Ithra

The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, known as Ithra, was founded by Saudi Aramco and opened in Dhahran in December 2016. Its building, designed by the Norwegian practice Snøhetta with engineering by Buro Happold, covers some 80,000 square metres and takes its form from the oil bearing rock formations beneath the Eastern Province.

Under one roof sit a four level museum with galleries for contemporary art, Saudi heritage, Islamic civilisation and natural history, a library, a 900 seat theatre, a cinema and the Great Hall for temporary exhibitions. Its biennial Ithra Art Prize, launched in 2017, is one of the region's most significant awards for contemporary Arab artists; past winners include Ayman Zedani, Daniah AlSaleh, Fahad bin Naif, Nadia Kaabi-Linke, Adel Abidin and Obaid Alsafi.