The "Noor Riyadh" festival set a world record in the Guinness Book of Records with two artworks that were displayed as part of the celebration's inaugural edition. Carolina Halatk's artwork "Beacon" consisted of 272,160 LED lights, which lit up the city of Riyadh, and won the admiration of visitors to the King Abdulaziz Historical Center. Meanwhile, Koert Vermeulen's "Star in Motion" set a world record as the brightest hanging decoration in the world, as it was made using 1.2 million lamps suspended at a height of 256 meters in the Kingdom Tower, which was seen by residents and visitors of Riyadh during the celebration period. The festival, which ended on March 18, concluded its activities with the "Light Upon Light" exhibition. The exhibition was launched at the King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) depicting light art since the 1960s and included a selection of Saudi and international artists. It is noteworthy that the Noor Riyadh festival was held under the slogan: "One Sky brings us together" and included more than 60 artists from more than 20 countries, offering the spectators, who flooded the scene from across the Kingdom and from abroad, an inspiring cultural and human experience, including tours and musical and cinematic performances, virtual meetings, workshops and family activities which were held in 13 different locations across the city. The festival also provided an opportunity for more than 200 volunteers to enter the field of creativity and gain professional experience. More than 300,000 people attended the entertainment event, with more than 12,000 visitors attended the "Noor upon Noor" exhibition and 93 percent of the visitors expressed their satisfaction and admiration for the activities they witnessed. It is worth noting that the Noor Riyadh Festival is one of the programs of the Riyadh Art Project, which aims to establish more than 1,000 public artworks throughout the city of Riyadh. The festival unites Saudi and international artists with a program featuring some of the most established names in light art, and an expansive roster of emerging and established local and regional artists. More than 60 artists exhibited, with citywide installations showcased across Riyadh. It is supported by an annual festival of light and art and the Tuwaiq International Sculpture Forum and aims to contribute to achieving one of the goals of the Kingdom's Vision 2030. — SPA
