Saudi Arabia has revealed the curatorial team for the third Islamic Arts Biennale, opening 1 November 2027 at the Western Hajj Terminal of King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah. Run by the Diriyah Biennale Foundation, the event bills itself as the world's first exhibition programme devoted entirely to Islamic art and culture — and it's staged in one of the country's most striking venues, under the terminal's vast tented canopies.
Four names will lead the 2027 edition, each developing their own exhibition: Nada Raza, director of Dubai's Alserkal Arts Foundation and formerly of Tate Modern; William Robinson, who spent nearly three decades at Christie's heading its Islamic Art and Carpets departments before leaving in 2022; Alain Fouad George, Oxford professor and specialist in Umayyad architecture, early Quranic manuscripts and Arabic calligraphy; and Idries Trevathan, former chief curator at Ithra, the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture.
The 2027 programme will explore Islamic societies through themes of mobility, encounters and cultural exchange, pairing historical works borrowed from major collections worldwide with newly commissioned contemporary pieces. This edition also widens the lens to intangible heritage — community life and social resilience — rather than objects alone.
Two other developments are worth tracking. AlMadar, the biennale's platform for museums and cultural institutions from Saudi Arabia and abroad, will expand, with plans for a digitised archive and joint programmes with international partners. And the AlMusalla Prize returns for its second edition: the winning design for a reimagined prayer space will be built in the outdoor area beneath the Hajj Terminal's canopies, alongside public programming.
For travellers, this is fast becoming a reason to plan a Jeddah trip around. The biennale sits conveniently at the airport itself — the Hajj Terminal, designed by SOM, is a landmark in its own right — and pairs naturally with Jeddah's restored UNESCO-listed old town of Al-Balad. It's also part of a broader cultural calendar: the Diriyah Biennale Foundation alternates this event with the Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale in Riyadh, so art-focused visits can be timed across both cities.
