ALULA, Saudi Arabia, Feb. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Arts AlUla announced a key milestone in the development of its newest cultural initiative. The AlUla Contemporary Art Museum was officially named and its vision revealed on 31st January during the launch of Arduna, the first exhibition presented by the institution.
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AlUla Contemporary Art Museum officially named at opening of pioneering exhibition Arduna
AlUla Contemporary Art Museum officially named at opening of pioneering exhibition Arduna
AlUla Contemporary Art Museum officially named at opening of pioneering exhibition Arduna
AlUla Contemporary Art Museum officially named at opening of pioneering exhibition Arduna
AlUla Contemporary Art Museum officially named at opening of pioneering exhibition Arduna
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AlUla, a cultural oasis located 1,100 km from Riyadh in North-West Saudi Arabia, is renowned for its extraordinary natural beauty and rich human heritage, including Hegra, Saudi Arabia's first UNESCO World Heritage Site. Arts AlUla is dedicated to celebrating cultural heritage and shaping a future for AlUla propelled by creativity.
Designed as a dynamic platform for engaging audiences through exhibitions, commissions, residencies, research, and publications, the AlUla Contemporary Art Museum will bridge AlUla's rich heritage with contemporary artistic ideas, fostering global dialogue. The Museum is committed to a truly international exchange, reflecting AlUla's role as a cultural crossroads for millennia.
Architect Lina Ghotmeh will design the Museum's future physical home as part of Saudi Vision 2030, integrating it within the unique landscape of the AlUla Oasis.
Hamad Alhomiedan, Director of Arts & Creative Industries at the Royal Commission for AlUla, said: "The AlUla Contemporary Art Museum marks another vital chapter in AlUla's journey, connecting our deep local heritage with the innovations shaping the global art landscape. Rooted in AlUla's monumental landscape and its people, and through bold commissions, landmark exhibitions, and deep collaborations, we are building a platform that elevates Saudi and regional voices into meaningful dialogue with the world. We look forward to welcoming our community, partners, and visitors to witness the rise of an institution that will shape artistic discourse for generations to come."
Staged as part of the fifth edition of the AlUla Arts Festival 2026, an annual celebration of art, design, and culture, Arduna brings together both contemporary and modern expressions of creativity. Meaning "our land" in Arabic, Arduna is co-curated by AlUla Contemporary Art Museum and Paris's Centre Pompidou with the support of the French Agency for AlUla Development (AFALULA).
Featuring over 80 works from Saudi Arabia, the wider Middle East, and the world, Arduna explores humanity's evolving relationship with nature, and includes new commissions and works by renowned artists such as Pablo Picasso, Wassily Kandinsky, Manal AlDowayan, Ayman Zedani, and Etel Adnan, among others. Arduna runs from February 1 to April 15, 2026.
Press Kits:
The press kit for Arduna can be found here.
The press kit for the AlUla Contemporary Art Museum can be found here.
Image Library:
High-resolution images of the AlUla Contemporary Art Museum can be found here.
Video:
The AlUla Contemporary Art Museum video can be downloaded here.
Video News Release:
Video News Release of the event can be downloaded here.
For further information, please contact:
Sabrine.Shaw@bursonglobal.com
AlUlaArtsFestival@bursonglobal.com
About AlUla and Arts AlUla
Located 1,100 km from Riyadh, in North-West Saudi Arabia, AlUla is a place of extraordinary natural and human heritage. The vast area, covering 22,561km², includes a lush oasis valley, towering sandstone mountains and ancient cultural heritage sites dating back thousands of years to when the Lihyan and Nabataean kingdoms reigned.
The most well-known and recognised site in AlUla is Hegra, the principal southern city of the Nabataean Kingdom and Saudi Arabia's first UNESCO World Heritage Site. AlUla is also home to ancient Dadan, the capital of the Dadan and Lihyan Kingdoms and considered to be one of the most developed 1st millennium BCE cities of the Arabian Peninsula, and Jabal Ikmah, an open air library of hundreds of inscriptions and writings in many different languages. AlUla Old Town Village, a labyrinth of more than 900 mudbrick homes was developed from at least the 12th century and has been revitalised as the vibrant hub for visitors and residents.
The creation of Arts AlUla within The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) is a commitment to crafting the next chapters in a millennia of artistic creation – celebrating cultural inheritance and shaping a future inspired by artists built be artists. The work of Arts AlUla seeks to preserve this legacy: fuse the old with the new; the local with the international, keeping the arts central to the spirit of AlUla as a place of extraordinary natural and human heritage.
Wadi AlFann, meaning 'Valley of the Arts', will be a global cultural destination for land art, unveiling from 2028 onwards, where era-defining works by artists from around the world will be permanently sited in the monumental landscape of AlUla, the extraordinary desert region of north-west Saudi Arabia.
** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **
AlUla Contemporary Art Museum officially named at opening of pioneering exhibition Arduna
AlUla Contemporary Art Museum officially named at opening of pioneering exhibition Arduna
AlUla Contemporary Art Museum officially named at opening of pioneering exhibition Arduna
AlUla Contemporary Art Museum officially named at opening of pioneering exhibition Arduna
AlUla Contemporary Art Museum officially named at opening of pioneering exhibition Arduna
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SINGAPORE, April 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Sustainable Tourism Impact Fund, a partnership between Agoda, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Singapore, and the UnTours Foundation, has announced its second round of investments alongside early impact results from the Fund's inaugural cohort.
Designed to provide affordable, flexible financing to small and medium-sized tourism enterprises, the Fund supports businesses that integrate environmental restoration, climate resilience, and inclusive economic development into their core operations. Indonesia-based Livingseas Asia and Bambike Ecotours in the Philippines are the beneficiaries of the new investments. Each new investee receives USD 25,000 in loan capital to expand impact-driven initiatives across the region.
In Indonesia, Livingseas Asia combines dive tourism with coral reef restoration in Padangbai, Bali. Its nonprofit arm, the Livingseas Foundation, has restored more than 7,300 square meters of degraded reef, deploying artificial reef structures and planting over 320,000 coral fragments, with measurable biodiversity recovery. The Fund's investment will support the construction of modular housing for staff and trainees near the restoration site. This will expand Livingseas Asia's hosting capacity and strengthen the Foundation's ability to deliver marine education, conservation training, and reef restoration activities.
Bambike Ecotours in the Philippines connects bamboo agroforestry, fair trade bicycle manufacturing in rural communities, and regenerative tourism experiences. The loan will support the development of Ligtasin Cove in Batangas, a bamboo-built tourism destination that will include coastal ecotours and a bamboo nursery for reforestation and erosion control. The initiative aims to create local jobs while expanding lower-carbon tourism experiences that connect travelers with community-led environmental restoration.
"At Agoda, we believe the future of travel depends on the resilience of the destinations we serve," said Timothy Hughes, Vice President of Corporate Development at Agoda. "These investments support local pioneers integrating environmental restoration and community well-being into their operations, demonstrating the potential of impact-driven travel."
Six months after the Fund's initial investments, early results across Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines demonstrate encouraging environmental and community impact.
Across Southeast Asia, three organizations advanced community-led tourism in meaningful ways. In Thailand, Local Alike expanded its Travel With Care initiative to 10 destinations, launching 16 regenerative tourism activities and securing partnerships with national parks and tourism authorities to develop a white paper on regenerative tourism. In the Philippines, Ecohotels grew its Bahay Farms initiative by onboarding 22 farmers, planting 500 mango trees, increasing plant-based menu offerings from 35% to 50%, and launching its Green Warriors workforce program, with 5 of 15 trainees already placed in hospitality roles. In Indonesia, Sejiva introduced heritage walking tours and coral restoration experiences across West Java and Jakarta, while scaling its #travelpositive campaign to reach broader audiences.
"We are incredibly encouraged by the impact created so far by our inaugural cohort," said Sarah Payne, Senior Director of Impact at the UnTours Foundation. "These businesses are expanding regenerative tourism models, strengthening local livelihoods, and embedding measurable environmental outcomes into their growth. Their progress shows how flexible financing can translate into tangible impact on the ground."
The Fund is part of Agoda's broader sustainability strategy and builds on its partnership with WWF-Singapore through Agoda's Eco Deals program. Through Eco Deals, Agoda works with hotel partners across Asia to offer travelers discounted stays while directing a portion of proceeds to WWF's conservation initiatives. Those funds also support the Sustainable Tourism Impact Fund, extending conservation impact to small tourism enterprises, strengthening ecosystem health and community resilience at the destination level.
Tourism enterprises across the region advancing conservation, climate resilience, sustainable mobility, and community-led economic development are encouraged to apply for the next round of funding at: https://untoursfoundation.org/sustainable-tourism-impact-fund.
SINGAPORE, April 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Sustainable Tourism Impact Fund, a partnership between Agoda, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Singapore, and the UnTours Foundation, has announced its second round of investments alongside early impact results from the Fund's inaugural cohort.
Designed to provide affordable, flexible financing to small and medium-sized tourism enterprises, the Fund supports businesses that integrate environmental restoration, climate resilience, and inclusive economic development into their core operations. Indonesia-based Livingseas Asia and Bambike Ecotours in the Philippines are the beneficiaries of the new investments. Each new investee receives USD 25,000 in loan capital to expand impact-driven initiatives across the region.
In Indonesia, Livingseas Asia combines dive tourism with coral reef restoration in Padangbai, Bali. Its nonprofit arm, the Livingseas Foundation, has restored more than 7,300 square meters of degraded reef, deploying artificial reef structures and planting over 320,000 coral fragments, with measurable biodiversity recovery. The Fund's investment will support the construction of modular housing for staff and trainees near the restoration site. This will expand Livingseas Asia's hosting capacity and strengthen the Foundation's ability to deliver marine education, conservation training, and reef restoration activities.
Bambike Ecotours in the Philippines connects bamboo agroforestry, fair trade bicycle manufacturing in rural communities, and regenerative tourism experiences. The loan will support the development of Ligtasin Cove in Batangas, a bamboo-built tourism destination that will include coastal ecotours and a bamboo nursery for reforestation and erosion control. The initiative aims to create local jobs while expanding lower-carbon tourism experiences that connect travelers with community-led environmental restoration.
"At Agoda, we believe the future of travel depends on the resilience of the destinations we serve," said Timothy Hughes, Vice President of Corporate Development at Agoda. "These investments support local pioneers integrating environmental restoration and community well-being into their operations, demonstrating the potential of impact-driven travel."
Six months after the Fund's initial investments, early results across Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines demonstrate encouraging environmental and community impact.
Across Southeast Asia, three organizations advanced community-led tourism in meaningful ways. In Thailand, Local Alike expanded its Travel With Care initiative to 10 destinations, launching 16 regenerative tourism activities and securing partnerships with national parks and tourism authorities to develop a white paper on regenerative tourism. In the Philippines, Ecohotels grew its Bahay Farms initiative by onboarding 22 farmers, planting 500 mango trees, increasing plant-based menu offerings from 35% to 50%, and launching its Green Warriors workforce program, with 5 of 15 trainees already placed in hospitality roles. In Indonesia, Sejiva introduced heritage walking tours and coral restoration experiences across West Java and Jakarta, while scaling its #travelpositive campaign to reach broader audiences.
"We are incredibly encouraged by the impact created so far by our inaugural cohort," said Sarah Payne, Senior Director of Impact at the UnTours Foundation. "These businesses are expanding regenerative tourism models, strengthening local livelihoods, and embedding measurable environmental outcomes into their growth. Their progress shows how flexible financing can translate into tangible impact on the ground."
The Fund is part of Agoda's broader sustainability strategy and builds on its partnership with WWF-Singapore through Agoda's Eco Deals program. Through Eco Deals, Agoda works with hotel partners across Asia to offer travelers discounted stays while directing a portion of proceeds to WWF's conservation initiatives. Those funds also support the Sustainable Tourism Impact Fund, extending conservation impact to small tourism enterprises, strengthening ecosystem health and community resilience at the destination level.
Tourism enterprises across the region advancing conservation, climate resilience, sustainable mobility, and community-led economic development are encouraged to apply for the next round of funding at: https://untoursfoundation.org/sustainable-tourism-impact-fund.
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Sustainable Tourism Impact Fund Expands Investments Across Southeast Asia
Sustainable Tourism Impact Fund Expands Investments Across Southeast Asia
Sustainable Tourism Impact Fund Expands Investments Across Southeast Asia
