As of 31 January 2026, AlUla is hosting 'Arduna,' a large-scale international exhibition born of an exceptional collaboration between the Centre Pompidou and the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU), with the support of the French Agency for AlUla Development (AFALULA). On view at the Daimumah Pavilion until 15 April 2026, the exhibition marks a decisive milestone in AlUla’s artistic development and in the cultural dialogue between France and Saudi Arabia.
Conceived as a sensory journey through our relationship with the land, 'Arduna' brings together more than 80 major pieces from the collections of the Centre Pompidou and the RCU, combining masterpieces of modern art with contemporary creations by international artists and artists from the Middle East and North Africa. Paintings, sculptures, installations, photographs, and immersive works explore the many faces of nature – gardens, forests, deserts, the cosmos – and address key contemporary issues related to landscape transformation, climate change, migration, and urbanization.
Co-organized by Anna Hiddleston, curator at the Centre Pompidou, and Candida Pestana, Director of the future AlUla Contemporary Art Museum within the RCU, the exhibition unfolds across six thematic chapters, offering a reading of our bond with the living world that is at once poetic, political, and universal. Five monumental installations, created specifically for AlUla by contemporary artists, extend the exhibition into the public realm of the AlJadidah district.
Through 'Arduna,' AlUla affirms its ambition to become a leading destination for contemporary creation at the crossroads of cultures, knowledge, and landscapes, forging an unprecedented connection between a major European museum collection and a fast-growing cultural institution in the Middle East.
"Arduna fully embodies the shared ambition of France and Saudi Arabia to establish AlUla as a major hub for international cultural dialogue. This exceptional exhibition, born of close collaboration between the Centre Pompidou and the Royal Commission for AlUla, reflects the strength of the Saudi-French partnership in support of contemporary creation, the transmission of knowledge, and the major challenges of our time. It demonstrates the power of art to connect territories, histories, and perspectives, in a spirit of openness and trust."
Jean-Yves Le Drian, Chairman of AFALULA
