Photo of the Week: Abdullah Hash

Saudi documentary and street photographer Abdullah Hash is drawn to the quiet stories held within people, places and everyday life. His work explores Hijazi culture, heritage and the changing character of Saudi communities, with a particular focus on moments that might otherwise disappear unnoticed.

For this edition of ‘Photo of the Week’, Hash selected an image taken in Makkah in February 2025 during a traditional Sha’bana gathering, a Hijazi tradition held before Ramadan as a time for people to reconnect, reconcile and welcome the holy month together.

At the centre of the photograph is the Mu‘allim, the leader of his group, dressed in the traditional Hijazi ghubana and baqsha and holding his cane as he leads his saff. The gathering had begun after dinner, with the Mizmar continuing late into the night and, at times, until morning. Captured late into the evening, the photograph places the viewer in the heart of a tradition that continues to bring people together across generations.

For Hash, the image represents what he seeks in photography: not simply a moment, but the culture carried within it. The clothing, cane, Mizmar and movement of the group become small details of a heritage that is still very much alive, while Sha’bana itself becomes part of the photograph - an annual ritual shaped by reunion, forgiveness and belonging.

Photography, for Hash, is ultimately a way of preserving what might otherwise fade into memory. In this image, a single night in Makkah becomes a record of the people, traditions and sense of connection that continue to give Hijazi culture its character.