Today the Science Museum Group signed an agreement with the Ministry of Culture for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to increase engagement in science and culture through the creation of a Museums Hub in Riyadh.
The new hub will enable the Science Museum Group to work closely with museum professionals, researchers and educators in Saudi Arabia to create a centre of excellence for science and culture and support the wider museum sector.
The agreement was signed by HE Rakan Altouq, Saudi Assistant Minister of Culture, and Sir Ian Blatchford, Chief Executive and Director of the Science Museum Group. The partnership builds on a Cultural Memorandum of Understanding signed by the DCMS Secretary of State with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2022.
Sir Ian Blatchford, Director and Chief Executive of the Science Museum Group said: ‘Internationalism is second nature for the Science Museum Group, both because of the power of cultural engagement and because collaboration between different nations has always been essential to addressing global challenges. Through this agreement we can help support positive change in Saudi Arabia, helping to build science engagement and grow a strong, sustainable museums sector.’
The Science Museum Group has a strong tradition of working internationally, whether through its ambitious touring programme, international object loans or close collaboration with colleagues in major museums and scientific institutions across the globe. Earlier this month, the Science Museum opened its latest exhibition, Zimingzhong 凝时聚珍: Clockwork Treasures from China’s Forbidden City, which showcases 23 rare and stunning timepieces on loan from the Palace Museum in Beijing and on display together in the UK for the first time. And since late 2022 more than two million people have visited the Injecting Hope exhibition, which explores the race to develop COVID-19 vaccines at pandemic speed and opened simultaneously part of an international tour at the Science Museum in the UK and at venues in both China and India.
