Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Friday, May 29, 2026

Maajed Ahmed: Pioneering the Calligraffiti Movement in Saudi Arabia

Maajed Ahmed: Pioneering the Calligraffiti Movement in Saudi Arabia

Saudi graffiti artist Maajed Ahmed is making waves in the art world by fusing traditional Arabic calligraphy with modern graffiti.
Recently, he showcased his unique style at the MDLBeast music festival in Riyadh, where he transformed shipping containers into captivating bursts of color and typography.

The festival, which brings together music, art, and culture from around the world, was the perfect platform for Ahmed to showcase his talent and challenge the stigma associated with graffiti.

Ahmed's artistry is rooted in his hometown of Makkah, where he was raised in a culturally rich environment that inspired his passion for art and graffiti.

He developed his signature "calligraffiti" style by blending conventional Arabic calligraphy with modern graffiti, and has since broadened his artistic toolset to include digital illustration.

The young artist is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of his artistic expression and recently traveled to Vietnam to attend the Nam Jam Da Nang Street Art Festival and paint murals in three different cities.

He also took part in the Zayed Murals project in Ajman, which celebrated the "Year of Zayed," and created a mural on the Sheikh Khalifa Bridge intersection that incorporated elements of green to symbolize Sheikh Zayed's reforestation efforts.

Despite currently residing in Dubai, Ahmed has plans to move back to Saudi Arabia to continue his artistic endeavors and spread awareness of Saudi or Arabic hip-hop culture.

He is also working on future projects with NEOM, as well as classified ones that he cannot yet discuss.

Through his art, Ahmed is not only showcasing pride in his heritage but also working to correct the narrative about graffiti and graffiti artists.

His unique style and blend of traditional and modern elements are making a significant impact on the art world and inspiring others to embrace their cultural roots while pushing the boundaries of their artistic expression.

Graffiti art has been a source of inspiration and recreation for many people, including Ahmed Al-Mansour, a Saudi Arabian graffiti artist.

He believes that graffiti practice has numerous benefits, both for his mental and physical health.

According to Al-Mansour, graffiti practice makes him more physically fit because he can move more quickly and his mind works at the same time.

He also combines a mental workout from his imagination with physical fitness, which is why most graffiti artists are in excellent mental and physical health.

Al-Mansour is not alone in his belief that graffiti art has numerous benefits.

In fact, Saudi graffiti artists are among the dominant art groups in the Middle East and North Africa.

This is because most of the Saudi artists have their own artistic style and techniques, and they also have sufficient experience in the field of street style.

Emerging artists in the graffiti community are working hard to develop their skills, and Al-Mansour is happy to see the community growing and developing.

The development of technology has made everything easier, and this is positive news for the graffiti art scene.

The Saudi Ministry of Culture has launched initiatives and programs to support graffiti art.

The ministry has also designated specific venues where "street performers" can express themselves.

This is a great opportunity for graffiti artists to showcase their work and develop their skills further.

In conclusion, graffiti art is not only an expression of creativity but also provides numerous benefits to the artists.

Whether it is mental or physical health, graffiti art has a positive impact on those who practice it.

With the support of initiatives and programs by the Saudi Ministry of Culture, it is likely that the graffiti art scene in Saudi Arabia will continue to grow and develop in the future.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Japanese Technology Firm Fujitsu Launches Advanced Artificial Intelligence Tool for Corporate Disclosures
South Africa Officially Launches Nationwide Campaign for Highly Contested Local Government Elections
United Kingdom Commits Additional Funding for Unexploded Ordnance Clearance in Laos
Singapore Announces Stringent New Greenhouse Gas Regulations for Commercial Cooling Systems
Cambodia and Thailand Hold High-Level Border Security Talks at United Nations Headquarters
Myanmar Military Government and China Sign Major Agreement to Upgrade Media and Cultural Cooperation
Knife Attack at Swiss Train Station Leaves Three Injured in Suspected Act of Domestic Terrorism
Transnational Extortion Gang Threatens Canadian Police With Army of One Thousand Armed Operatives
Australia Imposes Forty-Two-Day Quarantine on Cruise Ship Passengers Following Deadly Hantavirus Outbreak
International Monetary Fund Unlocks Seven Hundred Million United States Dollars for Sri Lanka Following Economic Reforms
Australia Launches Record One Point Four Billion Dollar Lawsuit Against Chemical Giant 3M Over Contamination
China and Canada Foreign Ministers Meet in Ottawa in Effort to Stabilize Strained Diplomatic Ties
Indonesia Demands Urgent United Nations Security Council Reform Amid Escalating Global Conflicts
Extreme Weather Patterns Trigger Severe Drought in Madagascar and Destructive Flooding in East Africa
Indian State of Karnataka Faces Political Upheaval as Chief Minister Siddaramaiah Abruptly Resigns
Philippines and Japan Reaffirm Defense Ties as Crucial for Indo-Pacific Regional Stability
Norway Joins French Nuclear Deterrence Initiative in Major Shift for European Security Architecture
Global Critical Mineral Alliances Expand as Western Nations Move to Counter Chinese Supply Dominance
United States Imposes Fifty Percent Tariffs on Mexican Steel and Aluminum Ahead of Trade Pact Review
European Union and China Head Toward Major Trade Conflict Over Clean Technology Exports
United States Economic Growth Severely Downgraded to One Point Six Percent as Stagflation Fears Mount
World Health Organization Warns Central African Ebola Epidemic is Outpacing Containment Efforts
United States Treasury Department Conditions Sanctions Relief on Reopening of the Strait of Hormuz
Iranian Air Defenses Intercept and Destroy United States Military Drone Over Bushehr Province
Iranian Armed Forces Launch Ballistic Missiles Toward Unspecified Targets Prompting Regional Condemnation
United Nations Secretary-General Warns Global Order Facing Highest Level of Conflict Since 1945
Israel Issues Sweeping Evacuation Orders in Southern Lebanon Amid Intensified Hezbollah Conflict
Russia Announces Systemic Military Strikes Targeting Ukrainian Defense and Energy Infrastructure
United States and Iranian Negotiators Reach Draft Agreement to Extend Ceasefire and Resume Nuclear Talks
United Nations Security Council Deeply Divided Over United States Capture of Venezuelan President
US and Iran Exchange Direct Military Strikes Amid Fragile Gulf Ceasefire
World Health Organization Warns of Catastrophic Ebola Outbreak in DR Congo
Russia Threatens New Wave of Strikes on Ukrainian Infrastructure and Embassies
Scientists Warn Atlantic Ocean Currents Could Collapse Faster Than Projected
Anthropic Reaches $900 Billion Valuation in Historic AI Funding Round
Washington Imposes Crippling Sanctions on Iranian Maritime Authority
Japan and the Philippines Initiate Strategic Intelligence-Sharing Pact
Microsoft Deploys Autonomous Computer-Using AI Agents to Global Markets
Anthropic Secures $45 Billion Compute Infrastructure Agreement With SpaceX
U.S. Director of National Intelligence Resigns Amid Administration Shakeup
Micron Technology Crosses Trillion-Dollar Valuation Amid Unprecedented Hardware Demand
Canada and Germany Finalize Historic Long-Term LNG Export Agreement
China Expands International Travel Restrictions on Domestic AI Researchers
Japan Approves Sweeping Overhaul of National Intelligence Apparatus
Global Airlines Scramble Logistics as Middle East Airspace Remains Fractured
Japan's Naphtha Imports Plunge 47 Percent Amid Strait of Hormuz Closure
Global Crude Prices Retreat Below $96 as Gulf Tensions Momentarily Ease
Generative AI Outperforms Human Baselines in Landmark Global Creativity Study
NASA Partners With Private Aerospace to Unveil Permanent Lunar Base Architecture
South Korean Equity Markets Surge on Next-Generation Memory Chip Frenzy
×