Converted in Silence, Departed from the Land He Loved: Sultan bin Salman Prays for World-Renowned Photographer Humberto da Silveira in Diriyah
Prince Sultan bin Salman performed the funeral prayer for Brazilian photographer Humberto da Silveira in Diriyah, who converted to Islam in 2024.
His Royal Highness Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Special Advisor to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, performed the funeral prayer for the world-renowned Brazilian photographer Humberto da Silveira at Al-Udhaibah Mosque in Diriyah, attended by several individuals who worked with him and accompanied his documentary journey, alongside a number of officials and those interested in his legacy. After the prayer, the Ambassador of Brazil to the Kingdom, Paulo Ochoa Ribeiro Filho, offered his condolences for the deceased.
A Secret Revealed Only After Departure
In the most touching details, it was revealed that the late photographer embraced Islam in 2024, a fact that was only known after his passing a few days ago — may he rest in peace — allowing him to be prayed for as a Muslim in the soil of Diriyah, the heart of the First Saudi State, whose story his lens frequently documented.
Forty Years of Loyalty Through the Lens
Da Silveira lived in the Kingdom for more than four decades, choosing it as his home and not wishing to live anywhere else in the world. With his camera, he traversed its lands, documenting its terrain, people, architecture, and transformations, contributing to the preservation of a significant part of Saudi Arabia's visual memory.
The late photographer left behind a rich documentary legacy, having worked with the non-profit Heritage Foundation on several books and photographic documentary projects that covered the biographies of the Kingdom's kings, foremost among them King Abdulaziz, King Saud, and King Faisal — may they rest in peace — along with his notable works "Najd," "Bedouin," and "Hijra," and other projects in collaboration with the King Abdulaziz Public Library.
Humberto departed from the land he loved, yet his works remain a testament to four decades of loyalty to the place and its people, preserving for future generations a part of the Kingdom's history.