What It is

• The Islamic Arts Biennale is a major exhibition focused on the arts of Islamic civilization, both historical and contemporary.

• It is organized by the Diriyah Biennale Foundation.

Venue & Dates

• The Biennale is held in Jeddah, at the Western Hajj Terminal of King Abdulaziz International Airport.

• The second edition ran from 25 January to 25 May 2025.

Theme & Purpos

The theme of the 2025 edition is “And All That Is In Between”.

It aims to bring together historic Islamic art (artefacts, manuscripts, objects) with contemporary art commissions to explore how Islamic tradition interacts with modernity and how faith, time, material heritage, and artistic practice coexist.

Scale & Highlights

Over 500 works (historical and contemporary) displayed.

Exhibits from more than 30 institutions from 21 countries exhibited works.

Spread over five main galleries plus outdoor spaces, covering about 100,000 square meters.

One of the most notable highlights: the first-ever public display of the full Kiswah (the cloth covering the Holy Kaaba) outside of Makkah.

Curatorial Team & Structure

The artistic direction includes Julian Raby, Amin Jaffer, Abdul Rahman Azzam, and the contemporary art curator is Muhannad Shono.

• The exhibition is arranged in thematic galleries / components with names such as AlBidayah (The Beginning), AlMadar (The Orbit), AlMuqtani (Homage), AlMidhallah (The Canopy), AlMukarramah (The Honored), AlMunawwarah (The Illuminated), and AlMusalla.

Cultural & Educational Impact

The Biennale is not just display: there are public programmes, educational components, workshops, etc.

• It serves as a platform for cross‑cultural dialogue and raises awareness of the heritage of Islamic art globally. It also strengthens Saudi Arabia’s role in the global arts/cultural landscape.



جوري علي