Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — Under the patronage of Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, the Ministry of Culture will organize the inaugural Cultural Investment Conference on 29-30 September at the King Fahd Cultural Centre in Riyadh.

The event will convene global leaders in investment, public policy, and culture to discuss the future of cultural investment and how it can simultaneously spur cultural production, economic growth, and social development.

‏Minister of Culture Prince Bader bin Abdullah thanked the Crown Prince for his patronage, support and strong leadership, saying: “The Cultural Investment Conference reflects Saudi Arabia's commitment to global cultural investment and inclusive growth that benefits everyone. We believe that culture not only reflects heritage and identity but is an essential form of investment that can drive economic opportunities, foster mutual understanding, and shape a more connected and creative global future,” he said.

The conference will demonstrate how culture is a powerful driver of economic diversification, innovation, and international cooperation, the ministry said in a statement. The conference will analyze investment opportunities across emerging markets worldwide, and several new partnerships and sustainable funding mechanisms are expected to be explored.

‏The annual two-day event will feature insights from several of the most prominent individuals in the cultural investment space, along with a series of roundtables and curated discussions exploring the evolving role of culture in economic planning and national identity.

Central to the program will be the exploration of new investment pathways, including public-private partnerships, cultural investment funds, and the growing role of philanthropy in advancing creative economies. The conference will also address themes such as cultural entrepreneurship, technological innovation, and economics of inclusion.

The conference attendees will have opportunities related to networking, shaping international policy, and forging new forms of collaboration in pursuit of a prosperous future. The program will feature 38 panels with cultural experts and more than 100 speakers.

‏The conference reaffirms the ministry’s efforts in creating a sustainable cultural market that supports the national economy and empowers both creators and consumers alike. To date, the ministry has issued more than 9,000 cultural licenses to professional practitioners, provided support and incentives for cultural production across all creative fields, and increased its efforts to increase the number of cultural associations, institutions, and clubs in the non-profit sector from 28 in 2017 to 993 in 2024.

The ministry has also launched cultural insurance products that provide encouraging solutions for investors. The conference further advances these efforts and helps to expand the scope of cultural investment and provide sustainable opportunities for growth in the creative economy.