The seventh edition of the Ithra Art Prize has officially opened its call for submissions, inviting contemporary artists of Arab heritage or residency to apply. With a grand prize of USD 100,000 and new production grants awarded to five finalists, the initiative expands its scope in 2025 with an exhibition at Ithra in spring 2026. Returning to Dhahran, the Prize continues to shape regional discourse while offering a platform for artistic research and practice. In this conversation, Farah Abushullaih (FA), Head of Ithra’s Museum, shares insights into this evolving chapter.
In Conversation with Farah Abushullaih
Anastasia Nysten (AN): The Ithra Art Prize is now in its 7th edition. How would you describe its evolution since 2017?
FA: Since 2017, the Ithra Art Prize has grown from a single-commission award into a platform that supports artistic innovation across the Arab world. We’ve seen winners exhibit locally and internationally, presenting work at respected platforms such as Art Dubai, the Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale, the State Hermitage Museum, and the AlUla Arts Festival. This year, we’re expanding even further, making the Prize biennial and offering five finalists production grants. This allows for the prize to become a space for dialogue, experimentation, and long-term impact.
AN: This year’s edition marks a “homecoming” with an exhibition at Ithra. Why was it important to bring the Prize back to Dhahran?
FA: The Ithra Art Prize was born in Dhahran, so bringing the exhibition home feels both
natural and important. This is where the idea first took shape, and the local community has been part of its journey from the very beginning. Hosting the finalists and winner here at Ithra allows our audiences to engage directly with the works and the conversations they spark, while also keeping the Prize firmly connected to the place that inspired it.
AN: Why did you decide to open the call to both new commissions and re-contextualised existing works?
FA: We believe great art evolves over time. By welcoming both new and reimagined works, we give artists the flexibility to build on past ideas or introduce fresh concepts, both equally valid and relevant. This flexibility allows the Prize to reflect the reality of how artists work, while ensuring the exhibition includes projects that are fully formed, contextually rich, and ready for audiences to engage with.
AN: What qualities or approaches will the jury be looking for in submissions this year?
The jury will be looking for proposals that are authentic, conceptually rigorous, and rooted in the artist’s own lived experience and context. We want to see works that go beyond aesthetics to provoke dialogue, offer new perspectives, and invite audiences into the conversation. Proposals should be clear in both concept and execution, showing how the idea will translate into a realised installation within the exhibition.
About Farah Abushullaih
Farah Abushullaih is the Head of the Museum at the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra). She holds an MA in Museum Anthropology from New York’s Columbia University, and a BSc in International Business and Intercultural Communications from Aston University in Birmingham, UK. Abushullaih joined Ithra in 2012, and in 2014 she became the Assistant Curator in the Museum. Abushullaih has led efforts to bring global art to the Kingdom, exhibiting works by renowned Norwegian artist Edvard Munch for the first time in the Middle East, as well as exhibiting the works of Leonardo da Vinci in Saudi Arabia for the first time. In 2021, she introduced the first immersive art exhibition in the Kingdom to address the topic of sustainability. Abushullaih also worked with a pioneering team to create the Ithra Bridges programme, a series of initiatives that provided a platform for more than 50 Saudi artists participating in international exhibitions, including shows at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Brooklyn Museum.