Ahmed Mater, one of Saudi Arabia’s leading artists, showed an audience at Sotheby’s London last night, Tuesday 12 August, the rampant development in Mecca that has transformed Islam’s holiest site into a luxury destination. Even the official logo of the municipality features a bulldozer alongside Islamic iconography. The discussion, part of Sotheby’s Tuesday talks programme covering the Middle Eastern art world and organised with Ibraaz, the publishing arm of the Kamel Lazaar Foundation, focused on Mater’s experiences in Mecca.

Read More: Saudi Artist Relates the Human Impact of Mecca’s Redevelopment