Anyone who has the opportunity to visit Jeddah between the end of January and around the beginning of May every two years should not miss the Islamic Art Bienniale. On the one hand, it is an extremely appealing, promising cultural event and, on the other hand, the venue itself is a reputable location without equals, even for non-Muslim visitors. After 2023, the Islamic Arts Biennale took place for the second time in 2025. The term ‘Islamic’ should not be misunderstood to mean that only religious, Muslim items are presented or featured, although such exhibits are also on display. Rather, ‘Islamic’ is primarily a designation of origin in the sense of ‘from Islamic countries and regions‘. The Jeddah Islamic Arts Biennale exhibition is therefore dedicated to the arts of Islamic civilisation from the past and present across a range of themes and displays a wide variety of works, including contemporary artworks, installations, historical artefacts and new commissions.
It takes place in the western Hajj terminal of King Abdulaziz Airport in Jeddah, which has been architecturally fascinating for decades with its tent-like construction and impressively accentuates the open-air exhibits. Depending on how deeply you want to immerse yourself in the exhibits, you should plan your time accordingly. Even if you only want to take a slightly more in-depth look, you can easily spend a whole day at the exhibition grounds. Well-kept restaurants and cafés around a stylish water feature invite you to take a break.
