“ Ithra was born out of a vision to create a place where culture could be lived,”
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HEN KING ABDULAZIZ CENTER FOR WORLD CULTURE( ITHRA) in the quiet industrial oil town of Dammam, Saudi Arabia, first opened in 2017, the cultural landscape of the country was just beginning to bloom. Eight years on, Ithra has become a world-class institution with poignant, timely programs and exhibitions that speak to new audiences, not only positioning itself as a cultural beacon in the local arts scene but drawing visitors from around the globe.
“ Ithra was born out of a vision to create a place where culture could be lived,” Ithra’ s Head of Museum, Farah Abushullaih, tells Matahef.“ Being in the Eastern Province is significant; this is where Saudi’ s story of transformation began, and it’ s where Ithra now continues that narrative through culture, knowledge, and creativity.
“ Our mission has always been to enrich lives. For us, enrichment is not abstract; it means giving people access to ideas, to creativity, and to conversations that make a difference,” she adds.“ Ithra is here to nurture creativity and innovation, while also being a place where people from all walks of life can gather, learn, and be inspired. We are honored to be a part of our nation ' s growing creative and cultural ecosystem.” Ithra is one of a few cultural catalysts in the region, which navigates between the roles of custodian and innovator, trying to spark new ideas whilst preserving
the heritage and knowledge of the past. Their ever-changing program of exhibitions, film screenings, talks, and cultural events is all designed through the lens of seeking to inspire curiosity, foster dialogue, and add value to people’ s lives.
“ Over the years, we’ ve worked to ensure our programming is layered; multidisciplinary, immersive, and open to diverse perspectives,” Abushullaih says.“ That means bringing in international voices, but always grounding them in a local context. It also means making sure young people see Ithra as a place for them, where their voices matter, and where they can connect to the broader world of ideas.
“ One milestone was‘ Terra’( 2021), which addressed urgent environmental issues through contemporary art. It was memorable because of the subject matter; plastic waste, water scarcity, and ecological loss, but more importantly because of how visitors engaged with it,” she adds.“ They didn’ t just see art; they lived it through technology and storytelling that encouraged small but meaningful changes in their daily lives.” Ithra’ s latest exhibition, " In Praise of the Artisan” curated by Idries Threvethan, has been making waves. Dedicated to reframing craftsmanship as a living tradition, rather than a relic of the past, the show gathers masterpieces from renowned collections such as the Al- Sabah Collection at Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah and the Tareq Rajab Museum in Kuwait, alongside Ithra’ s own Islamic art collection.
Over 130 works, arranged by material and craft type, feature multiple pieces that have never been publicly displayed, including an 18th-century wooden interior from Damascus and the sacred 20th-century Kiswa cloth from the Ka’ ba.
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