Every year, in February, the fledgling Saudi arts scene has its moment. Once upon a time in this austere kingdom, the Jeddah Art Week (JAW) reigned supreme on the local artworld throne. The 2013 brainchild of Art Jameel, a cultural foundation under the auspices of the Saudi-based Abdul Latif Jameel group, JAW set about nurturing local artists and commandeering some noteworthy exhibitions, and ended up drawing attention to an overlooked pocket of Middle Eastern artistic output. But lo! In 2014 a royal rival appeared: 21,39 Jeddah Arts. Spearheaded by a band of self-described arts enthusiasts under the nonprofit banner of the Saudi Arts Council (chaired by the formidable Princess Jawaher Al-Saud), the hefty multi-month cavalcade of guest-curated shows, talks and workshops overtook the vanquished JAW, which vanished from the kingdom forever.
