In recent years, Saudi Arabia has embarked on an ambitious cultural initiative aimed at redefining its image on the global art and heritage scene.

By highlighting its historical, religious and archaeological heritage, promoting contemporary art and organising major events, the Kingdom is seeking to establish itself as a major player in the art world. This drive is part of Vision 2030, the reform programme launched by King Salman in 2016 and taken over by his son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), which aims to diversify the economy and position the country as an influential cultural hub.

The challenge is enormous: can Saudi Arabia transform its cultural identity in such a short time to rival the great art capitals? Will it be able to create a lasting appeal capable of attracting collectors, artists and institutions over the long term?

Three events embody this ambition and testify to a spectacular rise: The second edition of the Islamic Arts Biennale, which aims to affirm the Kingdom’s role as a major centre for Islamic art; the first auction organised by Sotheby’s in Riyadh, a symbol of a changing art market; and the lasting presence of Christie’s, marking the Kingdom’s entry into the closed circle of major art marketplaces.

 

I – “And All That Is In Between”, The Islamic Arts Biennale 2025

Against this backdrop of cultural transformation and strategic assertion on the world art scene, Saudi Arabia is hosting the second edition of the Islamic Arts Biennale in Jeddah until 25 May 2025. What is meant by Islamic arts? Since the Hegira (622), Islamic art has developed across a vast geographical area – from the Middle East to South and Central Asia, via North Africa and the Ottoman Empire – integrating and reinterpreting local artistic traditions. Driven by the dynamics of exchange and syncretism, Islamic art is not limited to religious expression alone, but constitutes a distinct ornamental and iconographic system, characterised in particular by calligraphy, geometric and vegetal motifs, and a specific approach to space and light.

Organised under the aegis of the Diriyah Biennale Foundation, the 2025 Biennale illustrates the Kingdom’s determination to establish itself as a major centre for the contemporary reinterpretation of Islamic art. The choice of Jeddah as host city is no coincidence. A historic crossroads of trade and spirituality, the city is the point of entry for pilgrims on their way to Mecca and Medina. The Biennial’s location in the former Western Hajj Terminal of King Abdulaziz International Airport, a place dedicated to the passage of the faithful, now transformed into a space for artistic dialogue and heritage, is a powerful echo of this vocation to welcome and transmit.

Entitled “And all that is in between”, a quote taken from a recurring verse in the Qur’an, this edition explores the tension between the visible and the invisible, the tangible and the spiritual. Among the highlights? The presentation of the Kiswah, the immense black fabric embroidered with gold that covered the Kaaba in Mecca the previous year. Woven each year in the workshops of the Kiswah Factory of the Holy Kaaba (founded in 1927), it is being exhibited for the first time outside its ritual setting, becoming an object of contemplation as well as devotion. Sumptuous illuminated Qur’an manuscripts from Morocco, al-Andalus, Iran, Afghanistan and Turkey, from Egypt and a monumental one from southern India. And an astonishing work of art : the roller staircase (known as a madraj) made of teak, iron, brass, steel, copper, gold and ebony, also from India, which provided access to the Kaaba and protected its entrance.

Alongside these masterpieces of the Kingdom’s religious heritage, over five hundred works showcase a mosaic of artistic expression, ranging from historical relics to contemporary creations (among Saudi artists, Ahmed Mater and Ahmad Angawi deserve special mention).

The most fascinating section for lovers of objets d’art and gems is the one called AlMuqtani (“Tribute”). Two hundred works illustrate the fundamental contribution of private collectors to the preservation of Islamic heritage.

The Furusiyya Art Foundation, founded by Rifaat Medhat Sheikh El Ard, celebrates the chivalric culture, arms and armour of the Islamic world, and here presents one hundred and twenty-two of its pieces. The Al Thani Collection brings together for the first time seventy-nine works of art from the Muslim world, from the Umayyads and Abbasids to the Mughals, Safavids and Ottomans.
In both collections, the works on display are Islamic, but with the exception of the eighteenth-century sword from the Furusiyya Art Foundation, none of the objects were made in Saudi Arabia. The objects d’art, gems and jewels come largely from Indian royal courts, but not exclusively. Amin Jaffer, director of the Al Thani Collection, one of the artistic directors of the Islamic Arts Biennale, explains: “Mughal jewellery dominates our imagination because of the rich culture of using precious metals and gemstones for adornment in the Indian subcontinent. There is a long tradition of incised gemstones in the Islamic world, but the general proscription against wearing gold among Muslim men restricted masculine adornment. Jewellery was raised to a high art in the Ottoman world, where, as in Qajar Iran, there was a strong tradition of enamel on gold”.

According to Amin Jaffer, “preciousness is evident at various levels, whether the use of rare and precious materials – whether Fatimid rock crystals, Safavid silk velvets or Mamluk glass or virtuosic craftsmanship – whether in the production of an Iznik ceramic or metal-inlaid vessel from Mosul. A sense of luxury is evident both in sacred works of art – such as in the Blue Qur’an – and secular objects – such as the silk woven Seljuk robe”.

Alternating between contemporary art in Riyadh (next to be held in 2026) and Islamic art in Jeddah, the Saudi Biennale has already established itself as a major event in the international cultural calendar. By bringing together works from the past and the present, it explores the continuities and mutations of a thousand-year-old heritage, highlighting both historical influences and new forms of expression.

The Biennale has succeeded in making Saudi Arabia a major centre for creation and reflection on Islamic art, and is part of a broader approach to promoting the country’s heritage and asserting its cultural diplomacy.

II – The very first auction in Saudi Arabia: a Sotheby’s event

On 8 February 2025, Sotheby’s in Riyadh will hold the first-ever international auction in Saudi Arabia, marking a significant step forward in the global luxury and collecting circuits. Diriyah, the birthplace of the Saudi dynasty and a magnificent UNESCO World Heritage Site, has been chosen as the setting for this event.

The sale, entitled Origins, will pay tribute to Saudi Arabia’s heritage while showcasing exceptional pieces from the world of art and international luxury. “This inaugural sale, says Jessica Wyndham, is a showcase of what Sotheby’s has to offer art and luxury collectors”. This will also be the subject of her lecture on the art of collecting.

Twenty-seven jewellery lots have been selected for this inaugural sale. These pieces are signed by the world’s leading jewellery houses: Alexandre Reza, Bulgari, Cartier, Chopard, David Webb, Harry Winston, Tiffany & Co, Mauboussin, Van Cleef & Arpels, and Graff. The style of these pieces, their character, the techniques used to cut the gemstones, and the choice of precious materials all help to retrace the highlights of the history of jewellery over the last century.

The 1930s are eloquently illustrated by three platinum and diamond bracelets: a Mauboussin ribbon bracelet, a Cartier bracelet with openwork geometric motifs and a Cartier cuff bracelet set with four magnificent sapphires, the largest from Ceylon and the other three from Burma (no indication of heating) .

Among the vintage jewellery, two pieces are particularly eye-catching: an unsigned bracelet attributed to Harry Winston, whose refinement is reminiscent of the work of Ambaji V. Shinde, the remarkable Indian jeweller who worked for the King of Diamonds from the 1960s onwards. Eight floral motifs, composed of sumptuous oval Burmese rubies (no indication of heating) surrounded by diamonds, are mounted on a curved flexible bracelet in yellow gold entirely set with round rubies and edged with small gold and diamond pendants.
The Bvlgari yellow gold necklace, punctuated with twenty-two oval cabochons in rubies, emeralds and sapphires, and small diamonds, is a further example of 1970s Roman chic.

Bvlgari necklace, 1976. Lot 137. Origins, Sotheby’s, Riyadh.

The contemporary pieces selected for the Saudi clientele are characterised by a colourful palette (Chopard pink sapphires, sapphires – Bvlgari Trombino ring, VC&A mystery-set ring – , Thai rubies) but the choice of gemstones remains classic: Diamonds and fancy colour diamonds top the list, followed by precious gemstones : emeralds, sapphires, rubies and fine pearls (Harry Winston earrings).

Sotheby’s undeniably focused on timeless, identifiable pieces of the highest quality, and on spectacular gems to appeal to a still nascent local market. Alongside this sale, Paul Redmayne organised a private sale of several rare pieces, including a remarkable pair of 10.53 ct and 10.52 ct cushion-cut diamonds (D, flawless, type IIa).

Sotheby’s initiative is no coincidence. The art market in Saudi Arabia, long on the fringes of the major capitals, is undergoing a spectacular acceleration, driven by a vibrant art scene and a network of increasingly well-informed collectors, many of them young. The announcement of Origins coincides with another major strategic development: the billion-dollar partnership between Sotheby’s and the Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund, which consolidates the auction house’s foothold in the Middle East.

 

III – Christie’s in Saudi Arabia: a strategic move in search of stability

The establishment of Christie’s in Saudi Arabia marks a strategic step forward. The real impact on the structuring of the local market can only be measured over time. The acquisition of a commercial licence allows the auction house to operate directly in the Kingdom, a first for an international institution. However, while Saudi collectors have long been among the world’s leading buyers, the challenge lies elsewhere: can the country move from being a major buyer to a structured market place, with a genuine ecosystem of expertise and transmission?

As head of the Riyadh office, Nour Kelani, who has been appointed managing director, is responsible for overseeing this transition. With her background in the art world, she has a thorough knowledge of the Saudi contemporary art market and its buyers, as well as an extensive network of collectors and institutional partners.

In addition to its auctions, Christie’s is focusing on cultural initiatives and institutional collaborations, such as its support for the Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennial and the retrospective devoted to Ahmed Mater in London. This approach suggests a desire for Christie’s to play a long-term role in the Saudi art scene. While Sotheby’s opted for a spectacular entry with an emblematic inaugural sale, Christie’s is adopting a more gradual approach. But one fundamental question remains: can the Saudi market really sustain an active auction and secondary market, or will it remain dominated by one-off prestige acquisitions?

 

One of the most revealing tests will undoubtedly be the place of fine jewellery and precious objects in this development. If the Kingdom’s ambition is to become a stronghold of luxury and heritage, the structuring of this market will be a key indicator of its success or limitations. Beyond auctions and prestige acquisitions, the real challenge remains the country’s ability to create a dynamic in which expertise, conservation and transmission play a central role.

 

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Sotheby’s
Origins, sale on 8 February 2025
on this link, the different lots of the sale

Christie’s
Nour Kelani
Managing Director
Contact

Biennial of Islamic Art 2025
https://biennale.org.sa/ar

The AlThani Collection
www.thealthanicollection.com/fr/

The Furusiyya Art Foundation
jugasingh.com/the-furusiyya-art-foundation-collection.html
The Art of the Muslim Knights: The Furusyya Art Foundation Collection, by Bashir Mohamed, Skira-IMA, 2008.