While we love spending an afternoon at the Saudi National Museum, we are pleased to hear that Saudi Arabia’s Museums Commission has grand plans to change the sector. So get ready for some cool new museums opening in Saudi Arabia.
In a bid to boost visitor numbers, the plan is to diversify the types of museums out there. The focus is on the nation’s identity, exploring both its past and exciting future through Saudi Vision 2030. The plans range from boutique museums to bigger venues and will be completed by 2024.
Stefano Carboni, the commission’s CEO, says: “The strategy will bring about best-practice, international-standard advancement in this vital cultural sector. Our strategy will enrich the lives of all who reside in and visit the kingdom.
“We will develop the sector through inspiring displays and programs, training the first true generation of museum-sector experts, and building diverse cultural platforms that attract local and international culture seekers. There are many stories to tell about the Kingdom, its past and its ambitious future, and we are excited for people to visit and experience it for themselves.”
In Jax District, Diriyah, will be a smaller version of the Saudi Arabian Museum of Contemporary Art. In downtown Riyadh, the Black Gold Museum will tell the story of the history of oil in the country. Opening in partnership with the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center, it promises to provide a fascinating look at how oil changed the country’s fortunes.
The new museums opening in Saudi Arabia are extensive. Borderless Jeddah will be an immersive digital art space and it is due to open as soon as 2022. While other openings include the Royal Art Complex Museum, the Digital Art Museum, and the Museum of the Prince Mohammad bin Salman International Center for Arabic Calligraphy.
That’s a whole lot of culture.
To discover the best museums in Riyadh right now, click here.
