Culture

Najran: Saudi Arabia’s Southern Tourist and Cultural Gem

Culture Najran is an exceptional tourist destination, where stunning landscapes meet a rich historical heritage. (SPA)

Najran: Saudi Arabia’s Southern Tourist and Cultural Gem

Najran is an exceptional tourist destination, where stunning landscapes meet a rich historical heritage. Visitors can experience towering mountains, vast…

Asharq Al Awsat
Culture  The Museum of the Holy Quran is located in the Hira Cultural District of Makkah - File Photo/ SPA

Holy Quran Museum in Makkah Preserves, Showcases Rare Manuscripts

The Holy Quran Museum in the Hira Cultural District in Makkah continues to play a leading role in preserving and exhibiting rare copies of the Holy Quran,…

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Culture As part of the Year of Handicrafts 2025 and the Makkah winter season activities, the exhibition featured around 20 artisans. SPA

Saudi Arabia: Craft Exhibition at Kidana Track in Makkah Draws over 32,000 Visitors

Kidana Development Company concluded its craft exhibition, held in cooperation with the Makkah Chamber at Kidana Track in Muzdalifah from December 17 to 20,…

Asharq Al Awsat (Makkah)
Culture The Hira Cultural District is regarded as a prominent heritage landmark. SPA

Malaysian Minister of Religious Affairs Visits Hira Cultural District in Makkah

Malaysian Minister of Religious Affairs Dr. Muhammad Naeem bin Mukhtar visited on Sunday the Hira Cultural District in Saudi Arabia’s Makkah. During the…

Asharq Al Awsat (Makkah)
Culture AlUla will celebrate the revival of the Tantora Ceremony on Monday in AlUla Old Town. (SPA)

AlUla Revives Tantora Ceremony as Annual Cultural Tradition

AlUla will celebrate the revival of the Tantora Ceremony on Monday in AlUla Old Town, one of the region’s most distinctive heritage markers and a defining…

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Culture 'SaudiPedia', Museums Commission Sign Cooperation Agreement to Enrich Digital Museum Content

'SaudiPedia', Museums Commission Sign Cooperation Agreement to Enrich Digital Museum Content

The “SaudiPedia” initiative, affiliated with the Ministry of Media, has signed a cooperation agreement with the Museums Commission, affiliated with the…

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Culture This handout image of CCTV footage released by Avon and Somerset Police on December 11, 2025 shows men in the early hours of September 25 in the city of Bristol, south-west England outside a building which housed items from the Bristol Museum's British Empire and Commonwealth collection. (Photo by Handout / Avon and Somerset Police / AFP)

UK Police Hunt Suspects after 600 Items Relating to British Empire Are Stolen from Museum

More than 600 artifacts relating to the history of the British Empire and Commonwealth have been stolen from the collection of Bristol Museum, police said…

Asharq Al Awsat (London)
Culture RCU Advances Preservation of AlUla Old Town under Cooperation Agreement with Pompeii

RCU Advances Preservation of AlUla Old Town under Cooperation Agreement with Pompeii

The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) and the Archaeological Park of Pompeii continue to advance their joint work on the preservation of AlUla Old Town, under…

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Culture  This cultural event is regarded as one of the Kingdom’s major literary platforms, bringing together publishers, creators, and book enthusiasts - SPA

Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission Launches Jeddah Book Fair 2025

The Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission launched the Jeddah Book Fair 2025 today at the Jeddah Superdome. More than 1,000 local and…

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Culture The Saudi Heritage Commission logo

Saudi Heritage Commission, SDAIA Sign MoU to Boost AI Use in Cultural Heritage

The Saudi Heritage Commission has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Saudi Data & AI Authority (SDAIA) to advance data- and AI-driven…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Culture The agreements were concluded during the Development Finance Conference MOMENTUM 2025. SPA

Saudi Cultural Development Fund to Support 5 Enterprises Worth over SAR63 Million

Saudi Arabia’s Cultural Development Fund (CDF) signed five credit facility agreements under its Cultural Financing Program, with a total value exceeding SAR63…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Culture CDF signed credit facility agreements under the Cultural Financing Program, totaling more than SAR60 million - SPA

Cultural Fund Hosts 'Film Future Reception' during Red Sea International Film Festival

The Cultural Development Fund (CDF) hosted the “Film Future Reception” during the fifth edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival. The event…

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Culture Visual Arts Commission Announces Art and Ideas Riyadh Initiative

Visual Arts Commission Announces Art and Ideas Riyadh Initiative

The Visual Arts Commission announced the upcoming edition of its Art and Ideas initiative, taking place 14–15 December 2025 at Prince Mohammad bin Salman City …

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Culture A waiter carries pizzas at L'antica Pizzeria da Michele as Italian cuisine awaits a crucial UNESCO decision that could recognize it as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in Naples, Italy, December 5, 2025. (Reuters)

Italian Cooking and Its Rituals Get UN Designation as World Heritage 

Italian food is known and loved around the world for its fresh ingredients and palate-pleasing tastes. On Wednesday, the UN's cultural agency gave foodies…

Culture Koshary, an Egyptian vegan dish recognized by UNESCO as part of its Intangible Cultural Heritage, is plated in Cairo, Egypt, on December 9, 2025. (Reuters)

Koshary, Egypt's Spicy Staple, Wins UNESCO Recognition 

Koshary – a spicy dish of lentils, rice and pasta available at countless Egyptian food stalls – won recognition as a cultural treasure from the UN's cultural…

Culture The Queen Victoria's emerald tiara, designed by Prince Albert and crafted by Joseph Kitching, London, 1845, emeralds and diamonds set in gold and silver, displayed at the exhibition "Dynastic Jewels" organized by The Al Thani Collection Foundation at the Hôtel de la Marine museum in Paris, France, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. (AP) 

More Glittering Royal Jewels Displayed While Paris Is Still Uneasy Over the Louvre Robbery 

A glittering exhibition of royal jewels is opening Wednesday in Paris even as the city still reels from the brazen crown-jewel heist at the nearby Louvre…

Culture The archaeological site of the ancient Roman city of Pompeii is seen in Pompeii, Italy, May 26, 2020. (Reuters)

Scientists Discover Secrets of Ancient Roman Concrete at Pompeii

Scientists excavating the ruins of Pompeii have discovered a construction site left frozen in time by the eruption of Italy's Mount Vesuvius volcano in 79 AD,…

Culture  SOAS will collaborate with RUA’s College of Heritage and Civilization Studies - SPA

Culture Ministry Signs Partnership with SOAS University of London for Riyadh University of Arts

The Ministry of Culture today signed a partnership with SOAS University of London, for Riyadh University of Arts (RUA)’s College of Heritage and Civilization…

Asharq Al Awsat
Culture Sicilian cannoli are served at Pasticceria Cappello as Italian cuisine awaits a crucial UNESCO decision that could recognize it as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in Palermo, Italy, December 5, 2025. (Reuters)

Beyond Pizza and Pasta: Italy’s Culinary Heritage Awaits UNESCO Nod 

Italian cooking, already celebrated around the world, is poised for a new accolade: formal recognition as a cultural treasure from the United Nations' cultural…

Culture A rainbow emerges over the Louvre museum, bathed in late afternoon sunlight, in Paris, on December 6, 2025. (AFP)

Louvre Workers Announce Strike Over Work Conditions and Security After $102M Heist

Workers at the Louvre Museum voted Monday for strikes to protest their work conditions, a ticket-price hike for non-European visitors and security weaknesses…

Culture The event, dedicated to digital media artists and held under the theme "High Resolution Dreams of Sand," explores the connections between environment, technology, and culture - SPA

Diriyah Art Futures Hosts Second Open Studio of Mazra’ah Media Arts Residency

Diriyah Art Futures, the first specialized center for New Media Arts in the Middle East and North Africa, hosted the second edition of the Open Studio for the…

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Culture Literature Commission Prepares to Launch Jeddah Book Fair 2025

Literature Commission Prepares to Launch Jeddah Book Fair 2025

The Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission is preparing to organize the Jeddah Book Fair 2025, scheduled to take place from December 11 to 20 at the…

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Culture A UNESCO logo is seen at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, France, May 29, 2023. (Reuters)

Saudi Culture Minister Meets Former UNESCO Director-General at Red Sea Museum

Saudi Minister of Culture Prince Bader bin Abdullah bin Farhan met with former Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural…

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Culture The festival will run until December 11 - SPA

OIC Cultural Festival Commences in Azerbaijan

The OIC Cultural Festival: Baku Creative Week 2025 launched Monday in Azerbaijan. Organized by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the…

Asharq Al Awsat
Culture AlUla named world’s cultural tourism project 2025. SPA

AlUla Named World’s Cultural Tourism Project 2025

AlUla’s status as a global hub for culture, heritage, exploration, and discovery has been further strengthened following its designation as the World’s Leading…

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Culture The festival runs until December 13 with the wide participation of local and international film stars and creators

Red Sea International Film Festival Held Amid Wide Participation from Film Stars, Creators

The fifth annual Red Sea International Film Festival is being held under the patronage of Minister of Culture Prince Bader bin Abdullah bin Farhan at Culture…

Asharq Al Awsat (Jeddah)
Culture This undated handout photograph released on November 25, 2025 by MFFT-EPHE/PSL shows funerary statuette, knonw as ouchbetis, found in the royal necropolis of Tanis (San el-Hagar). (Simone Nannucci / MFFT - EPHE/PSL / AFP)

‘Amazing’ Figurines Find in Egyptian Tomb Solves Mystery

A treasure trove of 225 funerary figurines have been discovered inside a tomb in the ancient Egyptian capital of Tanis in the Nile Delta, a rare find that has…

Culture The three-day event is organized by the Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission. SPA

Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission Launches Riyadh Int’l Philosophy Conference

The fifth edition of the Riyadh International Philosophy Conference 2025 launched on Thursday at King Fahd National Library. The three-day event is organized…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Culture The new permanent exhibition, held at the Dadan archaeological site in AlUla, presents a wide collection of traditional crafts and customs, along with material evidence of cultural exchange between ancient civilizations. (SPA)

New Exhibition in Saudi Arabia's AlUla Highlights Ancient City of Dadan

Saudi Arabia’s AlUla is preparing to open new chapters in the history of the ancient city of Dadan, the former capital of the Kingdoms of Dadan and Lihyan,…