King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture features in TIME’s World's Greatest Places list

King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia figures in the TIME magazine’s list of the World's Greatest Places to visit during 2018. The list of the 100 must-visit places this year is to be revealed in the September issue of the magazine.
 

The magazine compiled the list of 100 places, which it says are the world's greatest locations to visit this year, and are “breaking new ground, leading industry trends and offering visitors an extraordinary experience.”
 

The new King Abdulaziz Center, also known as Ithra, is a cultural hub that reflects “the changes sweeping Saudi Arabia,” says director Ali Al-Mutairi. Designed by Norwegian firm Snohetta, the center houses an auditorium, exhibition halls and a library of some 200,000 books. Its striking forms rise 295 ft. from the desert.
 

To create the list, TIME asked for nominations across a variety of categories including museums, parks, restaurants and hotels — from experts around the world. The result is a list as diverse as the world it reflects, with entries spanning six continents and 48 countries.