Saad Tahaitah's Documentary on Omar Alwan Premieres at AlUla Arts Festival
In 1999, Saad Tahaitah was born in Al Namas and is now a photographer residing in Riyadh. He produced the documentary 'AlUla Memory. Omar Aiwan' while participating in an artist residency at Villa Hegra in AlUla, Saudi Arabia, which was curated by Gaël Charbau and Basmah Felemban to promote contemporary artistic endeavors. The film highlights Omar Ali Alwan (1940-2007), a poet from AlUla who captured the area's landscapes and changes during the 1980s and 1990s. A segment of this work will be showcased in the exhibition 'Not Deserted: AlUla's Archives in Movement' at the AlUla Arts Festival 2026, running from January 16 to February 14. Tahaitah's project commenced in December 2025, where he discovered Alwan's legacy through his family and curated approximately 500 images from a collection of 4,000.
Key facts
- Saad Tahaitah created documentary 'AlUla Memory. Omar Aiwan' about Omar Ali Alwan.
- Residency at Villa Hegra in AlUla, curated by Gaël Charbau and Basmah Felemban.
- Alwan photographed AlUla in the 1980s-1990s, covering landscapes, archaeological sites, and social change.
- Exhibition 'Not Deserted: AlUla's Archives in Movement' runs January 16 to February 14, 2026.
- Exhibition includes Tony André's 1910 photographs from ICCD Rome archive, first shown in Saudi Arabia.
- Tahaitah met Alwan's daughter Manar and granddaughter Albandary Bin Ibrahim Hayaku.
- Alwan published four books on AlUla between 1988 and 2000.
- Family is seeking to republish Alwan's rare books.
Entities
Artists
- Saad Tahaitah
- Omar Ali Alwan
- Tony André
- Gaël Charbau
- Basmah Felemban
- Louis Blin
- Manar Alwan
- Albandary Bin Ibrahim Hayaku
Institutions
- Villa Hegra
- AlUla Arts Festival
- AlUla Moments
- ICCD - Istituto Centrale per il Catalogo e la Documentazione
- AFI - Arab Film Institute
Locations
- AlUla
- Saudi Arabia
- Riyadh
- Al Namas
- Hegra
- Dadan
- Jabal Ikmah
- Annecy
- Florence
- Rome