Saudi graffiti artist Ahmed Zuhair stands near his mural that honors late King Abdullah. The mural features the King walking away on his stick with a caption that says: “Where are you going? Please look back and say hello to us. We are still in need of your tenderness and we have not had enough of you.” — SG photo by Saleh Fareed Saleh Fareed Saudi Gazette
JEDDAH — As the whole nation bade a final goodbye to King Abdullah, others like talented Saudi graffiti artist Ahmed Zuhair has prepared his own personal mural to honor the beloved monarch.
Zuhair started drawing the mural a day after the official announcement of the death of King Abdullah on Friday.
It features the King walking away on his stick with a caption that says: “Where are you going? Please look back and say hello to us. We are still in need of your tenderness and we have not had enough of you.”
The painting, which adorns the wall on the northern part of Corniche, has become the talk of the country and crowds have been flocking to the area to view it.
Zuhair said as soon as he heard about King Abdullah's death on Friday he decided to create his own tribute to the man he loved most.
He said: “We were really saddened by the news of King Abdullah's death and all wanted to pay tribute.
“I decided to paint a simple mural and got my tools on Friday afternoon and headed to the Corniche and started to draw.”
Zuhair admitted that it was wrong to draw on walls but could not resist the temptation to pay tribute to King Abdullah.
“I had no idea it would have this big an impact,” said Zuhair.
While taking photos along with his friends in front of the famous painting, Hatim Al-Ghamdi said: “It is really a beautiful work and he really expresses what we feel for our late King.”
Meanwhile, Maha Sabban, who came by taxi just to snap a photo with the painting, expressed her admiration for the artist's tribute.
She said: “I have been hearing about this painting through my friends and also through various social media.
“Therefore, I decided to come this morning with my friend and get a memorable photo.”
She added: “This guy did an awesome graffiti tribute and it is really a sad painting.”
The painting has become an instant hit.
Locals and visitors snapped up pictures of the mural and even princes, social figures, intellectuals and government officials praised the handcrafted tribute through their Facebook and Twitter accounts.
