Saudi Arabia: Qiddiya City Unveils Groundbreaking Performing Arts Center

The first cultural asset of the newly announced Qiddiya City, the center is poised to receive over 800,000 visitors each year. SPA
The first cultural asset of the newly announced Qiddiya City, the center is poised to receive over 800,000 visitors each year. SPA
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Saudi Arabia: Qiddiya City Unveils Groundbreaking Performing Arts Center

The first cultural asset of the newly announced Qiddiya City, the center is poised to receive over 800,000 visitors each year. SPA
The first cultural asset of the newly announced Qiddiya City, the center is poised to receive over 800,000 visitors each year. SPA

Qiddiya Investment Company (QIC) has announced an innovative Performing Arts Center to enrich Saudi Arabia's cultural landscape and enhance the array of attractions within Qiddiya City.

The first cultural asset of the newly announced Qiddiya City, the center is poised to receive over 800,000 visitors each year.

“Qiddiya City is more than just the home of entertainment and sports, but a leader in the preservation and promotion of Saudi culture. For this reason, we are thrilled to announce the addition of the Qiddiya Performing Arts Center to Qiddiya City,” said QIC Managing Director Abdullah Aldawood.

He said the center “will be a beacon of creativity and innovation that will elevate Saudi Arabia's cultural landscape to new heights.”

With its ground-breaking modern design, pioneering technology, and commitment to nurturing talent, the center embodies the spirit of Qiddiya City as a place where imagination knows no bounds,” added Aldawood.

The center will host over 260 indoor and outdoor performances and events every year. Over 3,000 seats are spread across three theaters, each offering a 360° experience merging physical and digital elements. A cantilevered amphitheater offers breathtaking views of the City’s lower plateau while a fully adaptable 500-seat venue is suspended from above.

Leveraging state-of-the-art technologies such as Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, and Artificial Intelligence, the Center will host groundbreaking productions that push the boundaries of traditional theater.

Moreover, it will serve as an incubator for young Saudi talent, providing educational opportunities and resources to nurture the next generation of writers, producers, and actors.

The Performing Arts Center is set to create thousands of career opportunities across more than 100 job categories in the creative and cultural sectors.

A rooftop sky garden, art galleries, and green spaces will extend the cultural experience, while the Centre's iconic architecture will serve as a symbol of civic identity.

The dramatic setting of the building is a tribute to the performances it will host. The promenade walk extending across the Tuwaiq cliffs will lead to a shaded section beneath the center offering a viewing platform across the City.

This section will act as an extension of the center’s microclimate that begins with a waterfall in the Center’s lobby and cools the surrounding neighborhood.



King Salman Academy for Arabic Signs MoU with Al-Farabi Kazakh National University

The MoU aims to enhance cooperation in promoting the Arabic language. SPA
The MoU aims to enhance cooperation in promoting the Arabic language. SPA
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King Salman Academy for Arabic Signs MoU with Al-Farabi Kazakh National University

The MoU aims to enhance cooperation in promoting the Arabic language. SPA
The MoU aims to enhance cooperation in promoting the Arabic language. SPA

The King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language (KSGAAL) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Tuesday in Almaty with Al-Farabi Kazakh National University (KAZNU).
The MoU aims to enhance cooperation in promoting the Arabic language, teaching it in various fields, preserving its integrity, supporting its use in line with the objectives of the Human Capability Development Program -- one of the initiatives for achieving the Saudi Vision 2030 -- and fulfilling KSGAAL’s strategic goals.
The signing of this agreement follows the Saudi cabinet’s July 23 approval to authorize Minister of Culture and KSGAAL chairman of the board of trustees Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan Al Saud, or his deputy, to negotiate with the Kazakh side on a MoU regarding the promotion of the Arabic language between KSGAAL and KAZNU, and to sign it.
The signing took place during the KSGAAL delegation’s trip to Kazakhstan, which included visits to several universities, centers, and institutions to assess the status of the Arabic language and explore avenues for collaboration in teaching and promoting it.
KSGAAL serves as a global reference for the Arabic language and its advancement, leveraging its institutional expertise in teaching Arabic to non-native speakers.
The MoU covers several areas of collaboration, including implementing the Arabic Language Proficiency Test (ALPT) for non-native speakers, developing educational materials and modern curricula related to the Arabic language, and conducting specialized studies and research in the field of Arabic language teaching and learning.
The MoU also includes areas such as the computational linguistics of the Arabic language, the development of digital dictionaries, and the creation of Arabic-Kazakh linguistic corpora. Additionally, it involves sharing language services and consultations in areas of mutual interest.