Ithra’s $100,000 Art Prize Is Back and Open to All Arab Artists

It’s one of the Arab world’s most coveted art prizes, and it’s open for submissions again. The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, better known as Ithra, has just announced the open call for the 7th edition of the Ithra Art Prize, offering a generous $100,000 grant to one winning artist. And that’s not all. This year, the initiative is expanding in more ways than one.

Launched in 2017, the biennial Ithra Art Prize has become a major platform for contemporary artists of Arab heritage. Originally focused on Saudi creatives, it’s since grown to include artists from all 22 Arab countries. In addition to offering financial support, the winning work becomes part of Ithra’s permanent collection, and its creator joins a roster of artists who’ve gone on to show work at Art Dubai, the State Hermitage Museum in Russia, and the Diriyah Biennale.

This year, for the first time, five finalists will also receive production grants to create works for a group exhibition at Ithra in spring 2026. The final winner will be selected during the exhibition.

“The Ithra Art Prize supports artists who engage creatively and critically with conditions and ideas that speak to the diverse contexts of our region,” said Farah Abushullaih, Head of Ithra’s Museum. “The 7th Edition marks a homecoming that expands the Prize’s scope through an exhibition at Ithra featuring multiple works in dialogue with one another.”

Open to artists and collectives aged 18+ of Arab heritage or those currently residing in Arab countries, the Prize welcomes both new commissions and recontextualized works. It places emphasis on long-term inquiry and conceptual depth, seeking proposals that reflect an artist’s broader practice and research.

Submissions are now open and will be accepted until October 16, 2025. The winner will receive the full $100,000 to bring their project to life, with the final unveiling scheduled for spring 2026 in Dhahran—right at Ithra’s landmark cultural center.

With each edition, the Ithra Art Prize has not only amplified emerging voices but also contributed to building a regional art ecosystem that extends beyond borders. Previous winners include Ayman Zedani, Nadia Kaabi-Linke, and most recently, Obaid Alsafi, whose 2024 work Palms in Eternal Embrace debuted at the AlUla Arts Festival. From audiovisual installations to architectural explorations, these works have helped define the current discourse on Arab contemporary art.

Applications are open at www.ithra.com.

Main Image: Winning artwork of the Ithra Art Prize’s 1st edition Mem by Ayman Zedani, 2018. Courtesy of Ithra

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