Palm Trunks and Pixel Dreams: Saudi Heritage Weaves Through Climate Art

A forest of palm trunks, woven with local textiles, stands not in an oasis but at the heart of Saudi Arabia’s art scene. Obaid Alsafi’s installation, Palms in Eternal Embrace, clinched the region’s largest art grant—the Ithra Art Prize—by turning the humble palm into a symbol of both heritage and urgent environmental warning. Alsafi’s work straddles the line between tradition and innovation: over 30 palm trunks are wrapped in recycled and organic fibers, echoing the rope and Leifa weaving techniques of Saudi craftspeople. This tactile homage is more than nostalgia; it’s a call to notice what’s vanishing as climate change reshapes the Arabian Peninsula’s landscape. With a background in computer science, Alsafi fuses technology and artistry, inviting viewers to reflect on what’s lost when nature and culture unravel. The palms, once ordinary, now stand as sentinels—reminding us that the roots of identity and the future of the environment are intertwined. #SaudiArt #IthraArtPrize #ClimateArt #Culture