King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) has won the 2021 Cultural Institutes Award. The award aims to promote cultural institutions, both in the private and not-for-profit sectors, and to recognize them based on their role in serving the cultural sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Ithra is a multi-dimensional cultural destination providing interactive workshops, shows and events which are designed to enrich society among all age groups. These are all included within five main pillars which are: art, knowledge, creativity, culture and society.
Commenting on Ithra’s win, Ithra director Hussain N. Hanbazazah, said, “We are proud at Ithra for winning this award, which will serve as a catalyst for providing more cultural programs and activities. This award crowns the cultural pathway for which Ithra was established — to what it is today as a landmark in the cultural landscape of the Kingdom.
“Since opening its doors, Ithra has organized over 11,000 programs and 22 stage performances and welcomed more than 1.6 million visitors. It has also received 20 cultural awards, produced 20 films and was named as one of Time Magazine’s top 100 destinations to visit in the world. Ithra also provided over 1 million learning hours in 100 cities around the world, and over 250,000 volunteer hours by 3,000 volunteers.”
