Dina Amin Appointed as CEO of Saudi Visual Arts Commission

Dina Amin. SPA photo
Dina Amin. SPA photo
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Dina Amin Appointed as CEO of Saudi Visual Arts Commission

Dina Amin. SPA photo
Dina Amin. SPA photo

Saudi Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan Al Saud has appointed Dina Amin as CEO of the Visual Arts Commission.

Amin is a leading Saudi specialist in visual arts and the international contemporary art field. She holds a bachelor’s from Wellesley College in Art History and Architecture, which was completed through the collaborative program with Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Her distinguished career spans more than two decades of senior positions in the contemporary art field in prominent international Arts companies, including most recently Phillips, a global auction house renowned as a destination for international collectors of art and design.

Prior to that Dina spent 20 years at Christie’s, one of the world’s preeminent auction houses where she held a number of senior positions spanning multiple geographies, including New York, Dubai and London.

The Visual Arts Commission is one of 11 new cultural commissions recently launched by the Ministry of Culture in line with the Saudi Vision 2030 to manage the empowerment and development of the Saudi cultural sector in its various directions and creative paths.

The commission will manage and develop the visual arts sector in fulfillment of the vision and directions of the Ministry of Culture through several key roles, including but not limited to; implementing a sector development strategy, empowering talented practitioners, encouraging individuals, institutions and companies to produce and develop field related content, supporting the protection of intellectual property rights, providing educational and professional programs, and encouraging investment in the field.



Killer Whales Amaze Seattle Onlookers with a Rarely Seen Bird Hunt 

A killer whale swims next to a grebe in the waters just off Seattle on Sunday, March 3, 2025, moments before the bird was taken under water. (Kersti Muul via AP)
A killer whale swims next to a grebe in the waters just off Seattle on Sunday, March 3, 2025, moments before the bird was taken under water. (Kersti Muul via AP)
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Killer Whales Amaze Seattle Onlookers with a Rarely Seen Bird Hunt 

A killer whale swims next to a grebe in the waters just off Seattle on Sunday, March 3, 2025, moments before the bird was taken under water. (Kersti Muul via AP)
A killer whale swims next to a grebe in the waters just off Seattle on Sunday, March 3, 2025, moments before the bird was taken under water. (Kersti Muul via AP)

A pod of orcas swam close to shore and amazed onlookers in Seattle by treating the whale watchers to the rare sight of the apex predators hunting a bird.

The pod of Bigg’s killer whales visited Elliott Bay and were seemingly on a hunt underwater just off Seattle’s maritime industrial docks. The pod exited the bay close to the West Seattle neighborhood across from downtown, where people were waiting to catch sight of them.

Kersti Muul, who runs a WhatsApp whale alert system for the Seattle area called "Salish Wildlife Watch," recorded footage as the whales appeared just below a lookout point.

One of the whales was seen capturing a bird and taking it below water, sparking gasps from onlookers.

It was "a once-in-a-lifetime experience for West Seattle. Not only in the whales' proximity, but also witnessing a rarely seen behavior - chasing and catching the grebe," Muul said in a text. "My eyes darted back and forth taking in the community’s reactions and the orcas right below our feet, visible underwater."

Bigg’s killer whales are orcas that usually prey on marine mammals such as sea lions or porpoises. They visit the waters off Seattle occasionally and both dedicated and casual whale watchers shadow them as they explore. The pod sighted Sunday has ventured into the Seattle waters several times over the past month.

"It’s definitely a bonding experience for the community," Muul said. "And my hope is always that these moments inspire awe and awareness of the urban wildlife in our backyards."