Saudi Arabia Launches National Guide to Integrate Culture and Arts into Urban Planning

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RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, February 19, 2026 (EZ Newswire) -- Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Culture has unveiled a new national guide aimed at embedding culture and the arts into the planning and development of public spaces across cities, in a move the government says will enhance quality of life and support Vision 2030 objectives related to urban lifestyles.

The guide titled “Culture and Arts in the Urban Landscape,” was launched at the Diriyah Future Arts Center in Riyadh under the patronage of Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan and in the presence of Vice Minister of Culture Hamed bin Mohammed Fayez and Vice Minister of Municipalities and Housing Ihab Ghazi Al-Hashani.

The publication provides a practical framework for urban-planning stakeholders — including municipalities, development authorities, major projects and practitioners in the cultural sector — to integrate cultural and artistic interventions into streets, squares, parks, city gateways, and other open public spaces.

As part of Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia is reshaping its cities to be more attractive to residents and visitors, with a focus on improving the urban environment and expanding access to cultural activities as part of quality-of-life programmes and economic diversification away from oil.

Quoting the Minister of Culture’s remarks at the launch, the Vice Minister of Culture said the guide is the outcome of a partnership between the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing to establish a practical pathway for cultural activations in public spaces. He added that Saudi cities contain public areas that can be transformed into living cultural experiences, strengthening the relationship between residents and their surroundings.

In remarks attributed to the Minister of Municipalities and Housing, the Vice Minister said Vision 2030 sets out a vision for cities that balance functional efficiency with aesthetics and quality of life, noting that the ministry has worked to redefine urban planning by placing people at the centre of the process and treating public spaces as arenas for interaction, belonging and cultural expression.

According to the ministry, the guide is not merely a regulatory document but a national framework linking culture with the built environment. It has been designed to be practical, flexible, and adaptable across different regions of the Kingdom while taking into account the cultural and architectural specificities of each city.

The guide outlines a step-by-step implementation methodology that begins with understanding the community and spatial context, moves through selecting the appropriate type of cultural intervention, and culminates in delivery and impact measurement. The approach aims to ensure projects align with local identity and user needs, transforming public spaces into places that reflect community character and enable broader participation by residents, artists and visitors.

It also includes a set of guiding principles, tools and templates intended to standardise approaches to cultural interventions in public spaces and to empower local authorities to embed the arts into the development of parks, streets, plazas, and other open areas.

The ministry said the guide also seeks to strengthen community engagement and broaden access to culture by involving neighbourhood residents, visitors, and artists in the design and activation of cultural projects in public space.

The guide was developed through close collaboration between the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing, and several urban-sector stakeholders. The ministry announced the launch of pilot projects in partnership with the Royal Commission for Riyadh City, the King Fahd National Library, and the Madinah Municipality to plan and deliver artistic and cultural installations in a number of public spaces.

The guide will be available through a dedicated digital platform on the Ministry of Culture’s website in both Arabic and English, alongside explanatory materials and best-practice examples to inform project development. The ministry said it will continue to publish updates and case studies on the application of the guide across Saudi cities in the coming phases.

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SOURCE: IAICD Academy

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