Saudi Arabia unveils new Red Sea Museum

Welcome to Al-Monitor Riyadh.

Jeddah’s greatly anticipated Red Sea Museum is opening next week, showcasing both historical artifacts and contemporary works of art that shed light on the Red Sea’s past and present history. Meanwhile, the fifth edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival is returning to Jeddah, the Ancient Kingdoms Festival is in full swing in AlUla, and Riyadh is gearing up for an action-packed week of concerts, workshops, talks and more for the second edition of Riyadh Music Week.

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Happy reading,

Rebecca

P.S. Have feedback or tips on Riyadh's culture scene? Send them my way at contactus@al-monitor.com.

1. Leading the week: The opening of Jeddah’s anticipated Red Sea Museum 

“Arabia Phoenix” taken in 1940 by Gerald de Gaury for the Royal Geographical Society. (Courtesy of Red Sea Museum)

Saudi Arabia will soon be home to a new museum located on the country’s Red Sea coast in the historic center of Jeddah, a UNESCO World Heritage site known as Al-Balad. The Red Sea Museum will be located in the restored Bab Al Bunt building and will serve as a cultural landmark for Saudi Arabia and the wider Red Sea region. 

Inside the museum’s 23 galleries, visitors will be able to explore 1,000 artifacts and artworks, along with an inaugural temporary exhibition, “The Gate of Gates,” featuring works by Saudi artist Moath Alofi that document the transformation of Bab Al Bunt and its role as a gateway between past and present. 

Works will include historic artifacts such as Chinese porcelain, incense burners, coral, jewelry, navigational tools, astrolabes, maps, sacred manuscripts, and photographs presented alongside modern and contemporary artworks by Saudi, regional and international artists, creating a dialogue between past and present.

The much-anticipated museum is set to serve as a guardian for the Red Sea’s natural and cultural heritage, driven by a commitment to environmental, social and cultural sustainability.

According to the museum’s opening press release, His Highness Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan Al Saud, minister of culture and chairman of the Museums Commission, said the Red Sea Museum reflects the kingdom’s commitment to safeguarding and preserving its national heritage and building a cultural infrastructure that enhances quality of life through culture, the arts and education, while empowering creatives in line with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.

Date: Dec. 6

Location: Al Balad, Jeddah

Find more information here. 

2. Word on the street: Ginger Leaf

An interior view of Ginger Leaf. (Photo courtesy of Ginger Leaf)

Are you a fan of Indian food? If so, check out this intimate, upscale eatery in Jeddah,  where red-and-gold accents and glimmering chandeliers set the scene for a refined Indian feast. Ginger Leaf's extensive menu offers spice levels to suit every preference. Be sure to try the chicken meethi malai, the rich butter chicken, prawn chaat, as well as the lobster butter masala and the kadai paneer with its soft cheese and flavorful sauce. 

Location: Hilton Hotel Jeddah, North Corniche Road, Jeddah

Find more information here.

3. Riyadh diary

Moyhee Qari, Antoine Khalife, Fionnuala Halligan, Shivani Pandya, Faisal Baltyuor and Rakan AlShaya host The Red Sea International Film Festivas annual festival press conference at their headquarters in Al Balad, Jeddah on Nov. 04, 2025 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Amal Alhasan/Getty Images for Red Sea International Film Festival)

• Red Sea Film Festival returns for fifth edition 

Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea International Film Festival is returning to Jeddah for its fifth edition next week. The festival, which takes place in the city’s historic district of Al-Balad, will kick off with Rowan Athale’s biopic “Giant,” starring Amir El Masry as British-Yemeni boxing champion Prince Naseem “Naz” Hamed. The film will make its MENA premiere at the Red Sea after world premiering at the London Film Festival in October.

The annual festival continues to showcase cinematic excellence from around the world, with a particular focus on films from the Arab region, Africa and Asia. International titles in the mix this year include Alice Winocour’s Paris-set drama “Couture” starring Angelina Jolie, and Olivier Assayas’s “The Wizard of the Kremlin.”

Additionally, Rupert Wyatt’s “Desert Warrior", which was produced by Saudi media giant MBC Studios and shot in Saudi Arabia but features an international cast, will play in the International Spectacular sidebar.

Date: Dec. 4-13

Location: Al-Balad, Jeddah

Find more information here.

• Ancient Kingdoms Festival in full swing

Storytelling, performances and immersive cultural experiences returned to Saudi Arabia’s ancient region of AlUla this week for the fourth edition of the Ancient Kingdoms Festival. Set against the backdrop of AlUla’s striking natural landscapes, this year’s theme, Journeys through Time, includes the return of the popular Hegra Candlelit Classics.

Hundreds of candles lit the monumental tombs of the ancient Nabataean city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, as internationally renowned Japanese composer and pianist YOSHIKI performed alongside Grammy Award-nominated trumpet virtuoso Ibrahim Maalouf during the festival’s opening weekend on Nov. 21. 

Two major experiences will continue well into 2026: The Incense Road Experience — named Best Arts & Culture Event at the 2025 Saudi Event Awards — which transports guests through centuries of trade, tradition and cultural exchange along one of the region’s most important ancient routes; and the new Old Town Escape House Experience, which invites visitors into a restored mud-brick house in AlUla’s Old Town believed to have once served as an apothecary. 

For those wishing to discover the area on foot, the Hegra Geology Hike and Hegra Children’s Tour on Dec. 5-6 offer guided tours through Hegra’s dramatic landscapes.

Date: Until Dec. 6

Location: AlUla

Find more information here.

• Riyadh Music Week

The Saudi music scene has flourished in recent years, and the second edition of Riyadh Music Week underscores its growing global profile. The Saudi Music Commission will once again host Riyadh Music Week, a comprehensive event featuring conferences, live shows and workshops. The program includes XP Music Futures, the International Artist Management Forum and the Billboard Arabia Music Awards, all culminating in Soundstorm — the monumental three-day festival organized by Saudi’s MDLBEAST and held annually in Riyadh. Featuring international and regional artists across multiple stages, the festival is known for its massive production, immersive experiences and crowds of thousands, with a strong emphasis on electronic music.

Date: Dec. 4-13

Location: Various

Find more information here.

4. Book of the week: ‘Your Saudi Tour Guide’

Saudi author Tallall M. addresses some of the most typical misconceptions about Saudi Arabia. The book, laced with humor and insights, explores how it feels to live in the most stereotyped nation in the world. Tallall M. answers why birthdays are so confusing in Saudi Arabia and how to avoid breaches of etiquette and whether Saudis sell certain animals for millions of dollars and why. He sheds light on other topics such as food, racism, peace, costumes, equality, sports and traditions in this often misunderstood culturally and naturally rich part of Arabia.

5. View from Riyadh

Guests attend a performance at the Ancient Kingdoms Festival in Hega, AlUla in 2025. (Photo courtesy of Royal Commission for AlUla)

Saudis and foreigners attend immersive experiences in AlUla’s Ancient Kingdoms Festival, which bridges past and present while guiding guests through the site’s ancient stories, traditions and archaeological heritage. The festival celebrates the area’s over 7,000 years of history and significance as a historical destination in the kingdom.

6. By the numbers

• The 2024 Red Sea Film Festival witnessed record-breaking participation, with over 40,000 attendees, showcasing 122 films from 85 countries, including 61 premieres.
• A total of 302 screenings took place during last year’s RSIFF, which included 46 world premieres, 15 international premieres and 53 MENA premieres.