All Episodes

Lujain Abulfaraj

Founder & Creative Director, Akwan

Creativity Serving Culture

September 2, 2026·57 min

How can creativity help preserve cultural identity and pass it on to future generations? We speak with Lujain Abulfaraj, Founder and Creative Director of Akwan, about the role of creative industries in interpreting culture thoughtfully and making it meaningful to younger audiences. The conversation explores children's design, cultural responsibility, the balance between authenticity and innovation, and how creative work can contribute to the continuity of cultural identity.

Dr. Khalifa Al-Fadli

Doctor in Social Sciences

Between Continuity and Transition: How Has Saudi Society Adapted?

July 20, 2026·1 hr 23 min

There are moments in the history of nations — defining moments that do not merely change the appearance of cities, but go further still, reaching into the very core of the human being. In the first episode of Season Three, we are joined by Dr. Khalifa Al-Fadli for a deep conversation on one of the most important questions that Saudi society lives today: what endures, when everything around it changes?

Film in Saudi: Inside Saudi Arabia's Film Revolution

February 3, 2025·1 hr 47 min

An in-depth exploration of Saudi Arabia's film revolution — from the reopening of cinemas to the emergence of a homegrown film industry, examining the policy decisions, cultural shifts, and creative voices driving this transformation.

Intangible Treasures: Exploring Intangible Cultural Heritage in Saudi Arabia

November 5, 2024·46 min

An exploration of Saudi Arabia's intangible cultural heritage — the traditions, oral histories, crafts, and living practices that define the Kingdom's cultural identity and the efforts to document, preserve, and transmit them.

Golden Era: Exploring Sports in Saudi Arabia

September 16, 2024·46 min

Sports as culture, spectacle, and soft power — an examination of Saudi Arabia's extraordinary investment in sports and what it reveals about the Kingdom's cultural ambitions and its relationship with global audiences.

Nada Al-Tuwaijri

Co-founder & CEO, Merwas

Cultural Success Stories: Nada Al-Tuwaijri, Co-founder and CEO of Merwas

August 11, 2024·36 min

A conversation with Nada Al-Tuwaijri, Co-founder and CEO of Merwas, on building a cultural enterprise in Saudi Arabia — the challenges, the opportunities, and what it takes to turn a creative vision into a sustainable business.

Savoring Saudi: Exploring Culinary Arts in Saudi Arabia

July 10, 2024·1 hr 33 min

Food as culture, memory, and identity — an exploration of Saudi Arabia's culinary arts, from traditional dishes rooted in Bedouin and regional heritage to the emergence of a contemporary Saudi gastronomy finding its place on the world stage.

Cultural Threads: Exploring Fashion in Saudi Arabia

June 10, 2024·1 hr 32 min

Fashion as cultural expression — an exploration of how Saudi Arabia's fashion scene is evolving, from traditional dress and its symbolic weight to the emergence of Saudi designers redefining what it means to dress with identity.

Cultural Contours: Exploring Architecture in Saudi Arabia

2024·1 hr 28 min

Architecture as cultural policy — an examination of how Saudi Arabia's built environment is being transformed, from the preservation of historic districts to the construction of entirely new cities, and what these choices say about the Kingdom's cultural vision.

Visionaries of Saudi Art: Exploring Visual Arts in Saudi Arabia

2023·1 hr 3 min

An exploration of Saudi Arabia's visual arts scene — the artists, institutions, and collectors shaping a new chapter in the Kingdom's creative history, and the questions of identity, representation, and global dialogue that animate their work.

Watch the Scene: Exploring Music in Saudi Arabia

2023·1 hr 36 min

Music in Saudi Arabia — from the lifting of restrictions to the emergence of a vibrant live music scene, an exploration of how music policy, cultural investment, and artistic ambition are reshaping the Kingdom's sonic landscape.

The Masterminds Behind the Curtain

2023·14 min

A look at the people and institutions driving Saudi Arabia's cultural transformation — the policymakers, strategists, and cultural leaders working behind the scenes to shape the Kingdom's creative future.

The Driving Force Behind Every Sector

2023·8 min

An introduction to the forces — policy, investment, and human ambition — that are driving transformation across every sector of Saudi Arabia's cultural economy.

Delving into the Depths of Cultural Policy

2023·15 min

What is cultural policy, and why does it matter? An exploration of the frameworks, decisions, and values that shape how governments approach culture — and what Saudi Arabia's approach reveals about its vision for the future.

Back in Time

2023·20 min

The first episode of Vision, Culture and Policy — an introduction to the podcast, its purpose, and the questions it will explore: how Saudi Arabia's cultural past informs its present transformation, and what the future holds for the Kingdom's creative identity.