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Saudi Culture Ministry to Organize Inaugural Cultural Investment Conference in September 

Saudi Culture Ministry to Organize Inaugural Cultural Investment Conference in September 
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Saudi Culture Ministry to Organize Inaugural Cultural Investment Conference in September 

Saudi Culture Ministry to Organize Inaugural Cultural Investment Conference in September 

Under the patronage of Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, the Saudi Ministry of Culture will organize the inaugural Cultural Investment Conference in Riyadh on September 29-30.

The event will convene global leaders in investment, public policy, and culture to discuss the future of cultural investment and how it can simultaneously spur cultural production, economic growth, and social development, said a Ministry statement on Tuesday.

‏Minister of Culture Prince Bader bin Abdullah bin Farhan thanked the Crown Prince for his patronage, support and strong leadership, adding: “The Cultural Investment Conference reflects Saudi Arabia's commitment to global cultural investment and inclusive growth that benefits everyone.”

“We believe that culture not only reflects heritage and identity but is an essential form of investment that can drive economic opportunities, foster mutual understanding, and shape a more connected and creative global future,” he stressed.

The Cultural Investment Conference will demonstrate how culture is a powerful driver of economic diversification, innovation, and international cooperation. The two-say annual event will analyze investment opportunities across emerging markets worldwide, and several new partnerships and sustainable funding mechanisms are expected to be explored.

‏It will feature insights from several of the most prominent individuals in the cultural investment space, along with a series of roundtables and curated discussions exploring the evolving role of culture in economic planning and national identity.

Central to the program will be the exploration of new investment pathways, including public-private partnerships, cultural investment funds, and the growing role of philanthropy in advancing creative economies. The conference will also address themes such as cultural entrepreneurship, technological innovation, and economics of inclusion.

Attendees to the conference will have opportunities related to networking, shaping international policy, and forging new forms of collaboration in pursuit of a prosperous future. The program will feature 38 panels with cultural experts and more than 100 speakers.

‏The Cultural Investment Conference underscores the ministry’s efforts in creating a sustainable cultural market that supports the national economy and empowers both creators and consumers alike, said the statement.

To date, the ministry has issued more than 9,000 cultural licenses to professional practitioners, provided support and incentives for cultural production across all creative fields, and increased its efforts to raise the number of cultural associations, institutions, and clubs in the non-profit sector from 28 in 2017 to 993 in 2024.

The ministry has also launched cultural insurance products that provide encouraging solutions for investors. The conference further advances these efforts and helps to expand the scope of cultural investment and provide sustainable opportunities for growth in the creative economy.

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Culture

AlUla Arts Showcases More than 20 Artists at 61st Venice Biennale

AlUla Arts celebrates the participation of more than 20 Saudi and international artists at the 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia. (SPA)
AlUla Arts celebrates the participation of more than 20 Saudi and international artists at the 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia. (SPA)
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AlUla Arts Showcases More than 20 Artists at 61st Venice Biennale

AlUla Arts celebrates the participation of more than 20 Saudi and international artists at the 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia. (SPA)
AlUla Arts celebrates the participation of more than 20 Saudi and international artists at the 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia. (SPA)

AlUla Arts celebrates the participation of more than 20 Saudi and international artists whose artistic journeys have been connected to its programs at the 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, taking place from May 9 to November 22, 2026.

This participation reflects AlUla’s growing role in shaping the global cultural landscape, the Saudi Press Agency said on Monday.

The artists’ contributions are presented across national pavilions, institutional exhibitions, and independent programs. The current edition of the Venice Biennale highlights the international reach of artists who have collaborated with AlUla Arts through its festivals, exhibitions, and diverse cultural initiatives, reflecting the depth and evolution of AlUla’s expanding creative ecosystem.

The participation features prominent names from Saudi Arabia and abroad who have received support through AlUla’s arts and design programs. These artists have enriched international cultural dialogue, drawing inspiration for their works from AlUla’s unique natural environment and its rich cultural and social heritage.

Culture

Ukrainians Seeking Cultural Escape from War’s Brutality Find Comfort and Resilience at Kyiv Art Fair

Visitors look at paintings by Ukrainian artists at the Art Kyiv 2026 Festival at the Art Ukraine Gallery in Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, May 8, 2026. (AP)
Visitors look at paintings by Ukrainian artists at the Art Kyiv 2026 Festival at the Art Ukraine Gallery in Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, May 8, 2026. (AP)
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Ukrainians Seeking Cultural Escape from War’s Brutality Find Comfort and Resilience at Kyiv Art Fair

Visitors look at paintings by Ukrainian artists at the Art Kyiv 2026 Festival at the Art Ukraine Gallery in Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, May 8, 2026. (AP)
Visitors look at paintings by Ukrainian artists at the Art Kyiv 2026 Festival at the Art Ukraine Gallery in Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, May 8, 2026. (AP)

A contemporary art fair has been held in the Ukrainian capital with an unusual premise: that art can help a society come to terms with what war has made normal.

“Holding the event during wartime means not waiting for a better moment, but working with reality as it is,” said Anna Avetova, director of the Art Kyiv fair. “In this context, art does not stand apart from life — it helps make sense of the present, preserve cultural continuity, and lay the groundwork for the future.”

Titled “This is Normal”, the fair has become a space where Ukrainians try to make sense through painting, sculpture and conversation of a reality in which missile strikes, death and loss have quietly become a part of ordinary life.

Hundreds of works filled the space at the Lavra Gallery, from oddly shaped sculptures to paintings spanning from expressive abstraction to surreal portraiture and atmospheric landscapes. Notably, not a single booth is dedicated specifically to the war. That was a deliberate choice.

“The war is always in the air, we just really didn’t want to make a point of mentioning it,” Avetova said. “Art is one of the things that keeps us human. It sustains us and warms our soul when things are very hard.”

The organizers said the event was also intended to provide a boost to the domestic art market, which had already stagnated under COVID-19 before the Russian war made things worse. The market is gradually beginning to recover, and the fair is one example of how Ukrainian artists are ready not only to speak about the war, but to sell paintings.

Art Kyiv describes itself as a cultural platform where artistic experience, public discourse and contemporary Ukrainian reality meet. In a hall occasionally pierced by air-raid sirens warning of Russian strikes, the event has united Ukraine’s most prominent galleries, artists, collectors, and cultural institutions.

It is being held for only the second time since the war began after launching in October.

Ceramic artist Tala Vovk is showing her work for the first time. She tries to attend art events in Kyiv frequently, as it helps her take her mind off the war and “detach from the tragedy.”

“Art is a place where the everyday doesn’t exist,” she said. In her view, even during wartime such events matter, because it is important to nourish the cultural foundation and give it strength so that it can take root and grow stronger. “And that would give strength in any situation,” she said.

That was the case for artist Yuriy Vatkin, who in the first weeks of Russia’s invasion found himself trapped under occupation between Ukraine’s northern city Kharkiv and the Russian border. Painting helped him to survive and maintain his mental health, even after his studio was damaged in an attack, according to his representative at the fair, Denys Dmytriev.

None of the art works, which are primarily for sale, show anything focused on the war. The artists have opted instead for something more neutral. Vatkin is represented by works in his signature style, where thick, layered brushstrokes, fragmented forms and a vivid use of color create a sense of motion and instability.

Anna Domashchenko, a visitor to the event, said she was drawn to the rich, saturated hues because they evoke intense emotions.

She attends art events frequently and says it matters deeply to her that they continue despite the war.

“Sometimes you wonder whether it’s appropriate... but these are exactly the things that inspire you and remind you that life is full of color, and all of those colors should be present at any time,” she said. “Even in times as hard as these.”

Culture

Saudi Arabia: King Abdulaziz Library to Launch 26th Free Reading Festival

The King Abdulaziz Public Library. SPA
The King Abdulaziz Public Library. SPA
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Saudi Arabia: King Abdulaziz Library to Launch 26th Free Reading Festival

The King Abdulaziz Public Library. SPA
The King Abdulaziz Public Library. SPA

The King Abdulaziz Public Library, in cooperation with the Riyadh Education Department, will launch its 26th annual Free Reading Festival for public school students on Sunday.

Running from May 10 to 14 in Riyadh, the festival will bring together more than 100 schools, over 1,550 students, and a number of educators and teachers.

It aims to foster a love of reading and learning, expand students’ literary, scientific, and cultural horizons, and encourage teachers to promote independent reading. It will also provide a platform to showcase student talents and strengthen Arabic language skills.

Through initiatives like this festival, the King Abdulaziz Public Library promotes reading through diverse programs and a wide range of books that foster pride in the Kingdom’s heritage.