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LONDON, Sept. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Hublot continues its partnership with SORAI – Save Our Rhinos Africa and India – the rhino conservation organisation founded by former international cricketer and Hublot ambassador Kevin Pietersen. Hublot is United for Change, believing that the impact of the collective is essential in bringing the change that will conserve and protect our planet for future generations. The rhino is still threatened with extinction, impacting the stability of the 5 keystone species that play a crucial role in the safekeeping of our ecosystem and environment. Hublot introduces the Spirit of Big Bang SORAI, a 30-piece limited-edition of the iconic tonneau-shaped hand-wound tourbillon created in support of SORAI's mission. This is the fourth Hublot x SORAI watch and as before, part of the proceeds from sales of the watch will be donated to the organisation as it continues the fight to protect the rhino.
Even though the tireless activities of SORAI and its partners have significantly increased awareness of the threat to the rhino and made a powerful contribution to the preservation of the species, the crisis continues. According to the WWF, half a million rhinos roamed Africa and Asia at the beginning of the 20th century, a figure that has now dropped to just 27,000 as the dual problems of poaching and habitat loss continue to pose an existential threat to rhino and other keystone wildlife species. The black, Javan, and Sumatran rhino are all listed as critically endangered.
But by being United for Change, there is good news. Conservation programmes such as those supported by SORAI have helped increase the population of Indian rhinos from around 200 at the turn of the 20th century to around 4,000 today, while black rhinos have doubled in number over the past two decades. Hublot is proud to support SORAI as it empowers conservation agencies to continue this work and bring positive change.
SORAI is a socially conscious enterprise founded in 2018 by former England cricket captain and conservationist Kevin Pietersen, who was born in South Africa and grew up with a passion for the natural world. SORAI's mission is to unite complementary communities, businesses and actors to ensure that Africa and India's keystone species survive and thrive in the world – forever.
Among the many organisations and projects funded by SORAI is Care for Wild in South Africa, a grassroots organisation that rescues and cares for abandoned, injured or orphaned endangered species, particularly rhino. Rhino are poached for the value of their horn, which in some countries is still believed to have medicinal or spiritual value, despite being made of keratin, a protein that also forms the basis of our hair and nails. Poaching is a highly complex problem fuelled by poverty and the international criminal network, and much of SORAI's vision is to support pioneering anti-poaching education and enforcement programmes. These are problems for which there is no quick fix, but SORAI is in it for the long haul, enabled by the support of businesses such as Hublot.
The Hublot Spirit of Big Bang SORAI is the fourth watch created in support of SORAI, and the first Spirit of Big Bang. Its 42mm case is cast in the same micro-blasted and polished "warm grey" ceramic created by Hublot for SORAI to capture the distinctive colour of a rhino's skin and first seen in the Big Bang Unico SORAI 2023. The watch is set on a grey fabric strap and supplied with a second strap in black rubber with a striking grey and beige camouflage pattern. Powering the watch is the HUB6020 Manufacture calibre, a hand-wound, skeletonised tourbillon with a five-day power reserve. It provides the watch with an asymmetrical display that sits poised between two sapphire crystals and that delicately balances a time display at 3 o'clock and a power reserve indicator between 8 and 9 o'clock. The Spirit of Big Bang SORAI will be limited to 30 pieces.
Hublot's ambition is to leverage its global reach and this new watch to ignite critical conversations around the rhino and environmental issues, and to inspire a new generation of conservationists. By being United for Change and harnessing the impact of the collective, Hublot believes that together we can forge a path to a better future.
LONDON, Sept. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Hublot continues its partnership with SORAI – Save Our Rhinos Africa and India – the rhino conservation organisation founded by former international cricketer and Hublot ambassador Kevin Pietersen. Hublot is United for Change, believing that the impact of the collective is essential in bringing the change that will conserve and protect our planet for future generations. The rhino is still threatened with extinction, impacting the stability of the 5 keystone species that play a crucial role in the safekeeping of our ecosystem and environment. Hublot introduces the Spirit of Big Bang SORAI, a 30-piece limited-edition of the iconic tonneau-shaped hand-wound tourbillon created in support of SORAI's mission. This is the fourth Hublot x SORAI watch and as before, part of the proceeds from sales of the watch will be donated to the organisation as it continues the fight to protect the rhino.
Even though the tireless activities of SORAI and its partners have significantly increased awareness of the threat to the rhino and made a powerful contribution to the preservation of the species, the crisis continues. According to the WWF, half a million rhinos roamed Africa and Asia at the beginning of the 20th century, a figure that has now dropped to just 27,000 as the dual problems of poaching and habitat loss continue to pose an existential threat to rhino and other keystone wildlife species. The black, Javan, and Sumatran rhino are all listed as critically endangered.
But by being United for Change, there is good news. Conservation programmes such as those supported by SORAI have helped increase the population of Indian rhinos from around 200 at the turn of the 20th century to around 4,000 today, while black rhinos have doubled in number over the past two decades. Hublot is proud to support SORAI as it empowers conservation agencies to continue this work and bring positive change.
SORAI is a socially conscious enterprise founded in 2018 by former England cricket captain and conservationist Kevin Pietersen, who was born in South Africa and grew up with a passion for the natural world. SORAI's mission is to unite complementary communities, businesses and actors to ensure that Africa and India's keystone species survive and thrive in the world – forever.
Among the many organisations and projects funded by SORAI is Care for Wild in South Africa, a grassroots organisation that rescues and cares for abandoned, injured or orphaned endangered species, particularly rhino. Rhino are poached for the value of their horn, which in some countries is still believed to have medicinal or spiritual value, despite being made of keratin, a protein that also forms the basis of our hair and nails. Poaching is a highly complex problem fuelled by poverty and the international criminal network, and much of SORAI's vision is to support pioneering anti-poaching education and enforcement programmes. These are problems for which there is no quick fix, but SORAI is in it for the long haul, enabled by the support of businesses such as Hublot.
The Hublot Spirit of Big Bang SORAI is the fourth watch created in support of SORAI, and the first Spirit of Big Bang. Its 42mm case is cast in the same micro-blasted and polished "warm grey" ceramic created by Hublot for SORAI to capture the distinctive colour of a rhino's skin and first seen in the Big Bang Unico SORAI 2023. The watch is set on a grey fabric strap and supplied with a second strap in black rubber with a striking grey and beige camouflage pattern. Powering the watch is the HUB6020 Manufacture calibre, a hand-wound, skeletonised tourbillon with a five-day power reserve. It provides the watch with an asymmetrical display that sits poised between two sapphire crystals and that delicately balances a time display at 3 o'clock and a power reserve indicator between 8 and 9 o'clock. The Spirit of Big Bang SORAI will be limited to 30 pieces.
Hublot's ambition is to leverage its global reach and this new watch to ignite critical conversations around the rhino and environmental issues, and to inspire a new generation of conservationists. By being United for Change and harnessing the impact of the collective, Hublot believes that together we can forge a path to a better future.
** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **
HUBLOT AND SORAI UNITED FOR CHANGE
HUBLOT AND SORAI UNITED FOR CHANGE
HUBLOT AND SORAI UNITED FOR CHANGE
ALULA, Saudi Arabia, Jan. 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Today marks the official opening of Desert X AlUla 2026, the landmark fourth edition of the international, open-air biennial exhibition. Arts AlUla, in collaboration with Desert X, welcomes visitors to experience a stellar line-up of Saudi and international multi-generational artists whose site-responsive earthworks, sculptures, and installations will engage in a powerful dialogue with the awe-inspiring landscapes and layered heritage of AlUla.
As a premier destination rich in ancient history and breathtaking nature, AlUla, located in Northwest Saudi Arabia, solidifies its position on the global stage as a dynamic, emerging land art destination with Desert X AlUla, the region's first public art biennale, and a key highlight of the AlUla Arts Festival.
The 2026 edition of Desert X AlUla brings together 11 acclaimed artists whose diverse works reflect a wide spectrum of ideas, materials, and traditions. From monumental kinetic sculpture to sound-based explorations above and below ground, each commission is deeply rooted in relationships to AlUla's distinctive environment, further cementing Desert X AlUla's reputation as a globally significant platform for site-responsive land art.
Desert X AlUla runs until February 28, 2026, as a cornerstone of the annual AlUla Arts Festival. Curated by Wejdan Reda, Zoé Whitley, with artistic direction by Neville Wakefield, and Raneem Farsi, its fourth edition explores 'Space Without Measure.' Inspired by Kahlil Gibran, the theme fosters contemplation of imagination within AlUla's natural settings. The exhibition, set in the desert canyons of AlUla, serves as a pre-opening programme for Wadi AlFann, offering a pivotal glimpse into AlUla's plans to create a permanent land art 'Valley of the Arts.'
Hamad Alhomiedan, Director of Arts & Creative Industries at the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU), said: "At Desert X AlUla 2026, audiences will engage with art that deeply converses with AlUla's unique landscapes and rich heritage. These compelling commissions highlight AlUla's dynamic transformation into a major global destination, where ancient and contemporary expressions converge. This exhibition is part of our broader revitalisation of AlUla as a culturally rich destination to live, work and visit and integral to positioning AlUla in the global dialogue of contemporary art and as a precursor to monumental projects like Wadi AlFann."
Participating artist/artworks are:
- Sara Abdu, A Kingdom Where No One Dies: Contours of Resonance
- Mohammad Alfaraj, What was the Question Again?
- Mohammed AlSaleem, The Thorn, AlShuruf Unit, The Triangles, Flower Bud, and Al Ahilla (courtesy of Royal Commission for Riyadh City)
- Tarek Atoui, The Water Song
- Bahraini-Danish, Bloom
- Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons, Imole Red
- Agnes Denes, The Living Pyramid
- Ibrahim El-Salahi, Haraza Tree
- Basmah Felemban, Murmur of Pebbles
- Vibha Galhotra, Future Fables
- Héctor Zamora, Tar HyPar
For further information, please contact:
Sabrine.Shaw@bursonglobal.com
AlUlaArtsFestival@bursonglobal.com
Multimedia gallery:
High-resolution photos of all 11 artists and their artworks can be found here.
About AlUla and Arts AlUla
Located 1,100 km from Riyadh, in North-West Saudi Arabia, AlUla is a place of extraordinary natural and human heritage. The vast area, covering 22,561km², includes a lush oasis valley, towering sandstone mountains and ancient cultural heritage sites dating back thousands of years to when the Lihyan and Nabataean kingdoms reigned.
The most well-known and recognised site in AlUla is Hegra, the principal southern city of the Nabataean Kingdom and Saudi Arabia's first UNESCO World Heritage Site. AlUla is also home to ancient Dadan, the capital of the Dadan and Lihyan Kingdoms and considered to be one of the most developed 1st millennium BCE cities of the Arabian Peninsula, and Jabal Ikmah, an open air library of hundreds of inscriptions and writings in many different languages. AlUla Old Town Village, a labyrinth of more than 900 mudbrick homes was developed from at least the 12th century and has been revitalised as the vibrant hub for visitors and residents.
The creation of Arts AlUla within The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) is a commitment to crafting the next chapters in a millennia of artistic creation – celebrating cultural inheritance and shaping a future inspired by artists built be artists. The work of Arts AlUla seeks to preserve this legacy: fuse the old with the new; the local with the international, keeping the arts central to the spirit of AlUla as a place of extraordinary natural and human heritage.
Wadi AlFann, meaning 'Valley of the Arts,' will be a global cultural destination for land art, unveiling from 2028 onwards, where era-defining works by artists from around the world will be permanently sited in the monumental landscape of AlUla, the extraordinary desert region of north-west Saudi Arabia.
** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **
Desert X AlUla 2026: monumental land art exhibition opens in the ancient oasis of AlUla
