Art has always been at the heart of Saudi culture. From the intricate rock carvings of AIUIa to the rhythms of classic poetry and hand-woven crafts, the artist has always been the respected keeper of stories.
Today, a breathtaking new chapter is taking form, combining state-of-the-art digital museums and works in the open-air with dazzling new buildings designed for display and a vibrant collection of private galleries.
It puts Saudi artists and creative thinkers on the world stage, inviting travellers into a Saudi’s vibrant artistic soul, celebrating tradition and painting the future of art.
A visit to one of the many galleries and museums is a must-do. Here are a few to keep in mind…
Biensalsur art SAMoCA, Riyadh
Saudi’s new wave of museums
Explore flagship institutions that aren’t just vast in scale, they’re also often housed in architectural marvels that could be considered artworks in their own right.
teamLab Borderless, Historic Jeddah
Discover a world where art has no limits. Developed in partnership with the Saudi Ministry of Culture, Borderless Jeddah is the first teamLab museum to open in the Middle East. An immersive digital art location spanning 10,000 square feet, the museum offers an extraordinary experience of interlinked and independent artworks that transcend physical borders. Art here isn’t just on the walls, it moves and flows around you. You are invited to wander, explore, and discover in this museum without a map, with forests of light and digital waves that respond to your touch, it feels like a dream world.
King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra), Dhahran
You’ll see the Ithra before you arrive, a great cluster of giant smooth stones. Named after the Arabic word for enrichment, it is a showcase for Saudi’s contemporary art scene. It starts with the building itself: the collection of stones symbolising unity in a powerful expression of time passing. With different areas representing the past, present, and future, the linked galleries feature an archive of traditional Saudi and Islamic art alongside contemporary Middle Eastern artists. The changing exhibitions are designed to ignite your curiosity and conversation, inspiring cultural expression.
SAMOCA (Museum of Contemporary Saudi Art), Riyadh
Tucked into the artistic JAX District of Diriyah, an industrial heritage site that has been transformed into a hub of creativity. SAMOCA is one of the most distinguished artistic locations in the country, transformed from industrial to a high-ceilinged sanctuary for artistic thought. A dynamic space with rotating exhibitions by artists across the Kingdom and around the world, it is an intensely lively location with a beating heart — ripe for artistic expression and offering local artists exhibition space and an exchange of ideas and knowledge.
SAMOCA is one of the most distinguished artistic locations in the country, transformed from industrial to a high-ceilinged sanctuary for artistic thought
Contemporary Art, Riyadh
Diriyah Art Futures, Riyadh
You’ll find the future here. At the cutting edge of contemporary creativity, Diriyah Art Futures opened in 2024, as the first museum in the Gulf designed explicitly and exclusively for digital art. The buildings themselves are beautiful, a modern design of mudbrick and Riyadh stone that also seems to emerge organically from the rocks on which they are built. Within, the technology is formidable: a hypermodern contemporary art where AI, virtual reality and new media will challenge your perception of art.
Leading private galleries
Discover more about the local art market and the up-and-coming set to make it big in the art world at these private, commercial galleries.
ATHR Art Galleries, Jeddah, AlUla, and Riyadh
The flagship ATHR gallery in Jeddah was founded in 2009, and the cultural pioneers have since opened two more galleries in other creative cities. The aim is to push boundaries, shape narratives and foster a creative community that continues to evolve and flourish. The artists exhibited at ATHR range from traditional painters and sculptors to multimedia contemporary artists, experimenting with new disciplines and materials. The gallery is a springboard for local artists to gain greater visibility in the global art world and a place where you can discover the creators pushing boundaries today.
Naila Art Gallery, Riyadh
The most prominent modern art gallery in Riyadh, Naila is a foundational hub for art appreciation, with a dynamic programme of exhibitions. It seeks to bridge the gap between local artists and the global art world, supporting the local creative community by championing contemporary local voices and engaging with diverse audiences. Naila is also at the forefront of digital solutions in the art world, using new technologies to help viewers fully immerse themselves in the artists’ visions. Join a talk, or a workshop, or simply admire the works by local artists.
Artist-run spaces
Step into these spaces for a more personal, intimate look at the pioneers of the Saudi art movement.
Darat Safeya Binzagr, Jeddah
This space is so much more than a gallery, it is the personal studio of artist Safeya Binzagr, with an ever-changing exhibition of her works. Her art is saturated and colourful, deeply rooted in heritage and tradition, yet with a distinctive style that locates it firmly in the modern world. Considered one of the pioneers of fine art in the Kingdom, she envisaged the Darat as a cultural platform to inspire the next generation. Her paintings are a yearning for the Old Jeddah of her youth, a reconstruction of the past with the eyes of a contemporary soul.
A major cultural destination
Some experiences can’t be contained within four walls. This sprawling ancient landscape is being transformed into a world-class cultural destination
Ashar Valley, AlUla
AlUla
On the edge of the oasis, the city of AlUla is a significant cultural destination in its own right, where art interacts with the monumental scale of nature.
The biannual Desert X AlUla arts festival has proved a magnet for Saudi and international artists, who flock to the city to construct enormous installations on the sands, for visitors to wander among, awestruck at the artworks soaring overhead against the blue sky.
A purpose-built art museum in the city is slated to open its doors soon, as is Wadi AlFann, the Valley of the Arts, which seeks to explore how landscapes interact with art, artists, and viewers. The collection of permanent, era-defining works will be placed in the stunning landscape, complementing its monumental scale.
In the AlJadidah Arts District, Design Space has recently opened its doors as a sanctuary for the exploration of heritage and creativity in design. With workshops, exhibitions, and masterclasses, Design Space is a vibrant exchange of ideas, located in a new venue that draws inspiration from the desert to integrate harmoniously with its surroundings.
Saudi Arabia is already a new international centre for contemporary art, and it’s only looking forward. A place where innovation thrives and heritage is honoured, its international profile is growing all the time. With many new galleries and exhibitions opening, the country is the latest destination for engaging with some of the most exciting artistic visions in the world.
Find out more at ministry of culture Museums Commission https://museums.moc.gov.sa/en
