Smithsonian Joins Forces with AlUla Project of Saudi Arabia, Reinforcing Expanding Cultural Aspirations
The Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art (NMAA) has entered into a strategic partnership with Saudi Arabia's Royal Commission for AlUla, expanding a collaboration that has been developing for two years behind the scenes. According to Art Newspaper, the agreement was finalized this week by NMAA director Chase Robinson and RCU chief executive Abeer Al Akel.
The main objective of the partnership is to foster archaeological research, exhibition loans, and curatorial exchange. At the epicenter of this union is Dadan, once the capital of the Lihyanite and Dadanite civilizations, and a significant point along the Incense Road, an ancient trade route encompassing India to the Mediterranean. As part of Saudi Arabia's efforts to rebrand the kingdom as a worldwide cultural phenomenon, preservation of Dadan has been prioritized.
"Our curatorial and conservation teams have already been working with AlUla on research surrounding recently excavated statues," Robinson stated. "This new phase will allow us to strengthen that work and establish long-term professional relationships."
The arrangement encompasses three main categories: joint conservation and research in archaeology, art, and history; exhibition planning and artifact loans; and professional development in areas such as curatorial research and museum management.
This collaboration is one of several cultural partnerships Saudi Arabia has forged with institutions globally, including the Centre Pompidou, the Andy Warhol Museum, Unesco, and the Desert X biennial, as part of its Vision 2030 economic diversification plan. Although these alliances have boosted AlUla's cultural prominence, they have also attracted criticism, being viewed as a means of artwashing, deflecting attention from the country's human rights issues, such as the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
The Smithsonian-AlUla partnership was established just days after the Trump administration announced a pledge from Saudi Arabia for a $600 billion investment in the United States, inclusive of a substantial arms deal worth $142 billion that will equip Saudi Arabia with advanced warfighting equipment and services from over a dozen American defense firms.
- The strategic partnership between the Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art (NMAA) and Saudi Arabia's Royal Commission for AlUla focuses on fostering archaeological research, exhibition loans, and curatorial exchange, with a key focus on Dadan, an ancient city significant along the Incense Road.
- NMAA director Chase Robinson and RCU chief executive Abeer Al Akel recently finalized an agreement for the partnership, which includes joint conservation and research in archaeology, art, and history, as well as exhibition planning and artifact loans.
- This collaboration is part of Saudi Arabia's overall effort to rebrand the kingdom as a global cultural hub, but it has attracted criticism for being seen as a means of artwashing, potentially deflecting attention from human rights issues like the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
- Despite the controversy, Saudi Arabia has forged cultural partnerships with several institutions globally, including the Centre Pompidou, the Andy Warhol Museum, Unesco, and the Desert X biennial, under its Vision 2030 economic diversification plan.
