Introduction
The Diriyah Biennale stands as Saudi Arabia's first major international contemporary art exhibition, a bold cultural statement established within the kingdom's rapidly evolving artistic landscape. Inaugurated in 2021, this ambitious platform unfolds in the historic district of Diriyah—a UNESCO World Heritage site northwest of Riyadh that carries profound significance as the birthplace of the first Saudi state and the ancestral home of the Al Saud royal family.
Organized by the Diriyah Biennale Foundation (DBF) under the Ministry of Culture, the biennale represents a significant milestone in Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 cultural transformation. Alternating between contemporary art (in Diriyah) and Islamic arts (in Jeddah) on a biennial cycle, this innovative structure creates continuous artistic programming while honoring both contemporary expression and rich cultural heritage.
What distinguishes the Diriyah Biennale is its unique position at the intersection of tradition and innovation, creating a platform where Saudi and international artists engage in dialogue that transcends geographical and cultural boundaries. Through its thoughtfully curated exhibitions, educational initiatives, and public programming, the biennale invites audiences to witness Saudi Arabia's emergence as a dynamic center for contemporary art in the Middle East and beyond.
In the News
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Desert Renaissance: How the Diriyah Biennale is Reshaping the Cultural Landscape of Saudi Arabia
In the predawn hours of December 11, 2021, a remarkable transformation was underway in the JAX district of Diriyah. Museum professionals worked alongside local craftsmen to complete the final installations for what would become a watershed moment in Saudi Arabia's cultural history. The inaugural Diriyah Biennale was about to open its doors, marking the kingdom's first large-scale international contemporary art exhibition and signaling a dramatic shift in the country's relationship with global art worlds.
The journey to this moment began years earlier, with the announcement of Vision 2030, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's ambitious plan to diversify the Saudi economy and develop public sectors including arts and culture. "For decades, Saudi Arabia was known primarily for its oil and religious significance," explains Aya Al-Bakree, CEO of the Diriyah Biennale Foundation. "Vision 2030 recognized that cultural development isn't just about soft power—it's essential for economic diversification and social transformation."
When the decision was made to establish a biennale, the choice of location carried profound symbolic weight. Diriyah, a UNESCO World Heritage site on the outskirts of Riyadh, served as the capital of the first Saudi state in the 18th century. Its mud-brick architecture and historical significance provided a meaningful backdrop for contemporary artistic expression, creating a dialogue between past and present that distinguishes the Diriyah Biennale from other international art events.
The planning of the inaugural edition faced extraordinary challenges. Beyond the usual complexities of establishing a new biennale, organizers contended with the global pandemic and the need to build institutional infrastructure from the ground up. The Diriyah Biennale Foundation was established, with a unique approach—it would organize two alternating biennales: the Contemporary Art Biennale in Diriyah and the Islamic Arts Biennale in Jeddah.
"This dual structure was revolutionary," notes Philip Tinari, who served as curator for the first edition. "It created a continuous cycle of major art events while making an important statement about valuing both contemporary artistic practices and the rich traditions of Islamic art and culture. It wasn't an either/or proposition, but a both/and approach that reflects Saudi Arabia's complex relationship with modernity."
The inaugural edition, titled "Feeling the Stones," drew its inspiration from Deng Xiaoping's famous phrase about "crossing the river by feeling the stones"—a metaphor for navigating periods of transformation through careful experimentation. The theme resonated on multiple levels, reflecting Saudi Arabia's own cultural opening while addressing universal experiences of navigating uncertainty and change.
With over 60 artists from Saudi Arabia and around the world, the exhibition created unprecedented opportunities for exchange. Saudi artists who had worked in relative isolation suddenly found themselves in conversation with international counterparts. "The energy was palpable," recalls Sarah Abu Abdallah, one of the participating Saudi artists. "For years, many of us had been making work with limited opportunities to engage with the broader art world. The biennale created a platform for dialogue that simply didn't exist before."
This cross-cultural dialogue extended to the audience experience. For many Saudi visitors, the inaugural biennale offered their first encounter with contemporary installation art, video art, and performance. Educational programming became a core component, with workshops, guided tours, and public talks designed to build art appreciation and critical engagement among local audiences.
The biennale's impact extended far beyond the exhibition itself. It catalyzed the development of commercial galleries, artist-run spaces, and educational initiatives throughout Riyadh and other Saudi cities. International cultural organizations began establishing partnerships in the kingdom, while Saudi collectors—who had previously focused primarily on acquisitions abroad—turned their attention to supporting local artistic development.
Perhaps most significantly, the Diriyah Biennale has influenced broader conversations about cultural identity in Saudi Arabia. By presenting contemporary artistic expressions alongside references to cultural heritage, the biennale has helped articulate a vision of Saudi cultural identity that embraces both tradition and innovation. This dynamic is particularly evident in the work of younger Saudi artists featured in the biennale, many of whom engage critically with questions of heritage, modernity, environmental sustainability, and social change.
Looking toward the second Contemporary Art Biennale in 2025, the Diriyah Biennale Foundation is building on these early successes while addressing ongoing challenges. Expanded educational initiatives aim to develop local artistic and curatorial capacity, while international partnerships bring diverse perspectives to the Saudi context. The 2025-2026 edition, themed "Resonant Territories: Mapping Connections in a Changing World," will explore how art navigates the intersections of physical, digital, and imagined spaces in an era of technological and environmental transformation.
As the sun rose over Diriyah on that December morning in 2021, few could have predicted the full scope of the biennale's impact. What began as an ambitious cultural initiative has evolved into something more profound: a platform for reimagining Saudi Arabia's relationship with contemporary art and its own cultural heritage. In the mud-brick shadows of Diriyah, a new chapter in the region's cultural history is being written—stone by stone, artwork by artwork, conversation by conversation.
Artistic Vision & Themes
The Diriyah Biennale establishes a distinctive curatorial framework that connects local contexts with global concerns, investigating the intersections between tradition and innovation, historical consciousness and future speculation. Each edition develops around a central thematic concept that provides artists with a conceptual scaffold while remaining responsive to Diriyah's unique cultural and geographical context.
The inaugural edition in 2021-2022, titled "Feeling the Stones," referenced Deng Xiaoping's metaphor for pragmatic experimentation during periods of transformation. Curated by Philip Tinari, this theme resonated with Saudi Arabia's own cultural opening while addressing universal experiences of navigating uncertainty and change. The exhibition featured over 60 artists who explored how societies adapt to shifting realities while maintaining connections to cultural foundations.
For the upcoming 2025-2026 edition, "Resonant Territories: Mapping Connections in a Changing World" will examine how contemporary art navigates the relationships between physical places, digital environments, and imagined spaces. Led by Artistic Director Dr. Maryam Al-Dabbagh, this edition focuses on ecological awareness, technological mediation, and cultural sustainability—themes that connect Saudi Arabia's specific environmental and social context with global concerns about the future of human habitation and creative expression.
A distinctive aspect of the Diriyah Biennale is its engagement with multiple temporalities, creating dialogue between historical consciousness and contemporary imagination. Many commissioned projects investigate the preservation and reinterpretation of cultural heritage, the impact of technological advancement on traditional practices, environmental challenges in the Arabian Peninsula, and evolving social structures. This approach reflects Saudi Arabia's complex negotiation with modernity while offering insights into universal questions about identity, memory, and transformation in the 21st century.
History & Context
The establishment of the Diriyah Biennale in 2021 represents a pivotal development in Saudi Arabia's cultural transformation. As the kingdom's first contemporary art biennale, it emerged within the broader context of Vision 2030, the national strategy for diversifying the economy and developing public sectors including arts, entertainment, and tourism. This initiative recognizes cultural development as essential for economic growth, social transformation, and international engagement.
The decision to locate the biennale in Diriyah creates meaningful connections between contemporary artistic expression and Saudi Arabia's historical and cultural foundations. Located northwest of Riyadh, Diriyah served as the capital of the first Saudi state established in 1744, with its At-Turaif district recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site. This setting provides not only a distinctive architectural backdrop but also a symbolic bridge between historical significance and contemporary relevance.
Vision 2030 launched with cultural development as a key pillar
Ministry of Culture established to develop Saudi cultural sectors
Diriyah Biennale Foundation established under Ministry of Culture
Inaugural Contemporary Art Biennale opens with "Feeling the Stones" theme
First Islamic Arts Biennale launches in Jeddah, completing the biennial cycle
Expanded educational and community engagement programs developed
Second Contemporary Art Biennale planned with "Resonant Territories" theme
Cultural Heritage Integration
The Diriyah Biennale uniquely connects contemporary artistic practices with Saudi Arabia's cultural heritage. The historic setting of Diriyah, with its traditional mud-brick architecture and historical significance, creates a distinctive context for viewing contemporary art. Many commissioned projects engage directly with this setting, creating site-specific works that respond to the architectural features, historical narratives, and cultural significance of Diriyah.
The biennale's dual structure—alternating between Contemporary Art in Diriyah and Islamic Arts in Jeddah—reflects Saudi Arabia's cultural strategy of preserving heritage while embracing contemporary expression. This approach creates meaningful dialogue between traditional and modern cultural forms, challenging simplistic binaries of "traditional" versus "contemporary" by highlighting continuities and creative reinterpretations across time.
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Curatorial Approach
The Diriyah Biennale features a diverse program of artistic presentations and public engagement initiatives that balance international contemporary art practices with cultural specificity. The core exhibition brings together established and emerging artists from Saudi Arabia, the broader Middle East, and international contexts, creating opportunities for dialogue across geographical and cultural boundaries.
The curatorial framework emphasizes commissioning new works that respond to the specific context of Diriyah and Saudi Arabia, ensuring that the biennale is not simply an imported model but a platform for artistic creation that engages meaningfully with local conditions. This approach encourages artists to consider questions of place, history, environment, and cultural identity in their contributions.
Beyond the main exhibition, the biennale encompasses an expansive program of performances, film screenings, workshops, and educational initiatives designed to foster public engagement with contemporary art. These parallel programs reach diverse audiences, from art professionals to first-time gallery visitors, creating multiple points of entry into contemporary artistic practices.
The curatorial team for each edition combines international expertise with local knowledge, bringing together perspectives that can navigate the complexities of presenting contemporary art in a rapidly evolving cultural context. This collaborative approach ensures that the biennale maintains international standards while remaining responsive to the specific needs and interests of Saudi audiences.
Video Experience
Experience the atmosphere of the Diriyah Biennale through this curated visual tour showcasing the historic setting, contemporary artworks, and cultural context of Saudi Arabia's premier art event.
Video: Diriyah Biennale Exhibition Tour | Watch on YouTube
Venue Locations
The Diriyah Biennale takes place in the historic district of Diriyah, located 20 minutes northwest of downtown Riyadh. The main exhibition is housed in a repurposed industrial building in the JAX district, with additional installations and programming throughout Diriyah's historic areas, including special projects in the UNESCO World Heritage site of At-Turaif.
- JAX District - Main exhibition venue, converted industrial space
- At-Turaif UNESCO Site - Historical district with special installations
- Bujairi Quarter - Cultural district with restaurants and cafes
- Diriyah Art Futures - Educational programming venue
- Diriyah Gate Development - Mixed-use district with satellite exhibitions
Riyadh City Guide
Navigate Saudi Arabia's vibrant capital with our curated guide to Riyadh's emerging cultural districts, contemporary art spaces, and architectural highlights beyond the biennial venues.
Open-air museum with monumental works
Cultural complex with exhibitions
Entertainment district with public art
Cafe culture and gallery district
Cultural Districts
- 📍 Diplomatic Quarter: Home to Aga Khan Award-winning architecture
- 📍 Al Masmak District: Historical fortress and traditional markets
- 📍 Olaya District: Modern galleries and luxury shopping
- 📍 King Abdullah Financial District: Contemporary architecture and public art
Getting Around
Riyadh's new metro system connects major districts, with Line 1 serving Diriyah. Ride-hailing apps like Careem and Uber are widely available. For the biennale, special shuttle buses operate between central Riyadh hotels and exhibition venues daily.