Riyadh: The Diriyah Biennale Foundation announced a new lineup of public programs, with a rich calendar starting in September 2026 and featuring six to eight programs each month. Coinciding with major events taking place at JAX District, these programs connect audiences with the wider cultural and creative activity across the district, creating opportunities for exchange and learning.
According to Saudi Press Agency, public programs are central to the foundation's work, extending its reach beyond the biennale cycle into a year-round platform for dialogue, learning, and cultural exchange. Through workshops, talks, screenings, and performances, they bring artists, researchers, practitioners, and audiences together, making cultural knowledge more accessible while giving participants the opportunity to develop hands-on creative skills and engage with new perspectives.
September sees the return of the Culture on Tap monthly series. It will also host a number of workshops, including one introducing the fundamentals of soldering and handmade alternative frame making by artist Yasmina Hilal, and a children's workshop exploring the Polaroid emulsion lift technique.
The October program coincides with the Creative Summit, running at JAX District from October 3 to 5. As part of the program, Director of the Saudi Arabia Museum of Contemporary Art (SAMoCA) Noura Al-Maashouq joins former Post-War and Contemporary Art Director at Christie's Graham Southern for an edition of How We Met, a fireside chat series exploring how leading figures in arts and culture first crossed paths.
Launching on October 21, a new publication titled Thoughts for Food extends the work of the first edition of The Research Room TURUQ: The Many Ways of Food, which was held during the Islamic Arts Biennale 2025 and brought together food and culinary practitioners in Jeddah.
Publishing and printing take center stage in November with the return of the third edition of PaperBack Art Book Fair from November 5 to 7. The month kicks off with an intensive four-day risograph printing course, presented by the experimental publishing and visual research studio Water With Water. This is followed by a full PaperBack program, involving workshops and talks on alternative publishing, in addition to exclusive book launches, including the launch of a new book that pays tribute to Jeddah.