Since 2021, the Noor light art festival (Noor meaning ‘light’ in Arabic) has been held annually in Riyadh from late November to early December.
Noor Riyadh is part of the Riyadh Art Programme, one of four mega-projects in the capital launched by King Salman as part of the ‘Vision 2030’ plan to position the capital as a global centre for contemporary art and culture.
It is one of the world’s largest light art festivals and takes place in public spaces, such as inside or outside metro stations or in front of Murabba Palace or Qasr Al Hukm turning the Saudi capital into an open-air gallery. Under an annually changing theme, dozens of international and regional light artists showcase their light artworks. The light installations are displayed in the evening from 6:00 or 7:00 pm. Guides are available to explain the installations if required.
In many cases, the installations are located at least near the metro stations, making it easy to ‘hop’ from one station to another. Admission is free. Noor is undoubtedly a worthwhile cultural event and, as such, attracts a large number of visitors from all over the world.
