Saudi Arabia investing significant amounts in cultural arena
Saudi Arabia is reportedly planning to create its own version of the Louvre
museum in Riyadh, with Leonardo da Vinci’s world-renowned painting, Salvator
Mundi, as the centerpiece of its collection. The painting worth $450
million has reportedly been stored in a Geneva vault for years but is now set
to play a central role in this ambitious cultural initiative.
This development was revealed in a new BBC documentary about the Crown
Prince titled The Kingdom: The World’s Most Powerful Prince. Bernard
Haykel, a professor of Near Eastern studies at Princeton University who appeared
in the documentary, noted that the Crown Prince has expressed his vision to
build a grand museum in Riyadh, with the Salvator Mundi serving as a
key attraction.
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The planned museum aligns with Saudi Arabia's broader Vision 2030
initiative, spearheaded by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, which aims to
diversify the kingdom’s economy away from oil by boosting other sectors,
including tourism. In 2023, Saudi Arabia attracted 27 million international
tourists, exceeding its targets, and is now aiming for 150 million visitors by
2030.
To bring this cultural vision to life, Saudi Arabia has enlisted prominent
figures in the art world, including Iwona Blazwick, former director of London's
Whitechapel Gallery, and Hartwig Fischer, former director of the British Museum.
This effort mirrors the approach taken by the Louvre Abu Dhabi, which opened in
2017 under an agreement between the UAE and France that allows the use of the
Louvre name until 2047.
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Saudi Arabia's ongoing cultural transformation has also seen the relaxation
of restrictions on cinemas, gender-mixed events, and large-scale entertainment,
as well as the kingdom's aspirations to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup.
Source: Express Tribune
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