Historical figures usually stay in the history books. They are static. Flat. Ink on a page or grainy black-and-white footage that flickers a bit too fast. But then 2019 happened. During the opening of the Tuwaiq International Sculpture Symposium in Riyadh, the late King Faisal bin Abdulaziz walked onto a stage. He looked around. He spoke. The crowd, including his own descendants, sat in a silence so heavy you could almost hear the pixels humming. It wasn't him, obviously. He passed away in 1975. It was a hologram for a king, and it represented a massive pivot in how the Middle East uses "Deep Media" to bridge the gap between a traditional past and a hyper-digital future.
People were stunned. Honestly, the realism was a little unsettling for some. Seeing a leader who defined the 1960s and 70s standing in a modern convention center creates a weird kind of temporal vertigo. This wasn't just a gimmick. It was a statement of intent by the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming and Drones (SAFCSP). They weren't just showing off a light show; they were demonstrating that they could manipulate the most advanced visual tech on the planet to tell their own story.
The Tech Behind the King Faisal Hologram
How do you actually build a hologram for a king? You don't just click "render" on a laptop. It's a grueling process of digital forensics. Engineers and digital artists had to scour hours of archival footage from the 1970s. They looked at the way he tilted his head. The way his bisht (the traditional cloak) folded when he moved his arms. The way his voice carried that specific cadence of 20th-century diplomacy.
✨ Don't miss: How to Actually Figure the Length of Triangle Sides Without Losing Your Mind
They used a technique often called "Human Emulation." It’s basically a mix of high-end 3D modeling and something called Pepper’s Ghost, albeit a much more sophisticated, 21st-century version of the 19th-century theater trick.
- First, they create a "digital twin." This is a 100% accurate 3D mesh of the person's face and body.
- Then comes the motion capture. Since the King is no longer with us, an actor with a similar build often performs the movements, which are then "skinned" with the King’s digital likeness.
- Finally, the projection. Most people think a hologram is a 3D image floating in thin air. It’s not. Not yet, anyway. It’s usually a high-definition projection onto an invisible, specialized foil or a high-speed rotating LED fan system.
The King Faisal project used a transparent screen setup that allowed the "King" to appear alongside live guests. It made the air feel occupied. It made the past feel present.
Why Do We Keep Resurrecting Leaders?
It’s a bit of a touchy subject. Some find it disrespectful. Others think it’s the ultimate tribute. In the case of the hologram for a king, the goal was inspiration. King Faisal is remembered for his modernization efforts—he brought television to the Kingdom, for heaven's sake. Using a hologram to bring him back is a meta-commentary on his own legacy. It's saying, "The man who brought us the tech of the 60s is now the face of the tech of the 2020s."
But there’s a massive technical hurdle: the "Uncanny Valley."
If the eyes are off by a fraction of a millimeter, the brain screams "fake." It goes from "wow" to "creepy" in a heartbeat. The team behind the King Faisal hologram had to ensure the skin texture didn't look like plastic. They had to mimic the sub-surface scattering of light—the way light slightly penetrates human skin before bouncing back. If you get that wrong, the King looks like a wax figure. If you get it right, people cry. And at the Riyadh event, people definitely cried.
It’s Not Just Saudi Arabia
While the King Faisal event was a major milestone, the "hologram for a king" concept has roots in the broader entertainment world. Think back to the Coachella 2012 Tupac performance. That was the watershed moment. Since then, we’ve seen Roy Orbison, Whitney Houston, and Ronnie James Dio "tour" again.
But political and royal holograms are different. They aren't selling concert tickets. They are selling national identity.
- Egypt did it with Umm Kulthum, the legendary singer, bringing her back to the stage at the Cairo Opera House.
- India used holograms of Narendra Modi during election cycles to allow him to "attend" hundreds of rallies simultaneously.
- Jordan has explored similar digital heritage projects to keep historical narratives alive for a younger, TikTok-native generation.
The Ethics of Digital Resurrection
We have to talk about consent. It’s the elephant in the room. A hologram for a king is usually commissioned by a government or a family foundation. But did the person want to be a digital puppet?
📖 Related: Ukraine Country Code: Why +380 Is More Than Just a Number
The legal landscape here is a mess. It's often called "Right of Publicity" or "Post-Mortem Likeness Rights." In the US, states like California have strict laws about using a dead celebrity’s image for profit. In the world of royalty and heads of state, it’s even murkier. Usually, the state owns the "brand" of the monarch.
There’s also the risk of deepfakes. If we can make a "good" hologram of King Faisal to inspire people, what’s stopping someone from making a "bad" one to spread misinformation? The tech is the same. The only difference is the intent. This is why the SAFCSP emphasizes that these projects are about "digital documentation" and "heritage preservation," not just entertainment. They want to set a standard for how this tech is used responsibly in the Middle East.
What’s Next? Beyond the Screen
The current state of the hologram for a king is still mostly a 2D image projected to look 3D. You have to stand at a certain angle. If you walk behind the screen, the illusion vanishes.
But the "Holy Grail" is volumetric display.
We’re talking about true 3D images that occupy physical space. Tech companies in Japan and the US are experimenting with "femtosecond lasers" that ionize the air to create tiny points of light (voxels) in mid-air. Imagine a world where a historical king could sit at a dinner table with modern leaders. No screens. No glasses. Just light.
That’s where this is going.
The King Faisal hologram was a proof of concept. It proved that the audience was ready. It proved the tech was mature enough to handle the weight of a national icon without it becoming a joke. It’s basically a new form of immortality. As long as the servers are running and the projectors are aligned, the King never truly leaves the room.
🔗 Read more: Why You Keep Seeing Something Went Wrong Try Reloading and How to Actually Fix It
Practical Realities of Holographic Implementation
If you’re a museum curator or a tech developer looking at this, you’ve got to realize it’s expensive. A high-quality hologram for a king or any historical figure can cost anywhere from $50,000 to over $1,000,000 depending on the duration and the level of interaction.
What to Consider:
- Source Material: You need high-res photos or 35mm film. If all you have is 240p YouTube clips from 1985, the AI upscaling will look messy.
- The "Stage": Lighting is everything. You have to control the ambient light perfectly or the projection looks washed out and cheap.
- Audio: Don't neglect the sound. The voice needs to be remastered to remove "hiss" while keeping the characteristic gravel or tone of the original person.
Honestly, the tech is moving so fast that what was cutting-edge for the King Faisal hologram in 2019 is now almost entry-level. Today, we have "Holoboxes" that look like giant iPads you can stand inside. They offer 4K resolution and built-in cameras for two-way interaction.
The future of history isn't in a book. It's in the room with you.
Whether that's a bit "Black Mirror" or a beautiful tribute is really up to the person holding the remote. But one thing is for sure: the hologram for a king was just the beginning of a much larger shift in how we remember—and interact with—the people who shaped our world.
Actionable Steps for Exploring Digital Heritage
If you are interested in the intersection of history and holographic tech, here is how to engage with it:
- Visit the King Faisal Foundation: Look for their digital exhibitions. They often integrate high-tech storytelling that goes beyond simple video.
- Study Volumetric Capture: If you’re a creator, look into "Depthkit" or "Azure Kinect." These are the entry-level tools for creating your own 3D digital humans.
- Monitor "Right of Publicity" Laws: If you're in the business of digital twins, keep an eye on how the EU and the US are legislating the use of AI-generated likenesses. The rules are changing monthly.
- Explore Pepper’s Ghost DIY: You can actually make a "hologram" for your smartphone using a piece of clear plastic cut into a pyramid shape. It’s the basic physics that led to the King Faisal display, just on a smaller scale.