Arts & Culture

Ithra Opens Registration for Eighth Design Challenges Hackathon | 📷SPA DHAHRAN, September 8, 2026 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) — The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, known as Ithra, has opened registration for the eighth edition of Ithra Design Challenges. The six-day design hackathon will be held from November 16 to 21 as part of Ithra Design Week at the center’s headquarters in Dhahran. The 2026 program features four specialist tracks: Urban Spaces, Product Design,

Islamic Civilization Center in Tashkent Traces 3,000 Years of Regional History RIYADH, August 27 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) - The Islamic Civilization Center in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, presents nearly 3,000 years of regional history through chronological galleries, manuscripts, archaeological objects and interactive technologies. Its exhibition hall covers approximately 8,350 square meters and is divided into “Pre-Islamic Heritage,” “The First Renaissance,” “The Second Renais

Historic Irqah Village Highlights Najdi Heritage in Riyadh RIYADH, August 24 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) — Irqah village, one of the oldest villages in the Riyadh Region, is drawing visitors to a heritage setting shaped by more than a thousand years of history. The village was once an agricultural center, with mud-brick houses, historic mosques, farms and water sources forming part of its architectural and social identity. At the center of the historic village, Bayt Isa offe

UAE Archaeological Findings Document Human Activity Dating Back 60,000 Years | 📷WAM ABU DHABI, August 23 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) — Archaeological research announced across the UAE in 2026 has documented human activity dating back approximately 60,000 years while revealing new evidence about settlement, environmental adaptation and economic connections during later periods. A major collective tomb discovered at the Qattara Archaeological Cemetery in Al Ain offers one of

Kingdom Photography Award Draws More Than 2,000 Submissions Across Three Editions | 📷SPA RIYADH, August 19 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) — More than 2,000 photographic works have been submitted to the Kingdom Photography Award during its first three editions, reflecting nationwide interest in a program created to support Saudi photography talent and document the Kingdom’s visual diversity. Nearly 41 winners have been selected since the Visual Arts Commission launched the awar

Riyadh Art Brings 75 Permanent Works Into Capital’s Public Spaces | 📷SPA RIYADH, Aug 17 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) — Riyadh Art’s permanent collection comprises 75 works installed across the capital’s transport hubs, public squares, neighborhoods and economic districts, integrating art into spaces used by residents throughout their daily routines. Examples of the collection appear across distinct parts of the city. Saudi artist Zaman Jassim’s “When the Moon is Full” is dis

Carabinieri officers pose with three paintings by Paul Cezanne, Henri Matisse and Pierre-Auguste Renoir recovered after they were stolen from the Magnani Rocca Foundation in Mamiano, Italy, in this handout image released on August 14, 2026. Carabinieri/Handout via REUTERS PARMA, August 16 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) — Italian cultural heritage police found three paintings by Paul Cezanne, Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Henri Matisse in a Parma apartment months after the works wer

Buraidah Museum Documents Qassim’s Social and Cultural History | 📷SPA JEDDAH, August 12 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) – Buraidah Museum, operated by Qassim Municipality, houses collections documenting aspects of the region’s social, economic and cultural history. Its galleries include historical objects, photographs, manuscripts and documents linked to Qassim and the wider history of Saudi Arabia. The museum, which opened in 1419 AH, was established with the participation of

Makkah’s Holy Quran Museum Houses 18th-Century Manuscript | 📷SPA MAKKAH, August 10 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) — An 18th-century Holy Quran manuscript housed at the Holy Quran Museum in Makkah’s Hira Cultural District offers visitors insight into the development of handwritten Qurans and Arabic calligraphy. The manuscript provides a historical view of the artistic and technical methods used to produce Quranic works, including the evolution of ornamentation and gilding acros

Historic Jeddah Summer Program Blends Heritage, Art and Technology | 📷SPA JEDDAH, August 10 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) — Historic Jeddah Summer is presenting a multi-site program combining cultural heritage, art, technology, education and community activities across the UNESCO World Heritage site. The Red Sea Museum is showcasing Saudi maritime heritage and the Red Sea’s historical links with civilizations and communities. Its “Sunken Treasures” exhibition explores navigat

Irthi Contemporary Crafts Council Announces Launch of Irthi Museum in Sharjah | 📷WAM SHARJAH, August 10 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) — Irthi Contemporary Crafts Council announced the launch of Irthi Museum in Sharjah, describing it as the region’s first museum dedicated to contemporary craft. The museum will operate as a permanent cultural institution focused on preserving, documenting and presenting the evolution of contemporary craft in the UAE and the wider region. Its pl

Guggenheim Abu Dhabi to open on December 11 ABU DHABI, July 28, Saudi Arabia Breaking News — Guggenheim Abu Dhabi will open on December 11, 2026, adding a major modern and contemporary art museum to the growing collection of cultural institutions on Saadiyat Island. Designed by the late Pritzker Architecture Prize laureate Frank Gehry, the museum will encompass a total built-up area of 80,000 square metres. It will include 11,600 square metres of indoor gallery space and 23,0