Arts and Culture

Bahrain’s pavilion at the 2025 Venice Biennale of Architecture is emblematic of how Gulf states are leveraging architecture to address – or at least narrate – pressing environmental and social questions.

Animation in the Middle East is a quickly growing industry, and Gulf countries are playing a leading role in creating, funding, and distributing animated stories from the region.

With passions as diverse as puppetry, podcasting, and superheroes, Ammar Alsabban is redefining the creative limits of Saudi identity.

In Saudi Arabia, architecture is not just about shelter – it is about storytelling.

On June 26, AGSI opened a photography exhibition showcasing the work of 15 contemporary photographers from across the Gulf.

Through Rahina, Fatma al-Najjar is exploring her Dhofari heritage and tapping into ancestral memories, one piece of jewelry at a time.

On April 29, AGSI convened a session on alternative histories in art at Culture Summit Abu Dhabi.

Independent researchers and informal collaboratives have been connecting through social media to fill in gaps in popular knowledge of the United Arab Emirates’ pre-state era.