Mai Khalid

The Economy of Creativity..

July 15, 2026 - 00:08 | Last update July 15, 2026 - 00:08

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The reader of the Saudi cultural and artistic scene should not stop at weak experiences or at numbers as rigid statistics or final results. I am with constructive criticism, not the resentful criticism that some Saudi cultural and artistic projects face on social media.

I consider statistics, numbers, and budgets as growth indicators for what can be called a founding phase for the local scene.

Most of those upset with the outputs of Saudi cultural and artistic projects monitor the cultural movement through the logic of funding. The Kingdom is generous when it comes to creativity, because the main goal is to build a sustainable base from which national efforts can launch. We are in a phase of building a system that transforms culture into a sustainable industry.

Another part of those interested in the cultural and artistic scene does not understand our need for global partnerships, and why we do not suffice with the ambition of Saudi youth. In truth, a real soft power cannot be created in isolation from high professionalism. Here lies the genius of the Saudi approach, which attracts prestigious global companies not for financial investment but so that we do not try to reinvent the wheel, as they say. We transfer expertise and localize global quality standards, and thus the sustainable career path for Saudi youth is established.

Our institutions collaborate with international expertise houses in cinema, music, and visual arts, to build a cultural infrastructure that remains after these partnerships end. And the scene transforms from a scene of cultural consumption to a regional incubator for cultural, artistic, and creative production.

Indeed, sustainability in the movement of the Saudi cultural scene is not dependent on generous budgets but on the success of the operational model and its transformation into an industry that contributes to the local output.

The reader of the Saudi cultural and artistic scene should not focus on weak experiences or on numbers as mere static statistics or final results. I am in favor of constructive criticism, not the resentful criticism that some Saudi cultural and artistic projects face on social media.

I consider statistics, numbers, and budgets as indicators of growth for what can be termed a foundational phase for the local scene.

Most of those who are dissatisfied with the outputs of Saudi cultural and artistic projects observe the cultural movement through the lens of funding. The Kingdom is generous when it comes to creativity, as the primary goal is to build a sustainable base from which national efforts can launch. We are in a phase of building a system that transforms culture into a sustainable industry.

Another group of those interested in the cultural and artistic scene does not understand our need for global partnerships, nor why we should not rely solely on the ambitions of Saudi youth. In reality, true soft power cannot be created in isolation from high professionalism. Here lies the brilliance of the Saudi approach, which attracts prestigious global companies not for financial investment but to avoid reinventing the wheel, as the saying goes. We transfer expertise and localize global quality standards, thus establishing a sustainable career path for Saudi youth.

Our institutions collaborate with international expertise houses in cinema, music, and visual arts to build a cultural infrastructure that remains after these partnerships end. The scene transforms from one of cultural consumption to a regional incubator for cultural, artistic, and creative production.

Indeed, the sustainability of the movement within the Saudi cultural scene is not dependent on generous budgets but on the success of the operational model and its transformation into an industry that contributes to the local economy.