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The “Watchmaker of Watchmakers”, hosted an immersive experience into the brand’s legacy of technical mastery Jaeger-LeCoultre, the renowned Swiss Maison known as the “Watchmaker of Watchmakers”, hosted an exclusive media preview of “The Precision Pioneer” Collection at its Solitaire Mall Boutique in Riyadh, offering an immersive experience into the brand’s legacy of technical mastery, heritage, and haute horology excellence. Held at the Jaeger-LeCoultre Boutique in Solitaire Mall, the private preview welcomed selected media and guests to explore a curated collection celebrating the Maison’s relentless pursuit of precision, a core philosophy that has defined Jaeger-LeCoultre since its founding in 1833. The experience highlighted four key pillars of watchmaking excellence: Precision of Production, Precision of Chronometry, Precision of Regulating Organs, and Precision of Complications. Through refined storytelling, archival elements, and iconic timepieces, guests were immersed in the scientific and artistic world that has positioned Jaeger-LeCoultre as one of the most respected names in fine watchmaking. In line with the Maison’s ongoing dialogue between watchmaking and artistic expression, guests were also invited to participate in an exclusive Olfactive Masterclass, exploring the connection between precision and the art of scent. The immersive session reflected Jaeger-LeCoultre’s annual creative approach of collaborating with a distinct art form, this year, focusing on perfumery, drawing parallels between the meticulous craftsmanship of fine watchmaking and the layered composition of fragrance. This sensory experience offered a new dimension to the collection, reinforcing how precision transcends disciplines, from mechanical movements to olfactory creation. The boutique itself reflected a Swiss-inspired design language, combining minimalist luxury with warm architectural details, creating an intimate atmosphere for guests to discover the brand’s craftsmanship up close. Key collections on display included the legendary Reverso, known for its signature reversible case, alongside high-complication and limited-edition models that showcase the Maison’s in-house manufacturing expertise. With over 1,400 calibres and 430 patents, Jaeger-LeCoultre remains one of the few true Manufactures in the world to design, develop, decorate, and produce all of its timepieces under one roof, across more than 180 watchmaking skills. “The Precision Pioneer” Collection at Solitaire Mall not only celebrates Swiss craftsmanship and innovation, but also reinforces Riyadh’s growing position as a regional luxury and cultural hub — attracting global maisons and high-end experiences to the Kingdom. Senior representatives and brand management were present during the preview, offering media exclusive insight into the brand’s heritage, technical philosophy, and future vision. About Jaeger-LeCoultre Founded in 1833 in Switzerland, Jaeger-LeCoultre is widely regarded as the “Watchmaker of Watchmakers.” The Maison is a true Manufacture, bringing together more than 180 watchmaking skills under one roof to create some of the world’s most complex and refined timepieces. With over 190 years of innovation, Jaeger-LeCoultre continues to shape the future of haute horology through technical excellence, timeless design, and in-house mastery. For more information, follow: @JaegerLeCoultre www.jaeger-lecoultre.com

Alberta Ferretti Sets the Tone in Dubai Dubai Fashion Week opened this evening at Dubai Design District with a house that understands longevity. Alberta Ferretti presented her Autumn Winter 2026 27 collection as Guest Designer, marking the brand’s first runway show in the Middle East. Opening the week with Ferretti placed Dubai firmly within the established rhythm of the international fashion calendar. Co presented by Dubai Design District and the Arab Fashion Council, the platform has evolved into a structured industry week with measurable commercial weight. The audience reflected that maturity. Buyers, editors, regional designers, and international guests filled the space with professional focus. The Collection, As Shown Tonight Autumn Winter 2026 27 unfolded as a study in fluid structure. The opening looks introduced elongated tailoring in charcoal and midnight blue. Jackets traced the waist before falling into softened lines, trousers lengthened the silhouette without excess volume. The palette remained disciplined. Ink, graphite, bronze, muted silver. Chiffon gowns followed in layered tonal gradients, pleated with precision or draped into wider folds that shifted with each step. Transparency appeared throughout, supported by opaque underlayers that gave the garments architectural clarity. Eveningwear leaned into movement. Floor length silhouettes in smoked gold and burnished copper absorbed the runway light rather than reflecting it sharply. Embellishment traced seams and edges, integrated into construction rather than applied as surface decoration. Lace appeared in inset panels within tailoring, introducing contrast through geometry. Outerwear grounded the collection. Long wool coats in deep neutrals provided structure over lighter dresses. A series of caped silhouettes introduced volume from the shoulder, creating motion without theatricality. The closing sequence returned to black. Sheer fabric layered over satin, matte wool set against gloss finishes. Depth replaced drama. The through line remained consistent. Silhouettes built for longevity. Fabric handled with discipline. A collection designed to endure beyond a single season. The Setting Dubai Design District provided a precise architectural frame. Concrete spans, calibrated lighting, and a clean runway allowed the fabrics and construction to register clearly from every angle. The front row signalled the city’s position within the industry. Regional tastemakers sat alongside European buyers and international press. Designers from the Gulf shared space with global retail decision makers. The alignment reflected the scale of the market and its growing relevance. Why This Opening Matters A house such as Alberta Ferretti appearing on opening night signals the strength of the region’s fashion infrastructure. Retail presence, audience depth, and purchasing power now support collections of this calibre at launch. For emerging designers on the week’s schedule, proximity to an established European maison shifts perception. Collections are viewed within the same professional framework, under the same scrutiny, in front of the same buyers. Dubai’s fashion economy operates with its own gravity. The calendar placement ahead of New York reinforces that weight within the global sequence. The Takeaway Dubai Fashion Week began with craftsmanship at its centre. Alberta Ferretti’s Autumn Winter 2026 27 collection delivered fluid tailoring, layered transparency, and eveningwear shaped by movement and construction. The tone was measured. The execution precise. The week opened with clarity, scale, and confidence.

The Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale 2026 is not an exhibition but a cultural statement for Saudi Arabia Diriyah does not lack symbolism. It carries the weight of origin stories, of architecture preserved and retold. What is new is how confidently it now hosts the contemporary. The third Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale opened on 30 January 2026 and runs through 2 May 2026. Titled “في الحِلّ والترحال” / In Interludes and Transitions”, it unfolds across JAX District, the industrial quarter turned cultural hub, minutes from At-Turaif. This edition is led by Co-Artistic Directors Nora Razian and Sabih Ahmed. Their framework is deliberate. The Biennale considers the world as procession, as movement shaped by trade, exile, wind, song, and migration. The title borrows from a phrase associated with cycles of encampment and journey in the Arabian Peninsula. It is a reference that feels geographically specific, not decorative. The scale The 2026 edition presents the work of 68 artists from more than 37 nations, with over 25 new commissions. The number matters less than the breadth. Established names sit beside emerging voices. Saudi artists are not positioned as a footnote. They are central. The exhibition occupies 12,900 square meters of halls, courtyards, and terraces. The scenography, conceived by Formafantasma, reworks the industrial shell of JAX into a sequence of curved passages and planes that guide visitors through a continuous flow. It is measured rather than theatrical. The architecture does not compete with the work. It frames it. What defines this edition Sound is a quiet protagonist. The curatorial premise foregrounds musicality and oral transmission as vehicles of memory across the Arab region and beyond. This emphasis is most visibly embodied in Folding the Tents (2026)  by Saudi artist Mohammed Alhamdan, known as 7amdan. The commissioned procession moves through Wadi Hanifah and into JAX, concluding with a performance by Miniawy Trio. The gesture is simple. A procession. Yet within it sits a broader proposition about continuity between ancient gathering and contemporary practice. “In Interludes and Transitions” resists the idea of fixed origin. It speaks instead of overlapping routes and relations. The argument is not delivered loudly. It is built across rooms. Why it matters now The Diriyah Biennale Foundation was established to stage recurring world-class biennales and to cultivate sustained engagement with contemporary and Islamic art. In five years, it has already delivered five biennales. That continuity is significant. Aya Al-Bakree, CEO of the Foundation, describes the current edition as documenting a breadth of artistic practices while platforming artists and investing in community. The statement is pragmatic. The ambition is visible. For Saudi Arabia, the Biennale is not simply a cultural event. It is infrastructure. It creates expectation. It positions Diriyah as a site where international discourse takes place, not somewhere it passes through. The essentials Dates: 30 January 2026 to 2 May 2026 Location: Diriyah, at JAX District Tickets: General admission is free, but you still need to book a timed ticket through the Biennale site. If you want a deeper read of the works and the curatorial through line, there are guided group tours (listed as paid) Opening hours Regular hours, Saturday to Friday Galleries: 3:00pm to 11:00pmVenue: 3:00pm to 12:00am The “venue” hours matter if you are planning to linger, meet friends, or build your visit around the Biennale’s wider rhythm. Ramadan hours Galleries: 8:00pm to 1:00amVenue: 8:00pm to 2:00am This shift changes the entire texture of the visit. You are not doing an afternoon wander, you are arriving into night, into conversation, into the city’s Ramadan pace. Getting there, parking, arrival If you are driving, the Biennale lists the address as King Faisal Road, Ad Diriyah, Riyadh 13711, and notes complimentary public parking nearby, plus valet for a fee. Plan to arrive with a little buffer. JAX District is an active cultural zone, and on busy nights the flow in and out can be part of the experience. How to experience it, without doing too much The most rewarding way to approach the Biennale is to treat it like a city, not a checklist. Start with one gallery, not the whole map Give yourself permission to spend real time with fewer works. Contemporary art does not reward speed. It rewards attention, and mood, and the willingness to sit with something before you decide what it is. Build a rhythm A strong first visit is often: one focused loop through the main galleries a pause, a reset, a drink, a second wind then a return for one or two sections you want to see again That second pass is where meaning tends to settle. Go once for impact, go again for understanding The Biennale’s scale is designed for return visits. Your first night is for visual memory. Your second is for pattern recognition, what is being asked, what is being echoed, what feels distinctly of this moment. A simple first timer itinerary If you have 90 minutes Do one full gallery loop, pick five works to stay with, end with a slow walk through the space to absorb the atmosphere. If you have 2.5 to 3 hours Do two gallery loops with a break in between, the second loop is for revisiting what stayed in your mind. If you are visiting in Ramadan Arrive after 9:00pm, keep the pace unhurried, and let it be an evening, not an assignment. The later venue hours make it easy to stay without rushing.

Beefbar Riyadh does fine dining without stiffness At Beefbar Riyadh, the mood is Monte Carlo glamour translated for Riyadh, glossy, Art Deco, and quietly theatrical. The room leans into curved mirrors and gold toned warmth, with a sense of occasion that works for both a dressed up lunch and a late dinner that turns social. What makes Beefbar land, beyond the visuals, is its signature point of view. This is not a classic steakhouse that starts and ends with cuts. The menu is built around premium beef, yes, but the energy is street food meets fine execution, comfort forms upgraded with high quality sourcing and playful precision. What we ordered, and what to repeat Quesadillas This is where Beefbar tells you who they are in one bite. Braised Wagyu, Oaxaca and Manchego, black truffle, pressed into something familiar, then pushed into indulgent territory. It is rich without being heavy, and it sets the tone for ordering the menu like a greatest hits album. Watermelon salad The smartest kind of refresh. Watermelon with crumbled Greek feta, datterino tomatoes, smoked almonds, mint sorbet. Cold, bright, a little smoky, and genuinely composed, not an afterthought “healthy” plate. It resets your palate and makes the next bite feel even better. Gyoza A Beefbar signature in spirit, familiar format, elevated filling, and a sauce that keeps it awake. The Riyadh menu lists gyozas built with Wagyu and Angus, Chinese cabbage, and a vinegary jalapeño sauce, which gives the plate its tension and lift. Rock Corn, the best dish we ate This is the one you order even if you think you will not care. Tempura popcorn with spicy mayonnaise sounds like a bar snack, then it arrives as a perfectly calibrated, addictive opener. Crunchy, light, a little heat, impossible to stop. If you order one thing, make it this. Beef pie A comfort detour that belongs here, crisp pastry, savory depth, and that warm, buttery satisfaction you want between brighter starters and richer mains. It is the kind of dish that turns a dinner into a proper feast, especially when shared. Wagyu frites If you are doing Beefbar properly, you lean into their filet frites sensibility. The menu’s Wagyu filet frites comes with a black truffled butter sauce that references the famous Relais de Paris “original sauce” style, which tells you exactly where the decadence is headed. Dessert, and the order that makes sense Marble Chocolate, the showstopper This is “everything we love in a chocolate bar,” scaled up into a shareable dessert, built with chocolate, crispy biscuit, and melting caramel. It is designed for the table, not for a polite last bite. If you want a finale that feels like a moment, this is it. Brioche french toast Toasted brioche with sea salt caramel, fruits, and light cream. It is softer, brighter, and more brunch adjacent than the Marble Chocolate, and a lovely option if you prefer your dessert to feel airy, not intense. The detail Beefbar gets right Beefbar’s best trick is how it makes luxury feel playful rather than performative. Even the restaurant leans into collectible design details, including custom collaborations and tableware created specifically for the Riyadh outpost.  The result is a place that feels photogenic without feeling like it was built only for photos. And then there is the sauce culture. Beefbar highlights its own signature “Sauce Beefbar,” a thick, buttery, black truffle accented sauce served warm, designed to pair with their sandwiches and filet frites. It is the kind of detail that creates regulars, because people return for specific cravings. What to order if you only want the hits If you want a tight, high impact meal, do this: Rock Corn, watermelon salad, quesadillas, Wagyu filet frites, Marble Chocolate. If you want a longer table, add the gyoza and the beef pie, then decide between french toast and chocolate based on mood. The verdict Beefbar Riyadh is a high gloss dining room with real substance behind the styling. It delivers the exact kind of night you want when you are craving big flavor, confident execution, and a menu that understands fun. Start with the Rock Corn, and trust the kitchen from there.

COS approaches Ramadan with structure, softness, and clarity of design COS approaches Ramadan with the same discipline that has long defined the brand. The limited edition collection for Ramadan and the curated edit for Eid Al Fitr do not attempt to reinterpret tradition. Instead, they refine it through proportion, fabrication, and restraint. The London based house positions fluidity at the centre of the collection. Enveloping pleats move with intention rather than decoration, creating silhouettes that respond to gesture and occasion. Blush tones and grounded neutrals establish a palette that feels aligned with the month’s pace, considered and calm without becoming subdued. The emphasis remains on shape. Louche tailoring with cinched waists introduces structure, offering layering possibilities that feel deliberate rather than styled. Matching sets wrap fluidly around the body, balancing ease with presence. Dresses are cut with batwing sleeves that shift the line of the shoulder and create quiet drama through proportion. Hand painted anemones appear across a full length skirt set and coordinating scarf, introducing an artisanal note that sits comfortably within COS’s modern vocabulary. The effect is subtle. Nothing is overstated. The craftsmanship carries the narrative. For Eid Al Fitr, the edit sharpens. A pleated floor length linen dress anchors the offering, confident in its simplicity. A structured double breasted set reinforces COS’s tailoring codes, while a reimagined trench coat introduces cuffed sleeves, fluid draping, and considered panel construction. These are pieces designed to move between settings, reflective of how celebration now intersects with everyday life across the region. What distinguishes this release is its understanding of context. Ramadan collections across the market often rely on surface cues. COS remains committed to its core principles of longevity and design integrity. The silhouettes acknowledge occasion without becoming ceremonial. The materials speak to seasonality without excess. The result is a collection that aligns with contemporary wardrobes in the Gulf while maintaining the brand’s global design language. In a period where fashion houses increasingly look to the region with strategic focus, COS offers a study in measured engagement. The collection does not seek spectacle. It offers continuity, shaped by modern tailoring and thoughtful construction, grounded in the belief that relevance comes from design, not embellishment.

A Paris season that chose precision, proportion, and perspective over spectacle Dior Couture Week 2026 Show Paris Couture Week this season asserted itself not through noise but through refinement, resolve, and a renewed sense of purpose. Amid a moment when couture’s role in contemporary fashion was under quiet reassessment, the spring-summer presentations in the French capital offered something both unexpected and necessary: work that marries rigor with an ease of wear, anchored in craft yet attentive to the present moment. At Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode events running January 26 to 29, the traditional arc of houses both established and emergent reaffirmed couture’s creative vitality.  In this context, the season’s most compelling gestures came from the houses that balanced heritage with a clear editorial point of view rather than spectacle. Dior Couture Week 2026 Show At Christian Dior, Jonathan Anderson’s first couture collection set a tone of cultivated optimism. Presented within the Musée Rodin, the collection drew on floral motifs and architectural form, a measured language that referenced Dior’s archive without literalism. The work was thoughtful rather than didactic, allowing craft to drive meaning. At Chanel, Matthieu Blazy’s highly anticipated couture debut spoke to a similar sensibility. Organza suits and feather-light constructions suggested a couture that is not precious for its own sake but responsive to gesture and proportion. The work felt less like display and more like an argument about the role of couture in everyday life. Chanel Couture Week 2026 Show The work of Georges Hobeika offered a distinct counterpoint. Rooted in a philosophy of fluidity and emotion rather than fleeting trend, Hobeika’s Spring/Summer 2026 collection explored sculptural volumes through innovative fabric work and layered forms that felt both theatrical and fundamentally wearable. Here, couture did not signal aloofness but presence. Emerging voices also contributed to the sense of creative air. Ashi Studio presented work that negotiated the terrain between historical codes and a new sensibility of form. Drawing on reference points as varied as Victorian corsetry and contemporary construction, the pieces felt deliberately modern, eschewing pastiche in favour of a quietly unsettling modernity. Georges Hobeika Couture Week 2026 Show The arc of the week suggested a broader shift. Couture this season was not preoccupied with baroque excess but with gesture and structure, with the way garments occupy space and time. There was a clarity to the work, a refusal to confuse ornament with meaning. In a moment where fashion is often measured by its visibility, the decision to focus on craft and proportion felt like a deliberate recalibration. Seen together, these collections point to couture’s evolving position: not as an isolated ritual of indulgence but as a mode of work that can respond to context without dilution. Paris Couture Week this season was less about singular moments and more about coherence and quiet insistence. That alone marks it as a fresh chapter.

The Polo 79 Two Tone reflects a philosophy shaped over decades, not seasons Piaget has always treated watchmaking as an exercise in discipline rather than display. Its relationship with gold is not symbolic. It is structural. When the Maison states that it measures time only in gold, it is articulating a position shaped by decades of technical and aesthetic choice. The Piaget Polo has long embodied that position. Introduced in 1979, it proposed a different idea of luxury sport, one rooted in precious metal, proportion, and ease rather than overt robustness. That original intent returned to the forefront in 2024 with the reintroduction of the Polo 79, marking Piaget’s 150th anniversary and reaffirming the watch’s relevance. Its recognition as Iconic Watcheger at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève underscored the significance of the revival. The white gold iteration that followed in 2025 expanded its contemporary appeal. In 2026, the new Two Tone configuration completes the arc. The latest Piaget Polo 79 Two Tone revisits one of the earliest expressions of the Polo, a configuration present from the beginning yet rarely seen today. The combination of brushed white gold and polished yellow gold gadroons recalls the discreet confidence of the original design while sharpening it through modern execution. To the untrained eye, the watch may suggest steel. That ambiguity is intentional. At Piaget, precious metal has always been the only acceptable material, even when discretion was the goal. The interplay of metals is precise and controlled. White gold establishes the architecture of the 38mm case and integrated bracelet, giving the watch its calm, fluid presence on the wrist. Yellow gold punctuates the design through the gadroons and dial details, adding depth without ornamentation. The dial itself remains resolutely gold, with brushed yellow gold hands reinforcing Piaget’s belief that material integrity matters more than surface effect. Inside, the philosophy continues. The Polo 79 Two Tone is powered by the ultra thin caliber 1200P1, a micro rotor mechanical movement measuring just 2.35mm in thickness. This technical achievement allows the watch to retain the slim, elegant profile that has defined Piaget’s approach to sports elegance since the Polo’s inception. Ultra thin watchmaking has long been central to the Maison’s identity, and here it serves a clear purpose. Comfort, balance, and wearability are treated as design requirements rather than secondary considerations. The result is a watch that adapts naturally to a range of wrists and settings without altering its character. It reflects Piaget’s understanding that true versatility comes from proportion and restraint, not from compromise. The Two Tone revival also speaks to a broader shift in collector sensibility. There is a renewed appreciation for watches that balance sport with elegance, and for designs that carry cultural memory without becoming retrospective. The Piaget Polo 79 Two Tone does not seek attention. It assumes understanding. It stands as a reminder that icons endure not because they are constantly reinvented, but because they are periodically clarified. For Piaget, that clarity continues to be expressed through gold, precision, and an unwavering sense of intent.

Diamond jewellery shaped by movement and individuality To mark the New Year, Maria Tash returns to one of its most distinctive ideas, jewellery that follows the body rather than sitting on it. The Marquise Flow Edit is conceived as a fluid composition across the ear, built around the marquise cut and the way it naturally guides the eye. The marquise cut is central to the edit. Its elongated shape brings movement and softness, allowing each diamond to feel connected to the next. Rather than concentrating brilliance in a single point, the cut creates continuity, a line of light that feels modern and restrained. The collection unfolds through three core styles, Lotus, Echo, and Plume. Worn individually, each offers a subtle expression. Layered together, they form a garden of marquise diamonds across the ear, organic in rhythm and balanced in scale. The effect is sculptural without feeling constructed. Each piece is crafted in polished 18k gold and designed with Maria Tash’s signature focus on fit and placement. The jewellery is engineered to sit seamlessly along the natural curves of the ear, ensuring ease of wear and long term comfort. This precision allows the diamonds to move with the wearer rather than against them. The Marquise Flow edit is designed as a flexible wardrobe rather than a fixed look. Pieces can be worn quietly for everyday moments or built up into a more pronounced arrangement. The versatility reflects the brand’s broader philosophy, fine jewellery as something lived with, revisited, and reinterpreted over time. Balancing precise craftsmanship with soft, nature inspired forms, the Marquise Flow edit captures a sense of renewal and individuality. It is a modern expression of diamond jewellery, defined less by statement and more by movement, designed to carry forward from the New Year and beyond.

A sale built around cultural confidence Sotheby’s decision to return to Riyadh with Origins II reflects a shift that now feels established rather than emerging. The sale, presented in the city across January and culminating in a live auction on 31 January 2026, is structured as a conversation between international art history and the region’s own modern and contemporary voices. It is not an import. It is a format designed to meet Riyadh’s collecting appetite as it is today: globally fluent, locally anchored, and increasingly specific in taste. Origins II is deliberately eclectic, but it is not scattered. The selection moves across eras, styles, and geographies, while keeping a clear narrative thread: works that carry cultural weight, visual intelligence, and proven relevance. Sotheby’s positions the sale as a landmark edition that brings Saudi artists into direct proximity with global names, placing them on the same page, in the same room, with the same seriousness. The anchor lot, Picasso in late period clarity At the top of the sale sits Pablo Picasso’s Paysage (1965), estimated at $2 million to $3 million.  Executed in Mougins on 7 May 1965, the work carries the markings of Picasso’s late period, where gesture becomes freer and decisions feel immediate.  Its story is also built through its trajectory. The provenance lists Galerie Louise Leiris in Paris, then Galerie Beyeler in Basel, later Paris again, and a subsequent appearance at Christie’s New York in November 2012 before entering the current ownership. The exhibition history reinforces the point Sotheby’s is making in Riyadh. The painting has been shown in Basel in 1967, in Seoul in 1974, and most recently within a dedicated survey of Picasso landscapes in 2023.  It arrives in Riyadh with both institutional presence and market credibility already established. Warhol and the language of reference Another major moment in the sale is Andy Warhol’s The Disquieting Muses (after de Chirico), estimated at $800,000 to $1.2 million.  Created in 1982, the work belongs to Warhol’s sustained practice of quoting and reframing art history through his own language of repetition and surface.  The provenance moves from New York to Paris, and includes a previous sale at Sotheby’s Paris in June 2013, before acquisition by the present owner. What makes this lot particularly apt for Riyadh is how it mirrors the city’s current cultural posture. It is a work about reference, dialogue, and context, all ideas that now define how art is being consumed, exhibited, and collected in the Kingdom. Dubuffet, where the market meets museum history Jean Dubuffet’s Le soleil les décolore (1947), estimated at $800,000 to $1.2 million, carries a different kind of authority.  This is a mid century European work with deep institutional life. The provenance and exhibition history reads like a map of postwar collecting, with appearances including Galerie René Drouin in 1947 and later museum exhibitions in Paris, Ghent, Amsterdam, and beyond. For collectors, that matters. In a sale staged in Riyadh, this kind of lot signals that the city is not only participating in the market, it is being trusted with works that have already been validated by museums and scholarship. The Saudi and Arab modernism section, framed as legacy rather than category Origins II does not isolate regional works into a separate statement. It treats them as foundational. The Saudi and Arab modernism lots stand out because they represent lived cultural memory, rendered through artists whose practices built visual language in the region long before the current pace of expansion. Sotheby’s highlights Safeya Binzagr’s Coffee Shop in Madina Road, estimated at $150,000 to $200,000, placing her within the central narrative of the sale rather than as a local add on.  It sits alongside Samia Halaby’s Copper, estimated at $120,000 to $180,000, a work that reflects Halaby’s long relationship with abstraction and modernism. The inclusion of Mohammed Al Saleem, with works such as Untitled and Flow, both estimated at $150,000 to $200,000, reinforces the direction.  These are not decorative lots. They are positioned as a part of the region’s intellectual and aesthetic formation, with pricing that reflects growing seriousness around their place in collections. Global contemporary, calibrated for a collecting city The sale’s international contemporary selection is similarly measured. Jean Michel Basquiat’s Untitled appears with an estimate of $400,000 to $600,000, a price band that allows access to a major name without turning the sale into a single headline. Roy Lichtenstein’s Interior with Ajax (Study) sits at $600,000 to $800,000, speaking to collectors drawn to the discipline of pop without requiring the scale or pricing of the most famous canvases.  James Turrell’s Origen is estimated at $350,000 to $450,000, aligning with the region’s interest in light, perception, and spatial experience, ideas that resonate strongly in Gulf collecting and commissioning. Why Origins matters in Riyadh now What Origins II ultimately reveals is that Sotheby’s is not treating Riyadh as a stop. It is treating it as a market with its own tempo and long term potential. The sale is built to reflect a city where collecting is becoming more narrative driven, less logo led, and more aware of what it means to own work with history, provenance, and cultural relevance. In that sense, the most telling element of Origins II is not a single lot. It is the editorial logic of the auction itself. Picasso next to Binzagr. Warhol next to Al Saleem. This is the structure of confidence, and Riyadh is ready for it.

A continuation of Van Cleef and Arpels’ long term dialogue with Saudi Arabia When Van Cleef and Arpels staged Poetry of Time at Bujairi Terrace in Diriyah, it was positioned as a public encounter with the Maison’s watchmaking universe, one built around emotion, narrative, and the idea that time can be expressed through craft as much as through function. Held from 17 to 24 January 2026, the exhibition arrived as part of Diriyah’s wider cultural calendar, and it landed with clear impact. The setting mattered. Bujairi Terrace has become a stage for cultural programming that attracts both residents and visitors, and the exhibition used that context well. Poetry of Time was not framed as a retail moment. It was framed as an immersive installation that invited guests to move through the Maison’s codes and inspirations, with watchmaking presented as a discipline of design, mechanics, and storytelling rather than product alone. The intent behind Poetry of Time is consistent with how Van Cleef and Arpels speaks about its watches. The Maison has long treated watchmaking as a space for imagination, drawing on themes such as love stories, nature, and poetic astronomy, and translating them into pieces that carry narrative alongside precision. In Riyadh, that philosophy was brought forward as experience first, allowing the audience to engage with the creative language behind the complications, automata, and jewelled timepieces that sit within this world. What made the exhibition feel particularly relevant in Saudi Arabia is the way it met a public that is already visually literate and increasingly interested in craft. During the same week, Van Cleef and Arpels also hosted a hands on clock making workshop for children at Bujairi Terrace, signalling that the activation was designed to educate and involve, not simply to display. It is a small detail, but it points to a broader strategy: build cultural connection through participation. That approach aligns with the Maison’s wider footprint in the Kingdom, which has steadily expanded through exhibitions and education led initiatives. In Riyadh, Van Cleef and Arpels has previously presented public programming through L’ÉCOLE, including the Time, Nature, Love exhibition at the National Museum of Saudi Arabia, a format that places the Maison’s universe within a learning context rather than a commercial one. More recently, the Maison has also used its boutique environments in Riyadh as cultural settings, including a dedicated exhibition held at its Solitaire Mall location in 2025, reinforcing a pattern of treating Saudi Arabia as a place for sustained engagement rather than occasional appearances. Seen through that lens, the success of Poetry of Time at Bujairi Terrace was not only in the atmosphere or the visuals. It was in what it confirmed. Riyadh’s luxury audience is no longer satisfied by access alone. It responds to intent, to substance, and to experiences that respect both cultural context and intellectual curiosity. Poetry of Time worked because it acknowledged that reality, and because it continued an ongoing conversation the Maison has been building in Saudi Arabia through education, exhibitions, and long term presence.

From Los Angeles to Jeddah, with Riyadh at the centre During Joy Awards week, fashion activity in Riyadh extended beyond the red carpet itself. One of the quieter but more telling presences was Create XXII, the styling and creative agency operating between Los Angeles and Jeddah, which established a dedicated showroom in the city to support talent dressing and editorial preparation around the ceremony. Create XXII has built its practice around the intersection of fashion, celebrity styling, and brand positioning, working across international markets while maintaining a strong regional understanding. With roots in Los Angeles and an operational base in Jeddah, the agency moves fluidly between global fashion systems and the realities of working in the Middle East. The Riyadh showroom for the Joy Awards marked a natural extension of that approach, positioning the city as an active styling hub rather than a destination serviced remotely. Joy Awards week brings together talent from across entertainment, sport, and culture, each with different expectations around image and expression. Create XXII’s presence in Riyadh acknowledged that dressing for this moment requires proximity, cultural awareness, and adaptability. By being on the ground, the agency was able to respond in real time, an approach that reflects a more mature and engaged styling culture in the Kingdom. Create XXII’s work sits within a broader shift taking place in Saudi Arabia, where fashion support structures are becoming more sophisticated. Styling agencies, showrooms, and creative teams are no longer operating exclusively from abroad. Instead, they are establishing local frameworks that allow for collaboration, speed, and deeper creative dialogue. The Riyadh showroom was not positioned as a one off activation, but as a signal of how fashion infrastructure around major cultural events is evolving. As the Joy Awards continue to shape Riyadh’s position within the regional and global cultural calendar, the presence of agencies like Create XXII points to a future where styling, production, and creative direction are increasingly embedded within the city itself. It is a shift that speaks less about spectacle and more about professionalism, access, and long term commitment to the region’s creative ecosystem.

Where Ramadan returns, year after year Each year, Ramadan at Harvey Nichols Riyadh unfolds as more than a seasonal moment. It has become a recurring cultural activation, one that evolves while remaining grounded in the values of reflection, craft, and considered luxury. For 2026, the Ramadan Caravan returns as an immersive in store experience, reaffirming its place as a familiar and anticipated part of the city’s Ramadan rhythm. Rather than positioning itself as a one time installation, the Ramadan Caravan has developed into an annual expression of how the store engages with the month. This year’s iteration draws inspiration from the celestial atmosphere of Ramadan nights, using light, geometry, and spatial design to shape an environment that encourages pause and presence. Throughout the upper ground floor, soft illumination and moon inspired elements guide visitors through the space, creating a sense of continuity as the Caravan evolves year after year. The visual language of the Caravan remains rooted in symbolism. References to the phases of the moon appear across the store, echoing the cyclical nature of Ramadan and its emphasis on renewal. Mashrabiya patterns and Islamic geometric forms are integrated into the environment with restraint, offering cultural familiarity without overt ornamentation. The result is an atmosphere that feels reflective rather than theatrical, designed to be experienced slowly. At its core, the Ramadan Caravan continues to function as a curated edit. Fashion, jewellery, accessories, beauty, and homeware are brought together through a lens that balances regional relevance with international perspective. The selection highlights designers and brands whose work resonates during the month, whether through silhouette, material, or intention. These are pieces chosen to move through Ramadan gatherings and beyond, rather than items tied to a single moment. What distinguishes the Caravan as an ongoing activation is its consistency of approach. Each year builds on the last, reinforcing Harvey Nichols Riyadh’s role as a retail destination that understands the cultural cadence of the city. The Caravan is not positioned as a spectacle, but as a space where luxury aligns with the quieter sensibilities of the season. As Ramadan continues to shape how the city gathers, shops, and moves, the Harvey Nichols Riyadh Ramadan Caravan stands as a reference point. It reflects how retail can participate meaningfully in the month, through design, curation, and atmosphere that feel considered and enduring.