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Saudi Museums Commission Addresses Inclusivity and Accessibility for People with Disabilities

Saudi Museums Commission Addresses Inclusivity and Accessibility for People with Disabilities
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Saudi Museums Commission Addresses Inclusivity and Accessibility for People with Disabilities

Saudi Museums Commission Addresses Inclusivity and Accessibility for People with Disabilities

The Museums Commission held a virtual open talk on Monday, August 25, 2025, titled “Museums: Inclusivity and Accessibility for People with Disabilities.”

 

The event brought together leading specialists and experts to discuss removing physical, sensory, and technological barriers that people with disabilities encounter when visiting museums. The goal is to foster a more inclusive museum experience catering to a broader range of visitors.

The session was moderated by Director of the Red Sea Museum Eman Zidan, with sign language interpretation provided by Abdul Salam Al-Mughainim from the Al-Amal Institute for the Deaf in Riyadh. Participants included Director of Al Masmak Palace Museum Jihad Al-Faraj; Executive Director of the Al Nour Wal Amal Music Institute from Egypt Nagat Radwan; Official Spokesperson for the Authority for the Care of People with Disabilities Khaled Khabrani; and Head of Visitor Services at the National Museum from the Sultanate of Oman Khawla Al Habsi.

According to a press release issued by the commission, the speakers focused on three practical themes: adopting sustainable institutional policies that promote inclusivity; adapting architectural design and display methods to be multi-sensory and considerate of all; and utilizing assistive technologies alongside regular training programs for staff and guides.

Local, regional (Arab), and international experiences in implementing accessibility standards were also discussed. The conversation highlighted tools and innovations supporting inclusive access, such as audio guides, multi-sensory interpretation methods, and accessible pathways for people with disabilities.

Jihad Al-Faraj presented practical examples from Al Masmak Palace Museum, noting that the museum recently welcomed a significant number of visitors with disabilities at the "Two Swords and a Palm Tree" exhibition.

 

He also highlighted the museum's collaboration with organizations such as the Royal Commission for Riyadh City and the King Abdulaziz Foundation (Darah) to develop accessible pathways and facilities while addressing challenges associated with historical buildings.

Khaled Khabrani emphasized the importance of institutional integration and coordinated efforts, referencing a memorandum of understanding signed with the Saudi Museums Commission to improve service quality, facilitate access, and enhance the experience of people with disabilities at museum exhibitions, events, and related programs.

Khawla Al-Habsi added that inclusivity has become a core principle in modern museum policies. She highlighted the launch of audio guides at the National Museum in the Sultanate of Oman, along with policies aimed at facilitating access and training staff in sign language and professional communication techniques.

Professor Nagat Radwan, a leading expert in the field, shared in-depth insights on establishing the orchestra for visually impaired musicians. She detailed the process, from recruiting experts and adapting musical scores and training methods to inspecting the theater and its equipment, along with acceptance and training programs that cater to various age groups.

The release added that the discussions concluded with actionable recommendations, including strengthening cooperation between museums and specialized local organizations, integrating universal design and multi-sensory technologies into museum and historical site planning, establishing standardized accessibility criteria, and intensifying training programs for staff and guides to ensure effective communication and a dignified museum experience for all visitors.

This discussion is part of the commission's monthly series of open talks aimed at addressing key topics in the museum sector, raising awareness, sharing expertise and best practices, and contributing to the development of museums in the Kingdom in line with Saudi Vision 2030.

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Culture

Saudi Arabia: Ship of Tolerance Initiative Promotes Cultural Dialogue in Jeddah

The Royal Institute of Traditional Arts (Wrth) will offer traditional craft workshops throughout Ramadan. SPA
The Royal Institute of Traditional Arts (Wrth) will offer traditional craft workshops throughout Ramadan. SPA
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Saudi Arabia: Ship of Tolerance Initiative Promotes Cultural Dialogue in Jeddah

The Royal Institute of Traditional Arts (Wrth) will offer traditional craft workshops throughout Ramadan. SPA
The Royal Institute of Traditional Arts (Wrth) will offer traditional craft workshops throughout Ramadan. SPA

The Saudi Ministry of Culture, in collaboration with the "Lenobadir" volunteer and community partnership program and the Athr Foundation, has launched the Ship of Tolerance initiative in Historic Jeddah during Ramadan.

The initiative aims to enhance shared human values through arts, and promote tolerance and coexistence among children and families. It provides an educational and cultural experience aligned with the area’s unique character as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

As part of this global art project, children will create artworks that represent acceptance and dialogue.

The Royal Institute of Traditional Arts (Wrth) will offer traditional craft workshops throughout Ramadan, linking the initiative's values with local heritage and enriching visitors' connection to the region's identity.

This effort supports cultural programs with educational and social dimensions in Historic Jeddah, activating local sites for experiences that combine art, crafts, and community participation. It aligns with the National Strategy for Culture under Saudi Vision 2030, focusing on heritage preservation and expanding culture's impact on daily life.

Culture

Oscar Contender ‘Hamnet’ Boosts Tourism at Shakespeare Heritage Sites 

A view of Shakespeare’s Birthplace, William Shakespeare's childhood home, in Stratford-upon-Avon, Britain, February 9, 2026. (Reuters)
A view of Shakespeare’s Birthplace, William Shakespeare's childhood home, in Stratford-upon-Avon, Britain, February 9, 2026. (Reuters)
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Oscar Contender ‘Hamnet’ Boosts Tourism at Shakespeare Heritage Sites 

A view of Shakespeare’s Birthplace, William Shakespeare's childhood home, in Stratford-upon-Avon, Britain, February 9, 2026. (Reuters)
A view of Shakespeare’s Birthplace, William Shakespeare's childhood home, in Stratford-upon-Avon, Britain, February 9, 2026. (Reuters)

On a cloudy winter's day, visitors stream into what was once William Shakespeare's childhood home in Stratford-upon-Avon and the nearby Anne Hathaway's cottage, family residence of the bard's wife.

Hathaway's cottage is one of the settings for the BAFTA and Oscar best film contender "Hamnet", and the movie's success is drawing a new wave of tourists to Shakespeare sites in the town in central England.

Shakespeare's Birthplace is the house the young William once lived in and where his father worked as a glove maker, while Hathaway's cottage is where he would have visited his future wife early in their relationship.

Typically, around 250,000 visitors, from the UK, Europe, the United States, China and elsewhere, walk through the locations each year, according to the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. ‌The charity looks after ‌Shakespeare heritage sites, which also include Shakespeare's New Place, the site of ‌the ⁠Stratford home where the ⁠bard died in 1616.

Visitors are flocking in this year thanks to "Hamnet", the film based on Maggie O'Farrell's 2020 novel, which gives a fictional account of the relationship between Shakespeare and Hathaway, also known as Agnes, and the death of their 11-year-old son Hamnet in 1596.

"Visitor numbers have increased by about 15 to 20% across all sites since the film was released back in January. I think that will only continue as we go throughout the year," Richard Patterson, chief operating officer for the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, said.

"They particularly want ⁠to look (at) Anne Hathaway's cottage and the specifics around how the family ‌engaged in the spaces and the landscape in and around ‌the cottage... you can see why he would have been inspired."

NEW ACCESS TO SHAKESPEARE

"Hamnet" has 11 nominations at ‌Sunday's British BAFTA awards, including best film and leading actress for Jessie Buckley, who plays Agnes. It ‌also has eight Oscar nominations, with Buckley seen as the frontrunner to win best actress.

"Hamnet" is set in Stratford-upon-Avon and London although it was not filmed in Stratford.

It sees Paul Mescal's young Shakespeare fall for Agnes while teaching Latin to pay off his father's debts. The drama, seen mainly through Agnes' eyes, focuses on their ‌life together and grief over Hamnet's death, leading Shakespeare to write "Hamlet".

"Shakespeare... is notoriously enigmatic. He writes about humanity, about feeling, about emotion, about conflict, ⁠but where do we understand ⁠who he is in that story?" said Charlotte Scott, a professor of Shakespeare studies and interim director of collections, learning and research at the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.

"And that's driven people creative and otherwise for hundreds and hundreds of years. Where is Shakespeare's heart? And this is what the film I think has so beautifully opened up."

Little is known about how the couple met. Shakespeare was 18 and Hathaway 26 when they married in 1582. Daughter Susanna arrived in 1583 and twins Judith and Hamnet in 1585.

The film acknowledges the names Hamnet and Hamlet were interchangeable back then. While grief is a dominant theme, audiences also see Shakespeare in love and as a father.

"A lot of people will see this film not necessarily having... had any kind of relationship with Shakespeare," Scott said.

"So people will come to this film, I hope, and find a new way of accessing Shakespeare that is about creativity, that is about understanding storytelling as a constant process of regeneration, but also crucially, looking at it from that kind of emotive angle."

Culture

Culture Ministry Continues Preparations in Historic Jeddah to Welcome Visitors during Ramadan 

Historic Jeddah has emerged as a leading cultural tourism destination during Ramadan. (SPA)
Historic Jeddah has emerged as a leading cultural tourism destination during Ramadan. (SPA)
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Culture Ministry Continues Preparations in Historic Jeddah to Welcome Visitors during Ramadan 

Historic Jeddah has emerged as a leading cultural tourism destination during Ramadan. (SPA)
Historic Jeddah has emerged as a leading cultural tourism destination during Ramadan. (SPA)

The Saudi Ministry of Culture is continuing its efforts to revitalize Historic Jeddah in preparation for welcoming visitors during the holy month of Ramadan, offering cultural programs, events, and heritage experiences that reflect the authenticity of the past.

The district has emerged as a leading cultural tourism destination at this time of year as part of the “The Heart of Ramadan” campaign launched by the Saudi Tourism Authority.

Visitors are provided the opportunity to explore the district’s attractions, including archaeological sites located within the geographical boundaries of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed area, which represent a central component of the Kingdom’s urban and cultural heritage.

The area also features museums that serve as gateways to understanding the city’s rich heritage and cultural development, in addition to traditional markets that narrate historical stories through locally made products and Ramadan specialties that reflect authentic traditions.

These initiatives are part of the ministry’s ongoing efforts to revitalize Historic Jeddah in line with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030 and aiming to transform it into a vibrant hub for arts, culture, and the creative economy, while preserving its tangible and intangible heritage.