Housed in a landmark historical building in Riyadh, Fenaa Alawwal (FAA) is a cultural center that offers a space for community building and cultural exchange. Bringing together a diverse community of creative thinkers, and offering a wide array of cultural programming ranging from art exhibitions to panels and workshops, FAA seeks to become a unique cultural and creative hub that inspires cross-cultural exchange and dialogue.
The Story of Fenaa Alawwal
Fenaa Alawwal is located in the Diplomatic Quarter in Riyadh, in the historical building of Alawwal Bank. Formerly known as the Saudi Hollandi Bank, Alawwal was the first commercial bank to operate in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (al-awwal meaning first in Arabic).
The bank was established in 1926 in Jeddah as a branch of the Netherlands Trading Society to serve the financial needs of more than 52,000 pilgrims from the Dutch East Indies (present-day Indonesia).As it was the only bank in the Kingdom at the time, it held the Kingdom’s gold reserves, and received oil revenues on behalf of the government of Saudi Arabia.
In 1928, based on the request of the founding King Abdul Aziz - may God rest his soul in peace-, Alawwal Bank provided advisory services to the government for the issuing of the Arab silver riyal, the first local currency that replaced the Ottoman riyal. Then new silver riyals were issued bearing the name of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia after the country’s unification in 1932.
Alawwal Bank’s Riyadh building was built in 1988 by Omrania architecture company as part of the bank’s expanding operations in the Kingdom. The distinctive building is a landmark in the Diplomatic Quarter. It is a reinforced concrete cylindrical structure with a dominant, square shaped canopy structure, decorated with a geometrically patterned, relief motif in the traditional Najd style, representing the corporate image the bank wished to project.
Objectives
Fenaa Alawwal aims to become a home for diverse community of creative thinkers, not only inviting them, but encouraging them to come back through the wide array of rich and varied programming, therefore instilling a sense of belonging and promoting bonding among people
Fenaa Alawwal aims to incentivize the diverse community they will create to come together and foster opportunities of collaboration, networking, and cross-cultural dialogue, ultimately shaping an optimal environment for the generation of new ideas and creative thinkers in the cultural space.
Fenaa Alawwal aspires to instill a sense of exploration and discovery within the local cultural and artistic community through a wide array of multi- sensory creative and educational offerings.
Fenaa Alawwal aims to support and elevate the local art scene in Saudi Arabia by positioning itself as a point of reference for local art and artists, ultimately supporting their journey in projecting their message through their creative bodies of work.
What do you Expect of the Visit ?
The Third-Place Experience
Landmarks of Fenaa Alawwal
Explore the Sculpture Garden
Featuring a collection of 6 unique pieces, the majority of which specifically commissioned for Fenaa Alawwal, the Sculpture Garden offers visitors an opportunity to discover the work of renowned international and local artists.
Nosotros (We) (2019)
by Carola Zech
Carola Zech is an Argentinian artist, teacher and researcher who works on sculptures, drawings, and site-specific installations and projects. Zech’s modular system of industrial painted mirrors orchestrates an interaction between object, space and individual. This piece invites spectators to have a playful moment as they enter the garden; move the mirrors around to create different configurations, play with color and light, and create your own moment with the piece.
The Palm and The Sun (2022)
by Nagi Farid
Nagi Farid is an Egyptian sculptor who creates monolithic pieces that play with the relationship between stone and steel. Farid’s Palm stands at four meters of limestone, topped with stainless steel leaves gesturing to the native palms of the region. In Bedouin culture, it was a custom to look upwards at the ripening dates to identify the coming of Fall.
Mycelium Running (2022)
by Zahra AlGhamdi
Saudi landscape artist Zahra AlGhamdi has been known worldwide for her Mycelium Running; in its first permanent iteration, this classic Zahra AlGhamdi sculpture lights up the garden as the sun dims over the horizon. Often seen in leather, these bronze masses of organic shapes multiply and spread onto the walls and grounds of the garden, living their own life amongst the plants.
Magic Mountain (2022-2023)
by Ugo Rondinone
Swiss sculptor Rondinone has created sculptures in varying landscapes, creating stories and playful images. His iconic Magic Mountain was created for the garden, with five vibrantly painted stones standing atop one another, creating a space of contemplation. His Magic Mountain can be found all over the world, but this is the first of its kind in the Arab region. We encourage you to find a space around the piece and meditate; the colors, the contrast, the texture – all these elements might inspire you in unexpected ways.
Just Brick (2022)
by Saddek Wassel
Saudi sculptor Saddek Wassel received formal education in Agriculture before pursuing his passion for the art of welding; his oeuvre has been exploring imagery relevant to the region in the medium of metal. Wassel’s Just Brick gives us a contemplative figure sitting on a stone sourced from Jeddah, welded from recycled materials. This thinking man lingers on the rubble, reimagining the potential of the spaces that surround us, a nod to the surge in the movement to restore Saudi’s most cherished heritage sites.
Axolotl, Zittel, Incirina (2022)
By Johnny Swing
Johnny Swing works with coins to create biomorphic sculpture-like furniture. The American designer’s pieces appear to echo the shape of Shayba Field, from which oil extraction has shaped the economic development of Saudi Arabia.
Fenaa Alawwal’s Programs & Activities
Contact Us
Address & Location
Opening Hours
Sunday: Closed
Monday to Thursday: 9am to 10pm
Saturday: 10am to 10pm
Friday: 4pm to 10pm
