The currently existing museums in the kingdom will also be revised and transformed, including the National Museum of Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia is rich in history and the land has been a witness to many historic past and to preserve some of these treasures, Saudi has been keen on building museums.

Hence, to transform the museum sector, Saudi Arabia’s Museums Commission has announced a strategy that includes ambitious plans to increase the number and types of museums across the Kingdom and boost visitor numbers.

Through the strategy, the focus on the nation’s cultural identity will be enhanced through the creation of a series of noticeable assets across the country.

“The strategy will bring about best-practice, international-standard advancement in this vital cultural sector,” said Stefano Carboni, the commission’s CEO, adding, “Our strategy will enrich the lives of all who reside in and visit the Kingdom. We will develop the sector through inspiring displays and programs, training the first true generation of museum-sector experts, and building diverse cultural platforms that attract local and international culture seekers.”

The currently existing museums in the kingdom will also be revised and transformed, including the National Museum of Saudi Arabia in the city’s historical centre, and the Masmak Fort Museum. The two museums are an important aspect of the birth of the Kingdom.

The revamping plan also includes expanding museums across the country by 2024, including a number of flagship locations and some smaller venues.

The first new museum that will open in the kingdom will be a smaller version of the Saudi Arabian Museum of Contemporary Art in the new JAX development in Diriyah.

The Black Gold Museum in Riyadh, a permanent museum dedicated to artists’ interpretations of the history of oil, will open soon after in partnership with the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center.

Additionally, the immersive digital art space –Borderless Jeddah, is due to open in 2022 in partnership with the international multimedia collective teamLab.

Other plans on museum expansion include the opening of significant institutions such as the Royal Art Complex Museum, the Digital Art Museum, and the Museum of the Prince Mohammad bin Salman International Center for Arabic Calligraphy.