Ithra earns accolades at National Culture Awards

The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) received the Ministry of Culture’s 2021 Cultural Institution Award at the National Cultural Awards ceremony held in Riyadh on April 19, 2021. The award strives to promote cultural institutions, both in the private and not-for-profit sectors, and to recognize them based on their role in serving the cultural sector in Saudi Arabia and their contributions toward achieving the goals of Saudi Vision 2030. 

Commenting on Ithra’s win, Ithra director Hussain N. Hanbazazah, said, “We are proud at Ithra for winning this award, which will serve as a catalyst for providing more cultural programs and activities. 

This award crowns the cultural pathway for which Ithra was established — to what it is today as a landmark in the cultural landscape of the Kingdom.
— Hussain N. Hanbazazah

“Since opening its doors, Ithra has organized over 11,000 programs and 22 stage performances, and welcomed more than 1.6 million visitors. It has also received 20 cultural awards, produced 20 films and was named as one of Time Magazine’s top 100 destinations to visit in the world. Ithra also provided over 1 million learning hours in 100 cities around the world, and over 250,000 volunteer hours by 3,000 volunteers.”

Ithra’s offerings are designed to deliver and develop a creative sector focused on knowledge, literature, culture, and innovation, supporting the Kingdom’s wider social and cultural development efforts. In providing diverse programs combining culture, innovation, and knowledge, and held to global standards, Ithra ensures continued new learning experiences for the innovators of tomorrow.

Ithra’s year-round programming and initiatives are centered around five key pillars: art, knowledge, creativity, culture, and community, working together to deliver on Ithra’s cultural and national role, striving to achieve our three strategic objectives: talent and skills development, enabling local content production, and establishing Ithra as a destination to foster creativity and cross-cultural exchange locally and internationally.

When Ithra closed its doors in line with public precautionary measures due to the pandemic, the Center provided numerous initiatives, including the launch of its virtual Ithra Connect program. These experiences in culture, knowledge, and the arts were offered through its online visual, audio, and reading channels, reaching more than 1 million viewers.

Hussain N. Hanbazazah, right, receives the 2021 Cultural Institution Award at a ceremony hosted by the Ministry of Culture in Riyadh on Monday, April 19.