Newsweek - USA (2020-11-27)

SAUDI ARABIA

2

Nowhere in Saudi Arabia is the sheer scale of

the kingdom’s stunning transformation into

a diversifi ed and knowledge-based economy

more evident than in—as well as above—

Dhahran, where the iconic King Abdulaziz

Center for World Culture (Ithra) reaches high

into the sky.

Designed and built in just eight years, the

award-winning 90-meter-tall structure is a

thriving cultural hub that showcases and cel-

ebrates human potential as the greatest source

of change, and focuses on accelerating that

potential by encouraging creativity, inspiring minds and empowering tal-

ent among people of all ages. Inaugurated in 2016 by King Salman bin

Abdulaziz Al Saud, Ithra was the brainchild of energy titan Saudi Aramco

and is the company’s fl agship corporate social responsibility initiative. It is

the largest cultural contributor to Saudi Arabia.

“Ithra is housed in an 80,000-square-meter landmark physical space

with multi-dimensional components that include a library, a four-gallery

museum, a cinema, an Idea Lab, a theater, archives, a great hall, a children’s

museum, an energy exhibition and the Knowledge Tower workshop space,

which is overseen by subject matter experts in a variety of cultural fi elds,”

explains Ithra’s Director Hussain Hanbazazah.

“At its core, Ithra provides the kingdom with global experiences and

the world with a unique window to Saudi creativity, culture and capability.

With a diverse range of year-round programming appealing to all interests

and ages, Ithra’s off erings and initiatives embody fi ve key pillars: art, knowl-

edge, creativity, culture and community.” Th ese important themes fi t with

many of the G20’s initiatives that strive to involve, engage and empower

Saudi young people. As a key youth engagement platform, Ithra regularly

provides programming and partnerships designed to enable and inspire

the country’s next generation of leaders. To this end, Ithra—in partnership

with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud’s MiSK

Foundation—will lead the Youth 20 (Y20) engagement under the larger

G20 umbrella.“Y20 allows for youth-led policy solutions addressing key

global challenges to be fed into the overall G20 communique—and this

falls under our commitment to empower Saudi youth to partake in such

dialogues. In the long term, the Y20 aims to inspire and prepare the next

generation of Saudi leaders,” Hanbazazah adds.

Cultural center is

beacon of change

Ideas of tomorrow meet centuries of

tradition in architectural masterpiece

CONTENT FROMCOUNTRY REPORTS

“Ithra’s offerings and initiatives embody five

key pillars: art, knowledge, creativity, culture

and community.”

Hussain Hanbazazah, Director, Ithra

Hussain

Hanbazazah

Director, Ithra

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