São Paulo – Saudi Arabia has announced the establishing of a foundation responsible for organizing a Contemporary Art Biennale and an Islamic Art Biennale. According to SPA, the country’s official news agency, prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan, Saudi minister of Culture, has announced the establishing of Thunaiyat Ad-Diriyah Foundation, specially designed to be responsible for the events. The minister will also be the chairman of the recently established foundation.
According to newspaper The National, the inaugural event in 2021 will be dedicated to contemporary art, while Islamic art will be highlighted in 2022, so the themes will alternate.
The foundation is named after Ad Diriyah (pictured above), a town located on outskirts of the capital, Riyadh. The National reports that, through the biennale and other planned initiatives, the Saudis aim to evolve the country’s contemporary arts scene and position Ad Diriyah as a regional and international hub for culture.
Ad Diriyah holds significance to Saudi Arabia as it is regarded as the birthplace of the Saudi state. The country’s tourism website describes the place as a historical crossroads of pilgrims and traders, and home to one of the Kingdom’s most ambitious heritage developments.
The ruins of Al Turaif in Ad Diriyah were designated a UNESCO Heritage Site in 2010 and the area has since been the subject of a restoration plan.
Translated by Guilherme Miranda
