Saudi artists steal the show at cultural exhibition in New Delhi

Aiming to provide a glimpse into the culture and tradition of Saudi Arabia, a non-profit established by the Gulf kingdom's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, organised a cultural exhibition in New Delhi to coincide with his visit to India.

"It feels great to come to India and communicate through cultural exchange. I am feeling good when people here are approaching me to write their names in Arabic calligraphy. It is like forging a stronger bond among citizens of the two countries," said, Ali Alammari, an Arabic caligraphic artist from Saudi Arabia who is participating in the exhibition.

The exhibition, organised by Misk Foundation, features live music, photography, live painting, calligraphy and a virtual reality film.

Visitors were enthralled by stalls where they got to see live painting shows or listened to music performances.

Ithra, under Saudi Aramco set up a stall for photographers, which exhibited works by the country's photographers who represented the daily life and the natural heritage of Saudi Arabia.

To showcase and highlight the cultural perspectives of the Gulf kingdom, a separate space was allotted to Saudi artists at the Saudi India Forum.

More than 500 artists from various fields participated in this cultural event in person or through a virtual medium.

A painter from Saudi Arabia, Saeed Aboud said, "I am elated to come to India. The cultural influx between the two countries is highly inspiring. My painting brings out the essence of togetherness through two very famous music instruments Rebab from Saudi Arabia and flute from India. I am going to come back to India once again and explore the Indian art and culture more."

The event was organised on the sidelines of the Saudi India Forum which brought together 400 business leaders and government officials to strengthen economic partnership between India and Saudi Arabia.