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Saudi Arabia to Set up First-Ever ‘Black Gold’ Museum in 2022

The King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Centre, where the museum will be located, Asharq Al-Awsat
The King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Centre, where the museum will be located, Asharq Al-Awsat
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Saudi Arabia to Set up First-Ever ‘Black Gold’ Museum in 2022

The King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Centre, where the museum will be located, Asharq Al-Awsat
The King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Centre, where the museum will be located, Asharq Al-Awsat

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Culture, in partnership with the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center, revealed plans to set up the “black gold” museum, the first ever permanent creative museum on oil, in Riyadh in July 2022.

A host of celebrated artists from all over the world will showcase their work. Through its various displays, the museum will provide a creative narration of the march of oil in human life from its being a raw material to its contemporary formations. This will be done through innovative artworks based on contemporary expressive concepts.

The museum, which is part of the Quality of Life Program, will be set up in line with the National Vision 2030 Realization Programs.

The black gold museum will fall under the umbrella of the “Specialized Museums” initiative announced by the Ministry of Culture in its first package of initiatives that include art museums specialized in creative fields to be launched in a number of cities across the Kingdom. It will display more than 200 contemporary artworks, and will host annual temporary exhibitions and educational programs for all segments of society.

The museum’s headquarters will host a variety of artistic spaces that include a fixed space for contemporary arts, visual performances and multimedia, as well as a parallel space for temporary exhibitions, a shop and a cafe, conference rooms and spaces for educational and consultancy programs and events.

The museum will tell the story of the unique relationship that was formed between man and oil, through an innovative artistic journey to review the formations of oil from its crude state to other forms.

This exhibits will be divided into four main sections - encounter, dreams, doubts, and the future. Each section will present activities that reinforce the creative concept of the title.

The museum will display artworks that touch emotion and feeling, created by artists from all over the world, telling the story of black gold and reflecting through it all the historical, economic, geopolitical, societal and cultural aspects that oil has contributed to human life.

Creative templates will redefine the concept of museums, with their unfamiliar atmospheres, and their rich worlds with different artistic paths that include painting, fashion, design, drawing, photography, sculpture, films, and models that reveal exceptional skills and talents, giving the visitor a comprehensive knowledge of the topic-oil.

The Ministry of Culture aims with the Black Gold Museum to provide quality museums in the Saudi cultural field, which include creative and inspiring models that contribute to the growth of the cultural movement in the Kingdom. It also aims to promote the concept of “culture as a way of life” by attracting broad segments of society including families, students and tourists and all those interested in visual arts.

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Le Pen Verdict Triggers Uproar from Far-Right in France and Beyond, amid Fist Pumps in Paris

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen, member of parliament of the Rassemblement National (National Rally - RN) party, walks on the day of the verdict of her trial at the courthouse in Paris, France, March 31, 2025. (Reuters)
French far-right leader Marine Le Pen, member of parliament of the Rassemblement National (National Rally - RN) party, walks on the day of the verdict of her trial at the courthouse in Paris, France, March 31, 2025. (Reuters)
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Le Pen Verdict Triggers Uproar from Far-Right in France and Beyond, amid Fist Pumps in Paris

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen, member of parliament of the Rassemblement National (National Rally - RN) party, walks on the day of the verdict of her trial at the courthouse in Paris, France, March 31, 2025. (Reuters)
French far-right leader Marine Le Pen, member of parliament of the Rassemblement National (National Rally - RN) party, walks on the day of the verdict of her trial at the courthouse in Paris, France, March 31, 2025. (Reuters)

The thunderclap court ruling barring far-right politician Marine Le Pen from office for the immediate future reverberated across the political spectrum of France and Europe on Monday.

Her supporters branded the verdict an assault on democracy while detractors reacted with fist-pumping celebration, though even some of her critics wondered whether the court decision went too far.

Long seen as a top contender for France's 2027 presidential election and a potential leader-in-waiting of the Eurozone's second economy, Le Pen was convicted of embezzling European Union funds and barred from holding public office for five years.

The ruling drew swift and scathing responses from Le Pen's political kin across Europe, many of whom viewed the court's decision as an existential threat to their own movements.

"I am shocked by the incredibly tough verdict against Marine Le Pen. I support and believe in her 100% and I trust she will win the appeal and become President of France," said Dutch far-right leader Geert Wilders.

In Italy, Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini warned, "The ruling against Marine Le Pen is a declaration of war by Brussels."

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán declared, "I am Marine."

Tom Van Grieken of Belgium's Vlaams Belang called the decision "an attack on democracy," and added: "Marine Le Pen can continue to count on our support."

Spain's Vox party leader Santiago Abascal insisted, "They will not succeed in silencing the voice of the French people."

From Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, "More and more European capitals are going down the path of trampling over democratic norms."

In France, where Le Pen had fought for decades to mainstream her far-right politics, the reaction within her camp was incendiary.

Jordan Bardella, her handpicked successor as president of the National Rally, used the language of political martyrdom to describe the moment.

"Today it is not only Marine Le Pen who was unjustly condemned: it is French democracy that was killed," Bardella said.

Éric Zemmour, another prominent far-right voice and former presidential candidate, said "It is not for judges to decide who the people must vote for."

In Paris's Republic Plaza, where public demonstrations often unfold, Le Pen detractors punched the air in celebration.

"We were here in this square to celebrate the death of her father," said Jean Dupont, 45, a schoolteacher. "And this is now the death of Le Pen's presidential ambitions."

Sophie Martin, 34, a graphic designer, was among those in a celebratory mood. "I had to check the date-I thought it was April Fool's Day," she said. "But it's not. She's finally been knocked down. We've lived with her poison in our politics for too long."

Still, not everyone welcomed the ruling. Lucien Bernard, 64, a retired civil servant, expressed concern. "It's a sad day for democracy," he said. "Whether you love or hate her, the people should not be denied a chance to express their vote in a country that is supposedly a leading Western democracy."

Even from the left, where Le Pen has long been a reviled figure, the tone was complex. The far-left France Unbowed party acknowledged the seriousness of the charges but warned against judicial overreach.

"We take note of this decision by the courts," the party said, "even though we reject on principle that legal recourse should be impossible for any defendant."

They emphasized that their opposition to Le Pen's party would continue on political - not judicial - grounds: "We will defeat them again tomorrow at the ballot box, no matter who their candidate is."