THIKRA

The studio of Tarek Atrissi Design was commissioned to design the visual identity of “Thikra,” the site-specific performance created by renowned Saudi artist Manal AlDowayan and multi-award-winning choreographer Akram Khan, that world premiere took place in Wadi AlFann, Valley of the Arts, as part of the AlUla Arts Festival 2025. The logo was inspired by Manal AlDowayan’s extraordinary costume design process for Thikra, abstracting the Arabic word in a geometric lettering style that is inspired by the circular and semi-circular forms in the costumes that AlDowayan crafted, taking inspiration from the Nabataeans’ geometric motifs—and which we translated into a graphic system for the visual identity.

Shown on this page are samples of the visual identity designed for this unique performance, ranging from logo design to posters and publications, and various digital and printed promotional items for the brand. Our scope of work, commissioned by the Royal Commission of AlUla (RCU), included designing the outdoor signage and wayfinding, which was implemented in Wadi AlFann to guide visitors to the performance location in the desert.

Thikra: Night of Remembering started in AlUla as an outdoor site-specific performance and will continue on a worldwide tour as a production adapted for indoor spaces. In this cross-cultural performance piece, fourteen dancers combine the traditional Indian classical dance underpinning Khan’s choreography with contemporary rhythms and gestures inspired by the desert landscapes and ancient myths of AlUla, Saudi Arabia.