Saudi Arabia's Cultural Ambitions: An Interview with Abdulaziz Al Ghareeb

In an interview with Artribune, Saudi diplomat Abdulaziz Al Ghareeb discusses the Kingdom's cultural transformation under Saudi Vision 2030. The plan, launched in 2016, aims to open Saudi Arabia to the world through massive investments in culture, including the creation of fifteen major museums and the world's largest Islamic museum. Al Ghareeb highlights the establishment of an independent Ministry of Culture in 2018, which announced its framework strategies on March 27, 2019, covering contemporary art and other sectors. He notes that contemporary art is not new to Saudi Arabia, with successful artists trained abroad, including in Italy at the Accademia delle Belle Arti di Roma and the Accademia di Firenze. The Kingdom has supported arts education since 1953, with the Saudi Arabian Society for Culture and Arts founded in 1971. Currently, there are five museums in Riyadh and seven in Jeddah, plus private museums overseen by the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH). Al Ghareeb emphasizes that Saudis are the largest group of museum visitors in the Middle East. The new Islamic museum will feature advanced technology, interactive exhibits, and sections on Islamic sciences, a library, and a research center. International partnerships have been formed, including with Italy. The interview also mentions a prestigious art house in Jeddah established in 2014 with a budget of 100 million riyals (about €24 million).