JEDDAH: A photography exhibition entitled “Jeddah: Past and future” featuring the work of 30 young photographers was opened at Bab Al-Bont Balad Thursday under the auspices of the Jeddah Municipality, the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities, the Saudi Society for Arts and Culture and the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The six-day exhibition has been organized by Karina, a group of young people on Facebook. “The purpose of the exhibition is to gather the work of young photographers together under one roof, so that they can have a chance to show their talent. The 30 photographers are represented with more than 60 pictures depicting the traditions and culture of old Jeddah as well as the face of the new modern city,” said Abdullah Saleh, founder of Karina and organizer of the exhibition. The other founder of the group is photographer Kareema Mukhtar. Sami Nawar, director for culture and tourism in Jeddah Municipality who is in charge of the Jeddah historical area, was the guest of honor at the opening of the exhibition. “The photographs on display show different aspects of the city, giving life to the old and new buildings. It is a tremendous effort on the part of our young photographers, both women and men, which shows their talent and how they are successfully developing it,” Nawar said. “I think such exhibitions and activities will create awareness about the historical area and gain the attention of residents and visitors to the city. The mayor, Dr. Hani Abu Ras, and his team are enthusiastically promoting programs for the development of the old city of Jeddah and we are also trying to make the downtown area more livable and protect its heritage and culture. For this we want the entire community, Saudis and expatriates, to come forward and work with us,” he added. Mohammed Y. Balbaid, Chairman of the board of the Saudi Photography Association, said that the exhibition presents the ideas of young photographers about the future of the city. On the sidelines of the exhibition, photography workshops will be held Saturday, Sunday and Monday by photographers Manal Felemban and Ahmed Kfor.
