Commercial registrations in Saudi Arabia’s entertainment and art industry increased by more than 900% between 2015 and 2021. This year the kingdom also hosted its first-ever auction for NFTs, organized by Sotheby’s. In 2020, artists and graphic designers competed in Riyadh’s AI art hackathon.

This year, Saudi Arabia is set to unveil an educational center dedicated to digital art in the Diriyah governorate. The center will include a model museum and explore the role of art and innovation in AI and modern tech. Spread over 10,000 square meters, it will house six digital studios and workspaces, specialized rooms for workshops, a library, and a shop for digital art tools.

Artists will get an integrated platform to showcase their work, along with production opportunities and tech tools. Educational programs will include a course for arts and AI, alongside creative computing training, a center for new media and art research.

The digital art center will explore the role of smart algorithms in photography, audio arts, and film production. Creative designers will be able to master 3D modeling, animation, and motion graphics. The center will also organize hackathons and seminars to explore digital art.

Italian architect Amadio Schiattarella has designed the center, where contemporary art research programs will explore evolving cultural contexts.

Earlier this year, digital art made a mark at the Middle East’s largest contemporary art fair in Dubai with NFTs. Last year, the Dubai mall became the region’s first digital art museum site.