Saudi Arabia and UK Deepen Creative Economy Collaboration with New Partnerships

Enhanced Partnerships Drive Creative Growth

Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom are significantly expanding their collaboration in the creative economy, marked by a series of recent agreements and initiatives aimed at fostering cultural exchange, heritage preservation, and economic diversification. These efforts align with Saudi Arabia's ambitious Vision 2030, which seeks to elevate the creative sector's contribution to the Kingdom's gross domestic product.

The latest developments include a high-profile visit by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to Saudi Arabia in December 2024, during which new cultural preservation deals were signed. This was followed by the inaugural local edition of the UKSA Creative Forum in Riyadh in January 2026, further solidifying the commitment to joint ventures in creative industries.

Key Agreements and Initiatives

The recent collaborations encompass several strategic areas:

• Heritage Preservation: A significant partnership has been forged between Historic England and the Saudi Heritage Commission. This agreement focuses on sharing expertise in the conservation, restoration, and rehabilitation of cultural landmarks across Saudi Arabia.
• AlUla Development: The UK's Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) are collaborating with the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU). This five-year arrangement aims to transform AlUla into a global cultural and tourism hub, with targets including attracting two million tourists annually by 2035 and generating $32 billion for its economy. The partnership will also involve sharing UK expertise in creative sectors such as music, theatre, cinema, and fashion, and developing local skills.
• Cultural Exchange and Training: The British Council has also entered a partnership with the Royal Commission for AlUla, focusing on culture, training, and research. The UKSA Creative Forum, featuring figures like former UK culture minister Lord Ed Vaizey and businessman Abdulaziz Al-Muqyteeb, emphasized knowledge exchange across arts, design, media, and digital content.

These agreements build upon earlier foundations, including a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in February 2022 by Saudi Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan Al Saud and then UK Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport Nadine Dorries, which aimed to boost collaboration in film, music, architecture, design, fashion, archaeology, and publishing.

Vision 2030 and Economic Impact

The deepening collaboration is a direct reflection of Saudi Arabia's commitment to its Vision 2030, which seeks to diversify the economy away from oil dependence. The creative economy is identified as a crucial pillar for this transformation. The Kingdom aims to increase the cultural sector's contribution to its GDP to 3% by 2030, a significant rise from its 2023 figure of $16 billion.

Furthermore, Vision 2030 targets the creation of over 346,000 jobs and 255,000 graduates in cultural disciplines, underscoring the sector's role in long-term employment growth and human capital development. Investments in cultural infrastructure, heritage preservation, and creative industries are accelerating, with the goal of establishing Saudi Arabia as a global creative hub.