ArtDayME: Riyadh, the capital city of Saudi Arabia, has launched a civic art initiative of unprecedented scale to spectacularly transform public spaces, create a movement for artistic expression through community engagement, and accelerate the development of its cultural economy.

Riyadh Art is one of the grand projects launched by the King of Saudi Arabia, Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud on March 19, 2019, under the supervision of the Committee of Grand Projects chaired by the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Prime Minister and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Royal Commission for Riyadh City.

Riyadh Art is one of the grand projects being developed by RCRC that collectively transform the capital into an environmentally friendly, sustainable city which offers the highest standards of livability and lifestyle, in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 goals.

Riyadh Art unveils the attractive art programs planned for the dramatic transformation of the public space of the city of Riyadh, which many artists have contributed to the formation of these programs.

These 13 programs are introduced below:

Noor Riyadh​

Noor Riyadh, the Largest Light Art Festival in the World, returns for its third edition from November 30 – December 16, 2023. Its accompanying exhibition runs from November 30, 2023, through to March 2, 2024. This citywide spectacle promises to bathe Riyadh in a glow of large-scale light art, captivating building projections, performances, and beyond. Witness artistry unfold in five hubs across Riyadh.

Stay updated on upcoming artist features, artworks, exhibition details, locations, and a special activities roster. Whether you’re an art enthusiast, a family, or someone yearning for awe-inspiring experiences, there’s something for you at Noor Riyadh.

Art in Transit

The Art in Transit program integrates public art into the core fabric of Riyadh’s Metro, BRT and Bus systems with stations, stops, platforms and infrastructure offering opportunities for artistic interventions. The public art will make the public and commuters feel welcome, create highly distinctive locations and ensure that every journey is an experience.

Art on the Move

A series of distinctive large-scale and high-impact art interventions designed to support the wayfinding experience of Riyadh.

Artworks will be integrated into the core infrastructure of the city, such as intersections and roundabouts and placed at major roads and rail intersections to provide a truly joyful every day experience.

19 locations, 19 artworks

Garden city

This is a sculpture park for the 21st century, inviting new interpretations of art, technology and environmental engagement for Riyadh’s residents and visitors.

It creates a new environment for experiencing interactive and contemporary art outside of the museum, accessible to all at a human scale and a platform for small and medium-sized permanent and temporary outdoor artworks to be programmed as part of the wider park creative experience.

Jewels in Riyadh

24 artworks in urban locations.

Jewels in Riyadh transforms the city into an open-air gallery for Contemporary Public Art, offering twenty-four permanent artworks by great art masters to prove contemporary sculpture’s ability in transforming urban spaces and the city.

The choice to place these monumental artworks in civic as well as historical sites generates a natural fusion between the history of Riyadh, its present and its future.

Joyous Gardens

Traditional play elements, seating areas and canopies will be reinvented to enhance the urban environment for social connection in a true sense of community.

Joyous Gardens provide spaces for creative play as a core part of the healthy and vibrant urban life in Riyadh.

Featuring artistic-designed playgrounds and urban elements located in the parks all over the city, the green areas of the city are transformed into vibrant, inspiring and educational places that spark creativity and adventure and encourage exploration of the natural world.

Riyadh Icon

This is dedicated to the creation of a 21st Century distinctive Icon for the city of Riyadh.

This ambitious international commission is a visual symbol of the cultural aspirations of Vision 2030 and it heralds a new era of Saudi intention to celebrate a global community that sparks creativity, ignites the art movement, encourages self-expression, and creates an inclusive culture.

The Hidden River – Art Trail

Creation of a sculpture trail that will highlight and invite exploration of the city and the wadis, encouraging outdoor activity and supporting health and well-being.

The Hidden River Art Trail will create a thread that runs through the wadis and the city, engaging residents and visitors through the permanent installation of the sculptures conceived by artists during Tuwaiq Sculpture, activating synergy between Riyadh Art Programs.

The Hidden River Art Trail will devise interesting opportunities to experience the landscape anew, embrace outdoor living and encourage people to interact and explore.

The Hidden River - The Illuminated Bridges

10 bridges, 4 light artists and designers

Light artists and designers illuminate key bridges across the city and highlight not only the structural configuration of their creative canvas, but the bridge itself as a physical, social and emotional connector within the landscape. A distinctive and vibrant experience for everybody.

Tuwaiq Sculpture

Tuwaiq Sculpture is an annual sculpture symposium that brings local and international artists together to create public artworks in a live setting. Through an interactive program of workshops, school visits, and talks, Tuwaiq Sculpture engages diverse communities and bolsters cultural exchanges. The symposium culminates in an on-site exhibition, with the sculptures enriching the Riyadh Art collection and later becoming a permanent feature of the Saudi capital’s urban fabric.

Tuwaiq Sculpture is a platform where local and international artists meet, collaborate, and create large-scale public artworks in a live setting. The open format of the symposium allows the public to observe the creative process, participate in interactive workshops, and discuss the history and future of public art, effectively contributing to the enrichment of the cultural scene in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Urban Art Lab

4 pavilions with digital artworks, 8 urban locations

Four touring pavilions to encourage dialogue with the community about culture, art.

Each pavilion will include digital art and cultural programming and is a blend of gallery, open-air classroom, workshop, lecture and socializing space that opens up a world of creativity for all.

Urban Flow

10 locations, 90 elements

Urban Flow integrates public art into the fabric of the citywide network of pedestrian walkways, bridges and footpaths, enticing citizens to experience art and the city on their own terms.

Shifting focus from a transport system that privileges the car, the city is making the transition to a new future of public transportation, encouraging pedestrians and cyclists out into the streets and onto the Metro to navigate a city that becomes the new creative canvas.

Welcoming Gateways

Grand gateways on the main access routes into Riyadh announce the entrance to a city of culture.

A suite of massive artwork interventions sided along key access routes to the city heralding the entrance to Riyadh as a City of Culture. Riyadh’s Welcoming Gateways set the tone for a city where art, architecture and creativity are essential components of a vibrant and global city.

Welcoming Gateways will develop contemporary gateways to the City of Riyadh, as landmarks for incoming and outgoing travelers and citizens. International Architecture firms and local artists collaboration.