Omar Al-Badwi

Saudi Arabia’s cultural sector expanded in 2025, recording 6,314 days of cultural events, 282,709 jobs, 29,211 graduates in cultural disciplines and 94 cultural facilities. Heritage sites attracted more than 14.1 million visits, while the Riyadh International Book Fair drew over 1.3 million visitors. New cultural houses, literary events, book vending machines and short-story dispensers are broadening access to culture and reading, with initiatives such as the Qari’e platform and Masmooa audio devices supporting blind, visually impaired and wider public audiences.

Saudi Arabia is advancing AI-driven cultural initiatives through a memorandum of understanding linking the Ministry of Culture, the Cultural Development Fund, and the Saudi Data and AI Authority. The collaboration aims to enhance innovation, strengthen creative institutions, and broaden opportunities for artists as the Kingdom prepares to mark 2026 as the Year of Artificial Intelligence. Experts highlight the need for regulatory frameworks and supportive ecosystems to ensure effective AI integration across the country’s diverse cultural sectors.