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Royal Institute of Traditional Arts Launches the 'Confluence of Saudi-Korean Culture' Show

The show takes place at the Red Hall of the Princess Noura University Theater in Riyadh - SPA  
The show takes place at the Red Hall of the Princess Noura University Theater in Riyadh - SPA  
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Royal Institute of Traditional Arts Launches the 'Confluence of Saudi-Korean Culture' Show

The show takes place at the Red Hall of the Princess Noura University Theater in Riyadh - SPA  
The show takes place at the Red Hall of the Princess Noura University Theater in Riyadh - SPA  

The Royal Institute of Traditional Arts, in partnership with the Korean National University of Arts, launched on Monday the “Confluence of Saudi-Korean Culture” show.
The show, the first of its kind in the Kingdom, takes place at the Red Hall of the Princess Noura University Theater in Riyadh and will run for three days, SPA reported.
The show provides attendees with the opportunity to delve into the richness of Saudi and Korean arts. It features a range of combined theatrical and performance shows, highlighting five Saudi performing arts alongside five Korean counterparts.
This presentation aims to deepen the cultural and artistic understanding of both sides.
The event concludes with an integrated performing art that combines steps and rhythms derived from both cultures. Additionally, there is an accompanying art exhibition featuring traditional arts in various fields such as metals, pottery, wooden crafts, and hand embroidery.
These artistic works narrate the story of the confluence between art and artists.
Visitors of the show will watch 50 performers from Saudi Arabia and South Korea, including artists from the Royal Institute of Traditional Arts and the Korean National University of Arts. The Saudi part of the theatrical show reflects the cultural diversity of the Kingdom by showcasing various arts such as Al-Samri, Al-Daha, Al-Liwa, Al-Khatwa, and Al-Khabiti.
This cultural event offers a unique journey blending heritage and modernity in an exceptional artistic experience, with the presence of prominent leaders in the cultural sector who will provide their full support to this pioneering initiative.
The CEO of the Royal Institute, Dr. Suzanne Al-Yahya, indicated that the show enhances the artistic movement and promotes global cultural exchange with the Kingdom.
Dr. Al-Yahya added that it serves as a meeting point for traditional arts from different countries on both local and global scales, while also elevating awareness of traditional arts and disseminating them locally and internationally.

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Culture

Red Sea Museum Hosts Contemporary Art Exhibition to Showcase Marine Biodiversity

The collection features diverse media, including rare black coral crafts and textiles that evoke underwater textures - SPA
The collection features diverse media, including rare black coral crafts and textiles that evoke underwater textures - SPA
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Red Sea Museum Hosts Contemporary Art Exhibition to Showcase Marine Biodiversity

The collection features diverse media, including rare black coral crafts and textiles that evoke underwater textures - SPA
The collection features diverse media, including rare black coral crafts and textiles that evoke underwater textures - SPA

The Red Sea Museum in Historic Jeddah is hosting a contemporary artistic exhibition that explores the Red Sea’s marine richness by connecting its geological origins, dating back to the Eocene epoch, with natural history and artistic expression.

Through a series of sculptures and installations, the exhibition showcases the region's vast biodiversity, from microorganisms to large mammals, SPA reported.

The works emphasize the Red Sea’s resilient coral reefs, thriving in warm, high-salinity waters, while delivering powerful environmental messages on the urgency of reef protection and ecological sustainability.

The collection features diverse media, including rare black coral crafts and textiles that evoke underwater textures.

These pieces complement the museum’s permanent collection of over 1,000 artifacts, reinforcing the Kingdom’s commitment to preserving its cultural and environmental heritage through modern, immersive displays.

Culture

Saudi Pavilion Highlights Cultural Exchange at Sarajevo Book Fair

The fair is held under the theme "Book Path" and features 200 exhibitors. SPA
The fair is held under the theme "Book Path" and features 200 exhibitors. SPA
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Saudi Pavilion Highlights Cultural Exchange at Sarajevo Book Fair

The fair is held under the theme "Book Path" and features 200 exhibitors. SPA
The fair is held under the theme "Book Path" and features 200 exhibitors. SPA

The Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance, represented by the King Fahd Cultural Center in Bosnia and Herzegovina, is participating in Saudi Arabia’s pavilion at the 37th Sarajevo International Book Fair held from April 22 to 27 at the Skenderija Center.

The fair is held under the theme "Book Path" and features 200 exhibitors from Bosnia and Herzegovina and around the world presenting their publications across an exhibition area of more than 10,000 square meters.

The pavilion, inaugurated in the presence of Saudi Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina Anas Al-Wusaidi, showcases the center’s cultural programs, publications, and activities.

It includes a documentary highlighting the Kingdom’s civilizational progress and the achievements of Saudi Vision 2030, as well as films introducing Saudi cities and tourist landmarks.

The pavilion also features educational and training programs, a Saudi culture corner, a workshop on Saudi coffee preparation, an Arabic calligraphy corner, and a children’s area.

The ministry’s participation in the fair reflects Saudi Arabia’s leading role in serving Islam and Muslims inside and outside the Kingdom, its message of moderation and tolerance, and its commitment to strengthening cultural exchange.

Culture

Ithra Showcases Ithra Design Week at Milan Design Week 2026

Ithra Showcases Ithra Design Week at Milan Design Week 2026
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Ithra Showcases Ithra Design Week at Milan Design Week 2026

Ithra Showcases Ithra Design Week at Milan Design Week 2026

The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra), an initiative of Aramco, is participating in Milan Design Week, one of the world’s most prominent annual design events, taking place during April 20-26, 2026. This participation reflects the center’s aspirations to strengthen the role of design within the cultural landscape. As part of its presence, Ithra is presenting key features of Ithra Design Week (IDW)—announced last year as a dedicated platform supporting the design sector and designers, aimed at fostering collaboration, nurturing creativity, and advancing design content from the Arab world on the global stage.

As part of its participation, Ithra is presenting the exhibition “Default is Not Universal” at the Isola Design Festival, within the framework of Milan Design Week 2026. The exhibition represents the first tangible realization of Ithra Design Week as a regional platform for designers, showcasing their creativity and cultural narratives to international audiences while opening channels for global dialogue on the future of design, SPA reported.

Manager of Programs at Ithra Nourh Al-Zamil said: “Ithra’s participation in Milan Design Week; one of the most important global events in the field of design, reflects the Center’s mission to empower creative talent, strengthen cultural exchange, and support the growth of the creative economy at both regional and international levels. It also highlights Ithra Design Week 2026, that announced last year as a platform dedicated to supporting and advancing the future of Arab design.”

Al-Zamil added that Ithra’s international participation in leading design and creativity forums serves as an important platform for attracting designers from across the Middle East. She noted that the “Default is Not Universal” exhibition, presented in collaboration with Isola Design; a partnership spanning four years; aims to empower creativity and connect designers from around the world. She emphasized that the exhibition reflects Ithra’s continued efforts to build a year-round integrated ecosystem enabling designers to collaborate, grow, and thrive.

The “Default is Not Universal” exhibition features works by eight designers from across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and includes seven interactive stations. Through the use of artificial intelligence, the exhibition collects visitor interaction data and transforms it into a dynamic map illustrating how cognitive patterns are shaped by diverse cultural influences. In an innovative step, this data will later be used to commission a designer to produce an entirely new piece reflecting the exhibition’s insights and outcomes.

The exhibition represents a collaborative experience between Ithra and Isola Design and is the outcome of a four-year partnership. Following its debut, the exhibition will be expanded and travel to Saudi Arabia, where it will serve as the anchor international exhibition of the main Ithra Design Week event scheduled to take place later this year.

The exhibition’s seven interactive stations include “The Collective Sofa,” a white seating installation by Studio Oblique (UAE) that transforms through visitor interaction into a shared archive reflecting their contributions; “Moments of Absence,” a sculptural installation featuring miniature ceramic chairs by Fajr Al-Basri (Bahrain) that invites visitors to select and sketch the chair they most identify with; and “Body Blocks,” an interactive game by Davina Atteya (Lebanon) inspired by Mesopotamian figurative forms, enabling users to assemble hybrid characters through modular components.

Additional stations include “Attar Al-Balad,” a sensory installation composed of sculptural blocks formed from traditional Saudi herbs and spices that re-evokes memory through scent; “Reflections,” a collection of mirrors by designers from Egypt, the UAE, and Morocco exploring visitors’ perceptions of color, form, and identity; “Majma,” an interactive musical instrument by digital artist Samit Rohila enabling visitors to collaboratively compose spontaneous collective soundscapes; and finally “Daughters of Berythus,” an installation embedding traces of craft traditions and everyday life that invites visitors to explore material memory through touch.