Saudi commission plans to transform museum sector

Saudi Arabia’s Museums Commission has announced its strategy for the transformation of the sector. It includes ambitious plans to increase the number and types of museums across the Kingdom and boost visitor numbers. The focus on the nation’s cultural identity will be enhanced through the creation of a series of tangible assets across the country.

Existing museums in Riyadh will be revised and remodeled, including the National Museum of Saudi Arabia in the city’s historical center, and the Masmak Fort Museum, which showcases a key site and events in the birth of the Kingdom. The plan also sets out significant expansion plans for museums across the country by 2024, including a number of flagship locations and some smaller venues.

The first new museum to open will be a smaller version of the Saudi Arabian Museum of Contemporary Art in the new JAX development in Diriyah. The Black Gold Museum in Riyadh, a permanent museum dedicated to artists’ interpretations of the history of oil, will open soon.

The strategy also aims to create, expand, curate and preserve collections and to build educational programs across the sector.