Ministry of Culture Launches Saudi-Chinese Cultural Year

The Ministry of Culture has announced the launch of the Saudi-Chinese Cultural Year 2025 in the People's Republic of China, highlighting the strong, decades-long friendship and cooperation between the two nations.

 This cultural year marks a significant step in enhancing bilateral cultural exchange, featuring a series of events designed to enrich the cultural landscapes of both Saudi Arabia and China, and to deepen the historical ties between their peoples.

 Last month, the Ministry of Culture, in partnership with the Saudi Embassy, organized a Founding Day celebration in Beijing. The event showcased Saudi heritage through artisan demonstrations of traditional handicrafts and displays of Arabic calligraphy.

 In celebration of the Saudi-Chinese Cultural Year, the Ministry of Culture's Visual Arts Commission, in partnership with UCCA, is hosting an exhibition of renowned Saudi contemporary artist Ahmed Mater. Taking place from March 8 to July 8, 2025, at the UCCA Edge in Shanghai, the exhibition titled Antenna marks the artist’s first major solo show in China.

 Featuring over a hundred artworks that represent Mater’s artistic practice and cultural reflections, the show traces the artist’s creative journey and offers a comprehensive view of his oeuvre.

 Mater is one of the most celebrated Saudi artists who has contributed significantly to the Kingdom’s contemporary art scene and visual arts eco-system. His work has been presented in many notable museums and institutions, including Christie’s in London in July 2024.