THE DIRIYAH BIENNALE FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES THE SECOND EDITION OF THE ISLAMIC ARTS BIENNALE
, INCLUDING DATES AND CURATORIAL TEAM
Ahmed Bin Abdulqader
● The second edition of the Islamic Arts Biennale will take place in Jeddah from January to
May 2025 and is dedicated to the arts of Islamic civilization, past and present.
● The Biennale is led by an international team consisting of Artistic Directors Julian Raby, Amin
Jaffer, and Abdul Rahman Azzam, with Saudi artist Muhannad Shono as Contemporary Art
Curator. Objects included in the Biennale encompass contemporary works of art, historical
artifacts, and new commissions.
● The Biennale will be held at the iconic Western Hajj Terminal at Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz
Airport, a site that plays a crucial role for Muslims as the gateway to the sacred Hajj and
Umrah pilgrimages to Makkah. In dialogue with the site, the Diriyah Biennale Foundation is
launching an international architecture competition, called AlMusalla Prize, for the design of a
prayer space, the inauguration of which will coincide with the opening of the Biennale.
The Diriyah Biennale Foundation is delighted to announce the second edition of the Islamic Arts
Biennale (IAB), to take place from January to May 2025 at the landmark SOM–designed, and Aga
Khan Award–winning, Western Hajj Terminal at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah. The
IAB is the first and only biennial dedicated to the arts of Islamic civilization. It presents historical
artifacts and contemporary works together as part of a rich continuum.
Building on the successful vision of its inaugural edition titled Awwal Bait, which attracted over
600,000 visitors, the second edition in 2025 will continue to explore the Biennale’s themes through
displays of historical artifacts in dialogue with contemporary art, including significant site-specific
installations. Over a total area of 110,000 square meters with 12,000 square meters of dedicated
exhibition space, the Biennale invites visitors on a journey through the objects, rituals, ideas, and
aesthetics that constitute Islamic arts in all its forms. The Western Hajj Terminal, with its iconic
canopy, has been repurposed as a cultural venue by Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Culture. The site also
holds deep significance for Muslims around the world, as millions of travelers pass through the
airport each year to make the sacred Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages to Makkah. The IAB connects to
the spiritual legacy and heritage of this site.
The IAB is a place of gathering as much as of creation, and it offers many different ways of exploring
the contributions of Islamic arts and culture to world civilization. The 2025 edition will consist of
several components and will see the return of AlMadar, a unique forum for institutions with significant
holdings of Islamic art to contribute to a collective, themed exhibition. AlMadar—meaning “the orbit”
in Arabic—aims to foster collaboration and dialogue and gives voice to the richness and diversity of
Islamic culture through institutions from different geographies. There will also be a dedicated gallery
within AlMadar—titled Homage—that celebrates the patronage behind significant collections of
Islamic art today, exemplified by works that reflect high points of Islamic civilization. Two special
pavilions, Makkah and Madinah, are dedicated to telling the histories of these two holy sites.
Recognizing the architectural significance of its location, the 2025 edition of the IAB will have an
expanded focus on architecture as an expression of Islamic culture. In conjunction with the IAB, DBF
will launch the AlMusalla Prize, an international architecture competition for a small mosque to be
built on the Biennale site. The design for the musalla, typically a space for prayer and gathering in
Muslim culture, should be a versatile, modular space that meets all requirements for prayer and is
sustainable in its method of construction. Competition details, including the jury members, are to
follow, for an inauguration in January 2025 to coincide with the opening of the Biennale.
The Diriyah Biennale Foundation, led by Aya Al-Bakree, CEO of the Diriyah Biennale Foundation,
has appointed an international curatorial team, which sees the return of leading scholars and artists
who contributed to shaping the Biennale’s inaugural edition alongside newly appointed curators. The
Artistic Directors are Amin Jaffer, in his ongoing role as Director of The Al Thani Collection, whose
academic and curatorial work is focused on the meeting of European and Asian cultures; Julian
Raby, a distinguished scholar, former lecturer in Islamic art and architecture at the University of
Oxford, and former director of the National Museum of Asian Art at the Smithsonian Institution who
also served on the curatorial team of the first edition of the IAB; and Abdul Rahman Azzam, an
acclaimed author and historian who served as Senior Expert Advisor for AlMadar in 2023. Saudi
artist Muhannad Shono, whose work deals with questions of spirituality and the role of imagination
in shaping reality, and who represented Saudi Arabia at the 59th International Art Exhibition – La
Biennale di Venezia in 2022 and was a participating artist in the first edition of the IAB, will serve as
Contemporary Art Curator. Through the continued collaboration with Azzam and Raby, and with
Jaffer’s cross-cultural perspective, DBF strengthens its position as an essential part of the arts
ecosystem in Saudi Arabia and beyond.
H.E. Rakan Al-Touq, Vice Chairman of the Diriyah Biennale Foundation, said: “Following the
remarkable success of its inaugural edition, the second iteration of the Islamic Arts Biennale returns
to continue to build on the reverence of Islamic history and civilization, and its celebration of the
patrons and institutions who contributed immeasurably to the preservation of Islamic heritage. The
second edition will include an expansive return of AlMadar, a dedicated gallery that celebrates the
patronage behind significant collections of Islamic art today, and two special pavilions, Makkah and
Madinah, that are dedicated to telling the histories of these two holy sites. All this will contribute to
the creation of continuous lines of connection between ancient artistic practices and contemporary
expressions, under the supervision of a team of international and local experts who will undoubtedly
shape a unique and impactful exhibition for local and international visitors alike.”
Aya Al-Bakree, CEO of the Diriyah Biennale Foundation, said: “An unwavering commitment to
curatorial excellence sits at the heart of our Foundation, and as we build on our inaugural edition’s
enormous success, I am delighted to welcome a stellar team of curators whose international,
transdisciplinary experience will contribute immeasurably to inspiring fresh perspectives on Islamic
arts discourse both globally and in Saudi Arabia.”
The Islamic Arts Biennale is organized by the Diriyah Biennale Foundation, a public institution
established in 2020 dedicated to nurturing creative expression and instilling an appreciation for
culture and the arts in Saudi Arabia. The Diriyah Biennale Foundation also produces the Diriyah
Contemporary Art Biennale. The two biennales are organized and staged by the Foundation in
alternate years. The Diriyah Biennale Foundation oversees the development of the JAX District in
Diriyah, which is the location of its headquarters.
