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Inaugural Cultural Investment Conference Kicks Off in Riyadh Under Patronage of the Crown Prince

The two-day Cultural Investment Conference 2025 is being held at the King Fahd Cultural Center in Riyadh. (Saudi Ministry of Culture)
The two-day Cultural Investment Conference 2025 is being held at the King Fahd Cultural Center in Riyadh. (Saudi Ministry of Culture)
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Inaugural Cultural Investment Conference Kicks Off in Riyadh Under Patronage of the Crown Prince

The two-day Cultural Investment Conference 2025 is being held at the King Fahd Cultural Center in Riyadh. (Saudi Ministry of Culture)
The two-day Cultural Investment Conference 2025 is being held at the King Fahd Cultural Center in Riyadh. (Saudi Ministry of Culture)

The inaugural Cultural Investment Conference 2025 kicked off at the King Fahd Cultural Center in Riyadh on Monday under the patronage of Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister.

Organized by the Ministry of Culture, the event brought together over 1,500 participants and more than 150 speakers, including high-level decision-makers as well as cultural and investment leaders from the Kingdom and around the world.

In opening remarks, Minister of Culture Prince Bader bin Abdullah bin Farhan announced the imminent launch of the Riyadh University of Arts, which is intended to serve as a cornerstone of creative education and innovation, in partnership with leading international academic and cultural institutions.

He shared the ambitious goal of positioning the university among the world’s top 50 institutions specializing in arts and culture. This effort reflects the wise leadership’s ongoing support and commitment to building national cultural capabilities.

He highlighted the sector's remarkable progress since the launch of Vision 2030, stating that the Saudi cultural sector has undergone a historic transformation. Its contribution to the gross domestic product has risen to 1.6%, the number of employees has increased to 234,000, and the value of financial support flowing to the sector reached approximately $2 billion in 2024. In addition, infrastructure investments have achieved record levels, exceeding SAR81 billion.

Underscoring the strategic role of the private sector, the minister announced that the conference would facilitate the signing of 89 agreements with an estimated total value of SAR5 billion.

The two-day conference will feature over 38 dialogue sessions and workshops. Prominent Saudi and international figures participating include Minister of Investment Khalid Al-Falih, Minister of Economy and Planning Faisal Alibrahim, and global leaders, such as Sotheby's CEO Charles Stewart and Art Basel CEO Noah Horowitz.

Discussions will cover the latest trends in cultural investment, successful international experiences in financing creative industries, strategies to reduce investment risks, and the exploration of emerging markets. Specific topics include the role of artificial intelligence and interactive technologies in cultural financing, the importance of philanthropy in supporting growth, creative entrepreneurship, and global cultural investment funds.

The conference serves as a leading global platform to present culture as an attractive investment opportunity, directly supporting the Vision 2030 goals to diversify the national economy and strengthen Riyadh's position as an international capital of culture and investment.

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Culture

Saudi Culture Ministry Launches UK-KSA Arabian Peninsula Cultural Research Fellowships

The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat
The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat
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Saudi Culture Ministry Launches UK-KSA Arabian Peninsula Cultural Research Fellowships

The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat
The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat

The Ministry of Culture has launched the UK-KSA Arabian Peninsula Cultural Research Fellowships in partnership with Effat University and the National Archives of the United Kingdom, to support archival-based research, advance cultural inquiry on the Arabian Peninsula, and strengthen collaboration between researchers and institutions in Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom.

The program includes a 10-week research residency at the National Archives of the United Kingdom, where participants receive hands-on training in archival methods and gain access to a wide range of archival collections and cultural institutions across the UK. It supports diverse areas of cultural research related to the Arabian Peninsula.

This initiative aligns with the Ministry of Culture’s strategic vision for advancing cultural research, reflecting its commitment to fostering both local and international collaboration and promoting meaningful cultural exchange.

The fellowship is open to researchers and cultural heritage specialists capable of conducting independent research in English, regardless of their professional level.

Culture

Culture Ministry Signs Partnership with Guildhall School of Music & Drama for Riyadh University of Arts

Culture Ministry Signs Partnership with Guildhall School of Music & Drama for Riyadh University of Arts
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Culture Ministry Signs Partnership with Guildhall School of Music & Drama for Riyadh University of Arts

Culture Ministry Signs Partnership with Guildhall School of Music & Drama for Riyadh University of Arts

The Ministry of Culture signed on Thursday a partnership with Guildhall School of Music & Drama for Riyadh University of Arts (RUA)’s College of Music. The partnership aims to further develop cultural and artistic talent and drive cultural exchange.

Under the terms of the partnership, Guildhall School will work with RUA to co-design undergraduate, postgraduate and research programs spanning music performance, production and education, in addition to training and capability development opportunities for RUA’s faculty body.

The programs will help cultivate and support Saudi talent across a wide range of musical disciplines, as well as provide students with a firm understanding of creative processes, research pathways and professional skills.

Founded in 1880, Guildhall School is a vibrant, international community of musicians, actors and production artists. Ranked as number one in Arts, Drama and Music by the Complete University Guide 2025, and in the top three in the world for Music by the QS World University Rankings 2025, Guildhall delivers world-class professional training in partnership with distinguished artists, companies and ensembles, SPA reported.

The partnership with Guildhall School sits within a series of partnerships for the Riyadh University of Arts and its colleges with leading international institutions to co-design academic programs, collaborate in research, and offer enriching programs in cultural education and development.

In December 2025, RUA announced partnerships between their College of Film and the University of Southern California’s (USC) School of Cinematic Arts (SCA); between SOAS University of London and their College of Heritage and Civilization Studies; AMDA College of the Performing Art and RUA’s College of Theater and Performing Art; and between ESSEC Business School and RUA’s College of Cultural Management. A further agreement was signed with the Royal College of Art (RCA) and RUA’s College of Architecture and Design and College of Visual Arts and Photography in January 2026.

Riyadh University of Arts was established by royal decree and is headquartered in Riyadh. Its Board of Trustees is chaired by Minister of Culture Prince Bader bin Abdullah bin Farhan. The university is dedicated to advancing education in the fields of culture and the arts, serving as a cornerstone for creative learning and cultural innovation. It aims to empower students with the knowledge, skills, and vision needed to shape the future of Saudi Arabia’s creative economy.

The university will launch its programs in phases, gradually expanding to cover a wide range of fields and specialized disciplines. It will offer a comprehensive academic portfolio that supports continuous education across the arts and culture sectors, including short courses, diplomas, bachelor’s degrees, higher diplomas, master’s degrees, and PhDs.

Culture

Czech ‘Arks’ Help Preserve Ukraine’s Cultural Heritage

A photo taken in Prague's National Museum shows a 3D scanner in the Archa III (Ark Project) truck on March 24, 2026 in Prague, Czech Republic. (AFP)
A photo taken in Prague's National Museum shows a 3D scanner in the Archa III (Ark Project) truck on March 24, 2026 in Prague, Czech Republic. (AFP)
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Czech ‘Arks’ Help Preserve Ukraine’s Cultural Heritage

A photo taken in Prague's National Museum shows a 3D scanner in the Archa III (Ark Project) truck on March 24, 2026 in Prague, Czech Republic. (AFP)
A photo taken in Prague's National Museum shows a 3D scanner in the Archa III (Ark Project) truck on March 24, 2026 in Prague, Czech Republic. (AFP)

The National Museum in Prague on Tuesday unveiled a van containing a 3D scanning device that will soon travel to war-ravaged Ukraine to help preserve its cultural artifacts.

The Archa (Ark) III is a Volkswagen van comprising a studio equipped with a robot and three cameras to create precise models of endangered historic items in Ukraine, which has been battling a full-scale Russian invasion since 2022.

"Archa III is a unique mobile digitization device enabling us to create high-quality 3D images of endangered artifacts and collection items out in the field," National Museum director Michal Lukes told reporters.

He added the scanners could handle both tiny objects and more sizeable items even inside museums.

"In this way, we can create precise digital copies of items that can then serve for documentation and research purposes, but also for restoration, potential reconstruction, or the production of copies," he added.

Museum staff will drive the van to Kyiv in early April and hand it over to Ukrainian partners under the project carried out in cooperation with the foundation of Czech billionaire Karel Komarek.

It follows an Archa I container equipped to conserve and restore books and an Archa II van digitizing two-dimensional items, which Prague sent to Ukraine earlier.

The foundation, which worked on the first two "Arks" with other institutions, said they have so far handled almost 40,000 pages of documents, such as historic newspapers retrieved from the Regional Scientific Library in Kherson.

"The van comprises an autonomous robotic system designed for photogrammetry and 3D output," said the museum's IT director Martin Soucek.

Speed is crucial, and the robot moving along three axes can generate thousands of high-quality photographs within minutes.

"It then uses the photographs to create a hyper-realistic model with high detail, a so-called digital twin," Soucek added.

The project also involves expert training and a website on which the scanned artifacts will be exhibited.

Vitalii Usatyi, the charge d'affaires at the Ukrainian embassy in Prague, hailed the van for being able to work across Ukraine, "including regions exposed to risks related to the Russian aggression".

"This is crucial for preserving cultural heritage," he added.

A recent UNESCO report said that 523 cultural sites had been verified as damaged as of March 11, including 153 religious sites, 273 buildings of historical or artistic interest, 39 museums, 33 monuments, 20 libraries, four archaeological sites and one archive.