Saudi Arabia's Largest Cultural Group Officially Launches in Riyadh

Seven Companies and Twenty Brands Unite to Accelerate Private Sector's Role in Achieving Saudi Vision 2030 Cultural Goals

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, May 20, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- In a landmark moment for the Kingdom's cultural and creative industries, the Cultural Assets Group has officially launched as Saudi Arabia's largest cultural consortium. Headquartered in Riyadh, with strategic offices in AlUla, Jeddah, London, Paris, and Unaizah, the group consolidates seven leading companies and over twenty innovative brands, including Backyard Symphony, Knowliom, Knowliom Museum Studio, Sign, Haal, Operal and Backyard Immersions, under a unified platform, to accelerate the development of private sector enterprises operating in the cultural domain.

This strategic formation is in direct response to Saudi Vision 2030, which clearly articulated ambitious goals for the cultural creative economy, establishing robust government initiatives that laid the groundwork for substantial private sector investment. Cultural Assets Group leverages this momentum, becoming a critical engine and a catalyst for sector growth, investment attraction, and innovation, aligning seamlessly with the Kingdom's vision for cultural and economic transformation.

Chairman Abdullah Khalid Al Zamil emphasized the significance of this step: "Our vision at Cultural Assets Group aligns with Saudi Vision 2030's ambitious objectives, where culture acts as a catalyst for innovation and sustainable economic development. We are committed to building a future rooted in authenticity and driven by excellence, leaving a lasting impact across the global cultural ecosystem."

With a dedicated workforce of over 250 specialized professionals, including a nearly even gender split of 51% male and 49% female, Cultural Assets Group boasts comprehensive expertise, including museum design and construction, destination development, cultural events and exhibitions, experience design, community engagement, activation programs, interactive visual production, marketing and communications, and cultural retail. The group collaborates closely with leading national stakeholders such as the Ministry of Culture, Royal Commission for AlUla, Diriyah Gate Development Authority, ROSHN, and Mohammed Bin Salman Foundation (Misk), providing robust capabilities to deliver high-impact projects of national significance. Cultural Assets Group's launch coincides with the exponential growth of Saudi Arabia's cultural and tourism sectors, as Saudi Arabia's cultural and creative industries are expected to contribute approximately $47.9 billion to the GDP by 2030. It is strategically positioned to enhance the Kingdom's global cultural visibility, empower local creative talent, and drive sustainable growth within the sector, aligning closely with Saudi Vision 2030 objectives. 

"Cultural Assets Group represents a unified, purpose-driven platform committed to advancing the Kingdom's cultural priorities," said CEO Abdulaziz AlSulaim. "We exist to grow the sector, back ambitious ideas, and support the scale and sustainability of cultural enterprises. This is more than a business, it's an engine for empowering transformation, deepening the Saudi cultural identity, and leading through cultural and creative progress."

The group is poised to offer a compelling developmental model, highlighting Saudi cultural potential globally and underscoring the Kingdom's commitment to cultural excellence and economic diversification through Saudi Vision 2030.

About Cultural Assets Group

Cultural Assets Group is Saudi Arabia's largest privately-owned cultural enterprise, uniting seven companies and over twenty brands across the cultural and creative industries. Headquartered in Riyadh, with offices in AlUla, Jeddah, Unaizah, London, and Paris, the Group operates at the intersection of culture, innovation, and economic development.

Established in alignment with Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, Cultural Assets Group is committed to advancing the Kingdom's cultural renaissance and supporting the growth of the creative economy. The Group offers comprehensive services in museum design and construction, destination development, cultural events and exhibitions, experience design, community engagement, activation programs, interactive visual production, marketing and communications, and cultural retail.

With a team of over 250 specialized professionals, Cultural Assets Group collaborates closely with national stakeholders - including the Ministry of Culture, Royal Commission for AlUla, Diriyah Gate Development Authority, ROSHN, and Misk - to deliver high-impact cultural initiatives.

Cultural Assets Group is dedicated to building an inspiring and sustainable cultural narrative that deepens community connections and transcends time, reflecting the Kingdom's rich culture and dynamic future.

For Media Enquiries:
Cultural Assets Group
Email: pr@culturalassets.sa
https://www.culturalassets.sa/en
Online Media Resources: 
https://www.culturalassets.sa/en/media-center-page#Visual-identity-sec

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pulQ5PeECUs

** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **

Saudi Arabia's Largest Cultural Group Officially Launches in Riyadh

SEOUL, South Korea, Jan. 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- A world-famous annual ice fishing festival kicked off Saturday in a remote mountain town in the northeastern province of Gangwon, offering weeks of ice fishing and seasonal activities.

The 2026 Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival will run through Feb. 1 in Hwacheon, just 25 kilometers south of the inter-Korean border and about 90 km northeast of Seoul.

"Sancheoneo" is a species of trout known to live only in very clean fresh water.

Visitors from all over the nation arrived at the 300,000-square-meter festival ground -- roughly the size of around 40 football pitches -- from early morning.

"(We) will do our best to ensure safety and so that the Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival can become a winter festival enjoyed by everyone around the world beyond the Republic of Korea," Hwacheon Gov. Choi Moon-soon said at the opening ceremony.

This year's festival is expected to attract more than 100,000 foreign visitors, turning Hwacheon, with a population of 22,370, into a global wintertime festival city.

Launched in 2003, the event was chosen as the nation's best festival by the culture ministry in 2010 and had drawn more than 1 million visitors for 13 straight years, from 2006 to 2019.

Last year's event attracted over 1.86 million visitors, surpassing the previous record of 1.84 million set in 2019. Among the attendees, 122,000 were foreign visitors -- significantly higher than the 85,000 recorded the previous year.

The annual winter festival has previously made headlines worldwide, with thousands of tourists trying to fish for sancheoneo through holes cut into the surface of a vast frozen river and taking part in bare-hand fishing, sledding, ice soccer and other events.

Other hands-on activities that allow visitors to fully enjoy the snow and ice this year will include sledding on a 40-meter slope and on a 60-meter section of a frozen river, riding a family-friendly "ice bobsleigh" made by the Hwacheon County Office down a spiral-shaped tube, curling and figure skating.

The Seohwasan Multipurpose Indoor Plaza, another key venue of the festival, will feature a miniature version of the Harbin Ice and Snow World, a world-renowned ice and snow festival, while about 30 ice lantern makers from Harbin will showcase the pinnacle of ice art at the Indoor Ice Sculpture Plaza.

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** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **

World-renowned ice fishing festival kicks off in Hwacheon