Five Artists Shortlisted for Ithra Art Prize's Seventh Edition with New Production Grants

The King Abdulaziz Center for Culture (Ithra) has announced five finalists for its seventh Ithra Art Prize: Bady Dalloul, Aseel AlYaqoub, Heba Y. Amin, Ala Younis, and Jawad Al Malhi. Selected from over 500 submissions, these artists were chosen for their significant impact on contemporary art across the Arab world. Their practices explore memory, colonial legacy, and displacement through diverse media. This year marks a departure from previous editions, as each shortlisted artist will receive a production grant to create commissioned works for a spring exhibition at Ithra. The prize winner will receive $100,000 and have their work acquired by Ithra's collection. An international jury including Farah Abushullaih, Tarek Abou El Fetouh, Dr Nada Shabout, Jérôme Sans, and Nadia Kaabi-Linke made the selection, with Sara Al Omran serving as advisor. Farah Abushullaih noted that expanding to five finalists strengthens cultural dialogue and reaffirms Ithra's support for diverse artistic perspectives. The prize aims to bolster artistic creation and expand regional dialogue.