Snap Inc. has collaborated with the Royal Commission of AlUla to bring a new dimension to the Desert X AlUla art exhibition, with the first sponsored Landmarker in the Middle East.

During the event, artists Zahrah Al Ghamdi (Saudi Arabia), eL Seed (Tunisia) and Lita Albuquerque (United States) will feature their work on Snapchats inaugural Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Landmarker location, Qasr Al Farid. The artists work will be introduced to life using a dedicated lens, creating an interesting augmented reality (AR) experience for anyone to take part in.

We are excited to have Desert X AlUla, the first global collaboration for Desert X, as part of Winter at Tantora festival stated Nora Aldabal, Arts and Culture Pragrams Director at Royal Commission of AlUla. Artists from across the world will show off their art in the desert of AlUla, home to a series of captivating historic and archaeological sites. Having Snapchat take part in this landmark event will bring the landscape of AlUla to life in an entirely new light, in a juxtaposition of present day technology and history.

To enable the feature, when Snapchatters are close to Qasr Al-Farid they will be induced to discover the icon of this landmark. Royal Commission of AlUla's subsidized lens will be the first placement in Snapchats lens carousel, and as Snapchatters point their phones cameras at Qasr Al-Farid, they will be able to bring to life the work of the three exhibiting artists over a 6-week time span at 2-week intervals each. Each experience is specific to the artist's work and will have its own unique sound to come full circle.

I am delighted to be among the artists whose work will be uniquely displayed on Qasr Al-Farid using a Snapchat Lens, stated Zahrah Al Ghamdi, one of the exhibiting artists at Desert-X AlUla. This extraordinary feature will radically change my artwork into an interactive experience. Augmented reality has emerge as an integral component that brings art to life and offers people with an unparalleled experience.

Introduced in 2019, Landmarkers are Snapchat Lenses that enable augmented reality experiences that radically change the worlds most iconic landmarks in real-time.