Saudi Gazette report
DHAHRAN — The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) has announced the open call for the 7th edition of the Ithra Art Prize, one of the world’s most generous grants for contemporary artists from the Arab world.
With a top award of $100,000 and a new format including five additional finalists, the prize offers an unparalleled platform for regional creatives.
Submissions are now open and will be accepted until October 16, 2025. For the first time in the prize’s history, five finalists will receive production grants to showcase their works alongside the winner in a collective exhibition at Ithra in spring 2026.
The final winner will be selected during the exhibition, which marks a return of the prize’s centerpiece event to Ithra’s home in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province.
Launched in 2017, the Ithra Art Prize is open to individual artists and collectives aged 18 and above who are either of Arab heritage or reside in one of the 22 Arab countries.
The prize welcomes both new commissions and recontextualized existing works that reflect sustained inquiry, intellectual engagement, and a strong regional context.
“The Ithra Art Prize supports artists who engage creatively and critically with conditions and ideas that speak to the diverse contexts of our region,” said Farah Abushullaih, Head of Ithra’s Museum.
“The 7th edition marks a homecoming that expands the prize’s scope through an exhibition at Ithra featuring multiple works in dialogue with one another.”
Since its inception, the Ithra Art Prize has launched the careers of prominent artists across the Arab world.
Past winners include Ayman Zedani, Daniah Al Saleh, Fahad bin Naif, Nadia Kaabi-Linke, Adel Abidin, and Obaid Alsafi.
Their works have been featured at Art Dubai, the Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale, the State Hermitage Museum in Russia, and the AlUla Arts Festival.
The Prize continues to foster dialogue, innovation, and cultural production across the Arab region, with a focus on bridging local voices with global audiences.
