Stories
Gusra Submission
Hoops & Dreams
This project explores how the Filipino community in Jeddah creates connection and belonging through basketball. The Philippines’ most beloved sport, rooted in its colonial past, has become a cultural anchor for those living abroad.
What began as distant observation drew me closer, eventually leading me to games and the people who make them possible. I discovered a thriving network of league, structured tiers, weekend tournaments, weekday practices, and exhibition matches featuring the best players in the community.
Most players are overseas workers with limited free time, yet they dedicate themselves to the game. They come from diverse backgrounds Christians, Muslims, and many converts finding in basketball a common ground that transcends difference.
For the Filipino diaspora in Jeddah, basketball is not simply a sport. It is a lifeline, a way to gather, to belong, and to build a sense of home thousands of miles away from their homeland.
Ittihad league title celebrations 23’
As an avid supporter of Al-Ittihad since I was a kid winning the league title after 13 years was exhilarating
In the photos below you can see the celebrations in front of the club.
Off-Roading weekend
Unlike the stereotypical belief that saudi people spend most of their time being surrounded with desert, I personally barely ever go off the grid and actually be in the desert
for the rare occasions that I actually do, going with people that have cars that are capable to go off-roading can be really fun
Al-Balad in Ramadan
Al-Balad, Jeddah’s old historical centre
To me it was and still is the beating heart of Jeddah, What makes this part of the city special is how communal everything feels, from the scattered old markets to people just hanging out in the streets
During ramadan specifically this part of the city comes alive till after hours, these photos are a glimpse of what that looks like
