communities they serve.” The region’ s museums, both new and old, face problems of a rapidly changing social, political, and economic landscape. Museums that initially modeled their structure on Western ways of operation have slowly started finding their own voices and favoring curation rooted in context and practices that can adapt to our shifting realities.
“ Museums must be active participants in shaping the cultural landscape, not only through programming, but by modelling ethical practices, and a deep respect for the communities they serve.”
When Ithra first opened, there were few policies or established models in Saudi Arabia to follow, instead having to navigate many‘ firsts” and a modern arts institution in a country still finding its place in the global cultural ecosystem. Abushullaih notes that many of their‘ best practices’- ethical collecting, inclusive governance, and audience engagement – have emerged through experience and collaboration.“ We also invested early in building institutional capacity, from training local talent to developing internal protocols that could adapt as the sector evolved,” she says. Partnerships have played a major role as
well. By working with regional and international institutions, we’ ve brought in programming that is both globally informed and locally grounded. That balance continues to define our approach.” Ithra’ s upcoming season of exhibitions and initiatives is set to offer an exciting Fall program, with a new commission by Abeer Seikaly, created with women palm weavers from Al Ahsa, to be unveiled for Saudi National Day. On September 18, the exhibition“ Horizon in Their Hands” opens, highlighting the role of Arab women in shaping modern art. It revisits the legacy of pioneering female artists from Saudi Arabia and the wider Arab world.
Shortly after, in October,“ Baseqat: The Palm Tree Exhibition” – part of a new Khoos Initiative Ithra is launching, which celebrates palm weaving – opens with an exhibition that reframes and reinforces the importance of the palm tree through a contemporary lens.
Closing the season,“ Echoes of the Familiar” opens in late October. This exhibition explores memory, home, and shared cultural experiences through everyday objects and contemporary works – highlighting the works of 28 Saudi artists.“ Each visit represents someone’ s encounter with culture, an experience that might shape how they see themselves or the world,” Abushullaih says.“ By amplifying Saudi voices and linking them to regional and global conversations, Ithra is strengthening the cultural ecosystem and contributing to a broader understanding of social impact, an area where it is helping set new benchmarks for the sector internationally.”
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