti (Italy), fuse* (Italy), Guillaume Cousin (France), Hmoud Alattawi (º£½ÇÖ±²¥), Iregular (Canada), Ivana Franke (Croatia), James Clar (Philippines and US), Karolina Halatek (Poland), Khalid Zahid (º£½ÇÖ±²¥), Kurt Hentschlager (Austria), Laszlo Zsolt Bordos (Hungary), Loris Cecchini (Italy), Marnix De Nijs (Netherlands), Michelangelo Pistoletto (Italy), Mohammed Farea (º£½ÇÖ±²¥), Monira Al-Qadiri (Kuwait), Muhannad Shono (º£½ÇÖ±²¥), n + n Corsino (France), Nebras Aljoaib (º£½ÇÖ±²¥), Obaid Alsafi (º£½ÇÖ±²¥), Otolab (Italy), Plastique Fantastique (Germany), Random International (UK), Rejane Cantoni (Brazil), Robert Seidel (Germany), Roman Hill (US and France), Ryoichi Kurokawa (Japan), Safeya Binzagr (º£½ÇÖ±²¥), Saeed Gebaan (º£½ÇÖ±²¥), 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 (º£½ÇÖ±²¥).
