ArtDayME: The Diriyah Biennale Foundation (DBF) announced the lead curators for the third edition of the Islamic Arts Biennale, returning with an expanded ambition and opening on November 1, 2027, at the Aga Khan Award–winning Western Hajj Terminal at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah.

Conceived and launched by the Diriyah Biennale Foundation, the Islamic Arts Biennale is the first biennale in the world dedicated exclusively to presenting diverse curatorial narratives on Islamic art and culture, past and present. The biennale's unique subject matter brings important historical works into dialogue with contemporary commissions, highlighting questions and perspectives that resonate profoundly with the lives of people around the world today. Through this innovative model, the foundation has established a new global platform for the preservation, interpretation, and public presentation of living Islamic heritage.

The Islamic Arts Biennale 2027 will be led by Director of the Alserkal Arts Foundation Nada Raza, formerly head of the Islamic Art department at Christie's and renowned expert in the field William Robinson, IM Pei Professor of Islamic Art and Architecture at the University of Oxford and Director of the Lusail Institute in Doha Alain Fouad George, and former Chief Curator of the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) in Dhahran Idries Trevathan.

The selection of lead curators reflects the biennale's commitment to presenting the arts of Islamic societies as a dynamic and evolving field shaped by movement and encounters, and to exploring this field through scholarship and contemporary culture. The lead curators will present distinct exhibitions, each bringing their unique creative lens to the third edition of the biennale, which will delve more deeply into intangible heritage and celebrate resilience and community while continuing to bring together unique masterpieces from Islamic art collections around the world.

Assistant Minister of Culture and Vice Chairman of the Diriyah Biennale Foundation's Board of Trustees Rakan Altouq said: "The Islamic Arts Biennale rests on a simple conviction that the arts of Islamic civilization are not a closed chapter to be admired from a distance, but a living field—still evolving, still creating meaning. In Nada Raza, William Robinson, Alain Fouad George, and Idries Trevathan, we have four curators whose scholarship spans auction houses, universities, museums, and art institutions, as well as the Islamic Arts Biennale itself.

The breadth and diversity of their experience will deliver a unique and memorable third edition that continues to celebrate and advance the depth and diversity of Islamic culture—and through AlMadar, carry that conversation to institutions across the world."

CEO of the Diriyah Biennale Foundation Aya Al-Bakree said: "The curatorial team's breadth of experience is a wonderful demonstration of the richness, diversity, historical depth, and contemporary relevance of the Islamic arts. It gives me great pleasure to see this edition of the biennale taking shape under their sensitive and sophisticated stewardship."

The Islamic Arts Biennale is organized by the Diriyah Biennale Foundation, a public institution established in 2020 dedicated to nurturing creative expression and fostering appreciation for culture and the arts in Saudi Arabia. The foundation also stages the Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale, with the two biennales presented in alternating years, and oversees the activation of JAX, a creative district with industrial heritage in Diriyah, Riyadh.