Visual Arts Commission

The Visual Arts Commission is the entity concerned with activities related to visual arts, their establishment, preparation, production and development, and the publication of their content in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It involves paintings, drawings, sculptures, photographs, and calligraphy to preserve the Kingdom's historical heritage, celebrate its present, and cooperate to build a future rich in culture and full of creativity.

The Visual Arts Commission was established in 2020. It is one of eleven cultural entities which simultaneous establishment was approved by the Council of Ministers, and is affiliated with the Ministry of Culture.

The commission enjoys a public legal personality and has financial and administrative independence. It operates within an annual operational budget allocated from the Ministry of Culture's budget. It is organizationally affiliated with the Minister of Culture, and its employees are subject to the Labor Law and Social Insurance Law.

The Visual Arts Commission runs its activities from its main headquarters located in Riyadh. It comprises a Board of Directors chaired by the Minister of Culture, who supervises and runs the management of the commission's affairs and makes all the necessary decisions to achieve its targets. The commission is headed by a chief executive officer appointed by a decision of the board and is responsible for managing the commission's affairs.

The logo of the Visual Arts Commission bears its name in Arabic with no dots. It is inspired by the colors and logo of the Ministry of Culture, which colors reflect the space that allows Saudi talents to thrive.

The Commission, as stipulated in its regulatory arrangements, carries out several tasks, most notably: licensing the activities being implemented in the commission's work field, encouraging individuals, institutions and companies to produce and develop content in the visual arts sector, creating a database for the sector, and submitting proposals regarding the commission's strategy to the Ministry of Culture and following up on their implementation upon their adoption. The commission also holds conferences, exhibitions, events, and competitions, and represents the Kingdom in regional and international forums, organizations and entities.

The Visual Arts Commission commits to empowering local talents in the field of visual arts, supporting Saudi workers and practitioners in the field, and encouraging financing and investment in the commission's areas of competence. Furthermore, the commission suggests standards specific to the visual arts sector, participates in regional and international commissions, organizations and unions, and coordinates with relevant entities to support the protection of the sector's intellectual property rights.