Opening Panel: Mapping AlMadar
In the first episode of Hwar AlMadar, the Director of the Diriyah Biennale Foundation's Islamic Arts Biennale, Farida Alhusseini, alongside one of the three Artistic Directors of the Islamic Arts Biennale, Dr. Abdulrahman Azzam, and AlMadar Lead, Masa Al-Kutoubi discuss the vision of AlMadar. Meaning “The Orbit,” AlMadar is one of the seven unique components of the Islamic Arts Biennale that promotes collaboration and dialogue between institutions with significant collections of Islamic art around the world. Their conversation emphasizes collaboration among institutions, the importance of creativity and connectivity and the process of bringing diverse voices and collections together to create a transformative experience. They reflect on how historical and contemporary pieces are integrated, underscoring AlMadar's role in enriching cultural understanding and perpetuating Islamic civilizations’ legacy.
Farida Alhusseini is the Director of the Islamic Arts Biennale at the Diriyah Biennale Foundation (DBF). Having joined DBF in 2021, her role was instrumental in launching the inaugural edition of the Islamic Arts Biennale, which achieved a record number of visitors. She holds a BA in Social Anthropology and Middle Eastern Civilizations from the University of Toronto and an MA in Narrative Environments from Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, London.
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Dr Abdul Rahman Azzam read history at Oxford where he obtained his BA and Dphil. Between 2007-2017, he worked as Director of Communications and Cultural Advisor to Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser Al-Missned, Chairperson of the Qatar Foundation (QF). In 2012, he led the partnership between QF and the British Library, to digitise over three million documents. He was a member of the Joint Advisory Board of Northwestern University, as well as the Qatar National Library. Previously, Azzam was the Managing Director of The Islamic Texts Society, as well as the founder of Hood Hood Books. He is the author of Saladin: The Triumph of the Sunni Revival, The Other Exile, and The Return of Sebastian. Azzam worked as a Senior Expert Advisor on AlMadar ("The Orbit"), a special initiative by the Diriyah Biennale Foundation that promotes collaboration and dialogue between institutions with significant collections of Islamic art around the world, and inaugurated at the first edition of the Islamic Arts Biennale in 2023.
Masa Al-Kutoubi is AlMadar Lead at the Diriyah Biennale Foundation's (biennale_sa) Islamic Arts Biennale and brings over 15 years' experience in art advisory and consultancy, having previously served as Head of Sales and Art Specialist at Christie’s. She advises private, corporate, and government clients across the GCC on integrating art and culture into their business strategies, focusing on collections, artist patronage, and large-scale cultural initiatives. Al-Kutoubi has played key roles in major exhibitions, including Desert X AlUla 2020 and the Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale 2022. In 2023, she led the team for the inaugural Islamic Arts Biennale, creating AlMadar (“the Orbit”), one of the seven unique components of the Islamic Arts Biennale that promotes collaboration and dialogue between institutions with significant collections of Islamic art around the world.
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Hwar AlMadar
Hwar AlMadar, is a live podcast series that is part of The Diriyah Biennale Foundation Public Programs, and powered by afikra, featuring leading experts from institutions around the world that contributed to AlMadar in the Islamic Arts Biennale 2025 in Jeddah. AlMadar (“The Orbit”) showcases objects that embody centuries of knowledge, masterful craftsmanship, and the spirit of cultural exchange.
