RIYADH: Through its summer program, SAIF 2026, the Saudi Arabia Museum of Contemporary Art in Riyadh hopes to bring Saudi creativity to the fore through workshops, film screenings, and activities for younger audiences running until Aug. 29.
Noura Al-Maashouq, director of SAMoCA, told Arab News: “Our mission is to introduce the most relevant and dynamic creative voices to our audience. SAIF 2026 was designed with this in mind: to offer our community new avenues to discover and engage with the arts and SAMoCA, through more hands-on experiences.
“Our aim always is to platform a variety of creative disciplines, and as the only institution dedicated to contemporary art in the city, we believe SAMoCA at Jax is the perfect place for this,” she continued.
The Saudi Arabia Museum of Contemporary Art. (Supplied)
Activities range from photography to writing, to ceramics, to fashion and voiceover experiences and more. The program is run in collaboration with the non-profit organization Art of Heritage; Knowliom, a company specializing in interactive educational and cultural experiences; and Color Theory, which is providing art materials.
“Although our institutional focus is contemporary art, SAMoCA is firmly rooted in our cultural heritage and that of our community. That’s why partnering with organizations like Art of Heritage allows us to design programs that both showcase the richness of our artistic traditions while also demonstrating their contemporary iterations,” Al-Maashouq said.
With Saudi Arabia’s cultural scene rapidly expanding, young people are increasingly engaging with art beyond traditional spaces, institutions like SAMoCA share a commitment to making creativity more accessible and part of everyday life.
“Watching young visitors navigate their own creativity, expand their horizons, and carve out their own unique processes is such a beautiful and rewarding experience. They remind us that creativity is not just about the finished piece, but about the joy of open-ended exploration,” Al-Maashouq said. “Beyond SAIF 2026, I’d like to see our participants leave with a deeper connection to the creative process and a stronger belief in their own artistic potential. Culture is a beautiful way of connecting people, so I also hope they develop new friendships, and stronger bonds within the wider community along the way.”
