When a historic Saudi destination meets one of Europe’s most technologically advanced digital stages, the results are nothing short of stunning. A Journey of Light, Pixel Artworks’ most recent large-scale installation, has transformed Outernet London into a 360° multisensory doorway to Diriyah, the birthplace of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Developed in collaboration with Diriyah Company, the project combines art, light, technology, and cultural narrative to provide tourists with an emotional introduction to Saudi heritage. From kinetic glass walls and atmospheric aromas to original real-time visual content built in Unreal Engine, the entire experience embodies Pixel Artworks’ objective of creating worlds that visitors can physically enter.
Communicate spoke Alex Apthorpe, Regional Managing Director – Middle East at Pixel Artworks, about the creation of the display, the advancement of immersive digital storytelling, and why authenticity was a key component of the project.
Pixel Artworks has long been a pioneer in experiential storytelling, with hubs in London and Dubai. Reflecting on the rapid evolution of the field, Alex highlights how technological breakthroughs, especially real-time rendering, have redefined what’s possible.
“Content used to have to be rendered out and would need to have big computers. It would take lots of time to render out these pieces of content in these big rooms. With advanced LED technology and real-time engines like Unreal Engine, we can now build fully responsive, live environments. The cost of graphics cards that drive these servers has come down dramatically too. These tools extend our creativity; they let us design worlds people can truly experience.”
With teams based in Dubai and London, the company has delivered projects across Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and beyond. Their technical familiarity with Outernet London, where Pixel Artworks helped define early content specifications, played a pivotal role in executing A Journey of Light within just two months.
Diriyah is the cornerstone of Saudi identity and a central pillar of Vision 2030’s cultural agenda. Outernet London, meanwhile, is one of Europe’s most technologically advanced venues, visited by hundreds of thousands weekly. The idea of bringing one into the other felt both ambitious and natural.
“You’re merging one of Saudi’s most historic and spiritually significant places with one of Europe’s most technologically advanced venues,” Alex says. “It creates a dialogue between past, present, and future.”
He went on to say: “Every creative decision including visuals, costumes, calligraphy, music, was reviewed by Diriyah cultural experts and historians. The famous Najdi architectural motifs, the tone, the spirit. Everything needed to be right.”
This meant extensive collaboration, site visits, and careful asset scaling to fill Outernet’s massive 16K digital canvases, equivalent to a four-story building, whilst preserving nuance required, heavy optimization and setup time in how we were going to output all of this content.
Creating something immersive requires a careful process. Pixel Artworks follows a detailed development process involving treatments, mood boards, storyboards, VR previews with the client, and 2D mockups.
“By the time content goes live, there’s no room for surprise,” Alex notes. “Clients have seen it in VR, reviewed mockups, and witnessed every stage of development. It ensures the experience feels rooted in the physical environment.”
Visitors’ Reactions
One of the most rewarding moments for the team came during launch week in London, where Alex witnessed visitors experiencing Diriyah—many for the first time.
“People were saying, ‘Where is this? I had no idea! I’d love to visit.’ That curiosity means we’ve done our job. We transported them somewhere new,” he said.
“We’ve transported people there, we’ve given them some insight into it, and they can imagine it, and they’re asking questions, and they’re curious.” This, he believes, is the true power of destination storytelling.
According to Alex, immersive digital storytelling is no longer the next big thing, it’s here and now and becoming a global cultural standard.
“People expect it. If a destination or project doesn’t have an immersive element, they start wondering why. The region especially, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, has huge, fascinating projects with stories to tell. Destination storytelling is the perfect platform.”
He adds that such experiences bring heritage to people where they are, instead of relying on them to seek it out.
“Historically, you’d visit a museum or a website. But why would you fly to a museum in Saudi if you didn’t already know its story? Now, we took Diriyah story to London, to the world.”
Collaboration at the Core
Omar Khan, speaking alongside Apthorpe, emphasized Pixel Artworks’ deeply collaborative model.
“These aren’t projects you unveil at the last minute. They change fast, they require cultural sensitivity, and Pixel Artworks succeeds because they work hand-in-glove with clients at every step.”
This collaborative agility, Khan says, is why major regional projects repeatedly call them back.
Alex also hints at more than 20 projects currently in the pipeline across Saudi Arabia and the UAE. “The region is moving fast. We’re working on multiple experiences, each bigger and more exciting. And collaboration is key. Creative teams and compliance teams working together to adapt, refine, and respond in real time.
A Journey of Light stands as a milestone for Saudi storytelling abroad. It reflects not only Diriyah’s heritage, but also the innovation driving Vision 2030 bringing the Kingdom’s narrative to international audiences in deeply modern, experiential ways.
