Cultural Events in Saudi Arabia

Cultural events in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are activities that contribute to enriching human knowledge and culture, reflecting the development of literature and thought in Saudi Arabia. They are implemented and organized by cultural and literary institutions across the regions of Saudi Arabia.

Developing the cultural sector

With the launch of Saudi Vision 2030 and the establishment of a number of institutions and authorities supporting cultural activities, the Ministry of Culture announced its vision and directions in 2019, which serve as the framework guiding its mission to develop the cultural sector in Saudi Arabia. It identified three main objectives in this regard: culture as a way of life, culture for economic growth, and culture to enhance Saudi Arabia’s international standing.

This vision provided a framework to activate cultural activity in Saudi Arabia, as the Ministry of Culture moved forward with developing capacities, expanding opportunities, and strengthening capabilities within the cultural sector. It identified sixteen sub-sectors as priorities for its work and to enable it to lead pioneering initiatives across cultural fields. The ministry’s vision and directions also outlined the establishment of eleven commissions to develop the cultural sub-sectors.

RIBF

Riyadh International Book Fair (RIBF) is one of the cultural events through which Saudi Arabia engages with global culture. Organized annually, it brings together publishing houses and readers, making it a prominent cultural event in the book and publishing industry. The fair highlights the act of reading, raises intellectual, cultural, and literary awareness, and offers inspiring experiences by encouraging Saudi Arabia’s cultural participation.

The fair has gained an international reputation in the cultural field. With the large turnout of visitors participating in its activities, it has become the best-selling book fair in the Arab world. It attracts more than five hundred thousand visitors annually and features the participation of over five hundred Arab and international publishing houses.

Saudi Cultural Days

To promote the dissemination of Saudi culture worldwide and introduce Saudi intellectuals, thinkers, writers, and creatives to other cultures, the Ministry of Culture organizes Saudi Cultural Days in a number of countries. These events are part of its efforts to foster cultural and civilizational exchange built on friendship between the people of Saudi Arabia and the peoples of Arab and foreign nations. The activities include intellectual seminars, literary evenings, theatrical performances, heritage, and various exhibitions.

Saudi Cultural Days aim to achieve several objectives, including promoting and showcasing Saudi culture, facilitating dialogue between Saudi intellectuals and their counterparts in host countries on a range of literary and intellectual issues, and fostering mutual cultural understanding. They have become an important occasion for strengthening ties between Saudi Arabia, its Arab neighbors, and other foreign countries.

The events feature programs that reflect the cultural diversity and civilizational heritage of Saudi Arabia. These include exhibitions of fine arts and photography, poetry, novels, short stories, theater, architecture, traditional arts, children’s culture, manuscript preservation, as well as workshops and cultural seminars.

Cultural Village

In line with Saudi Arabia's cultural movement and the efforts to achieve the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030 in reinforcing national identity and pride in Saudi heritage and civilization, cultural institutions across the regions organize various events. In 2019, the General Authority for Culture (currently the Ministry of Culture) organized the 'Cultural Village' as part of the 'Sharqiah Season' on Al-Khobar Corniche. The village was divided into five main sections representing the regions of Saudi Arabia : central, northern, southern, western, and eastern, and showcased traditional clothing, local cuisine, musical arts, dialects, and prominent figures from each region.

The village featured a wide variety of creative activities, including twenty-two free workshops in drawing, animation, Maqamat (musical modes), caricature, Arabic calligraphy, photography, music, fashion, marketing content creation, and art therapy. It also included children's activities, a storytelling corner, and the interactive 'Van Gogh' exhibition, which offered an opportunity for art enthusiasts. Additional highlights were 'Comedy Shows,' 'Cultural Nights,' which presented diverse programs across the five cultural sectors: theater, literature, music, film and content, and visual arts, as well as 'Outdoor Cinema' and 'Art Exhibition.'

Cultural Development Fund

To develop cultural activities in Saudi Arabia and provide funding for events, the Cultural Development Fund Law was issued in 2021 by Royal Decree and a decision of the Council of Ministers. Article three of the law states that the fund aims to support cultural development and related fields and ensure their sustainability, in line with the approved strategies and policies.

Cultural digitization

Despite the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on lifestyles around the world, including the cultural sector, culture in Saudi Arabia remained present through virtual initiatives that succeeded in exploring new opportunities for communication and dialogue in the digital space.

The Ministry of Culture leveraged the situation by turning to digitization. In 2020, the year of the pandemic, there was a rapid acceleration of digital transformation to mitigate its impact, including converting cultural events into virtual initiatives.

The ministry also worked to maintain cultural engagement and sustain activity through digital platforms, particularly during the precautionary isolation period imposed to confront the COVID-19 pandemic. It adopted the slogan 'Culture in Isolation,' which served as an umbrella for all cultural initiatives designed to create diverse activities that benefited different segments of society. This contributed positively to the ministry’s efforts to make culture a way of life under all circumstances.

Within this digital cultural framework, the ministry launched the Culture in Isolation initiatives, which covered a variety of cultural fields. Among them was Literature in Isolation, organized by the Literature, Publishing, and Translation Commission, which aimed to encourage literary talents to write during the isolation period and to express inner feelings through different forms such as stories, novels, diaries, and texts. The 'Literature in Isolation' platform recorded about 95,000 registrations in its first few days.

Cultural initiatives during the pandemic also included the Playwriting Competition, organized by the National Theater of the Ministry of Culture, which targeted writers and theater enthusiasts to discover talent in playwriting. Another initiative was the Reading Marathon, an online platform with two main tracks: the 'Young Reader' track and the 'Adult Reader' track. In its first week, the marathon recorded the reading of more than 149,000 pages.

Cultural events in Saudi Arabia did not stop; instead, they witnessed innovative organization. The Saudi film industry and local talents were supported through the 'Tonight's Film' initiative, which provided a daily online link to a Saudi film on digital platforms. In addition, the Year of Arabic Calligraphy was extended until the end of 2021 to maximize its impact and provide greater opportunities to celebrate Arabic calligraphy through local and international events.

Literary Partner

Supported by Saudi Vision 2030 programs, many events and initiatives supporting cultural activities were launched. In 2021, the Literature, Publishing, and Translation Commission announced the opening of registration for the second phase of the 'Literary Partner' initiative. The initiative aims to establish effective, practical partnerships between the commission and culturally oriented cafes.

The Literary Partner initiative adds value to cultural events in Saudi Arabia by offering several benefits to participating cafes. These include promoting the cafe’s brand across Saudi Arabia, transforming it into a cultural hub that hosts regular events, and providing added cultural value within the cafe sector. The initiative contributes to enriching the Saudi cultural scene and making culture a way of life.