National Museum of Asian Art and the Royal Commission for AlUla in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Announce New Collaboration for Cultural Exchange

WASHINGTON, D.C. and AlUla, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art (NMAA) and the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) have formalized a collaboration agreement to enhance cultural exchange and mutual understanding between museum professionals and scholars in the United States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This historic collaboration, signed May 14 by Chase Robinson, the museum’s director, and Abeer AlAkel, the CEO of RCU, during a state visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, builds upon the commitment of both institutions to preserve and celebrate cultural heritage and cultural exchange between the two nations.

This collaboration will foster new research, deepen understanding of ancient Arabian art and culture through exhibitions and strengthen the skills of museum professionals in AlUla and at the Smithsonian. These shared efforts will focus on Dadan, the ancient capital of the Lihyanite and Dadanite civilizations and significant hub of trade and agriculture on the Incense Route dating back to 500 B.C.E.

Key Initiatives under this agreement will include:

• Conservation and Collaborative Research: Joint conservation and research projects in art, history, archaeology and scientific study to deepen understanding of the site and culture of Dadan
• Exhibitions and Object Loans: Collaborative exhibition design and object exchanges to showcase cultural heritage to broader audiences
• Knowledge Exchange and Professional Skill Building: Staff exchanges focused on conservation, exhibition design, curatorial research, storytelling and museum management to enhance professional expertise

“The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art’s mission is to deepen the understanding of the arts and cultures of Asia and the Middle East, and this collaboration with the Royal Commission for AlUla is a milestone in advancing that mission,” Robinson said. “Over the past two years, our curatorial and conservation teams have been collaborating with their counterparts in AlUla on a plan to research and study recently discovered statues at the site of Dadan in AlUla. We are eager to move into the next stage of our partnership with RCU, which over the next four years will allow us to contribute to the ongoing research in the region, build professional networks and create opportunities for cultural engagement.”

“AlUla is home to over 200,000 years of human history,” AlAkel said. “Through this important collaboration with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art, we will enhance the conservation of AlUla’s heritage and share its significance with the world. Uniting the shared expertise of RCU and NMAA, the collaboration is a testament to the value of cultural exchange to forge mutual understanding and connections globally.”

This agreement marks a new chapter of cooperation between the two organizations, underscoring the vital role of art and heritage in connecting people and nations.

About Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art (NMAA) is committed to preserving, exhibiting, researching and interpreting art in ways that deepen public and scholarly understanding of Asia and the world. Opened in 1923 as America’s first national art museum and the first Asian art museum in the United States, NMAA stewards one of the world’s most important collections of Asian art, spanning antiquity to the present and representing cultures from China, Japan, Korea, South Asia, Southeast Asia and the Ancient Near East. The museum also stewards a significant collection of 19th- and early 20th-century American art.

NMAA holds one of the finest collections of the arts of the Islamic world (inclusive of Central Asia, the Middle East and North Africa), with particular strengths in illustrated manuscripts and ceramics. Its staff includes two curators dedicated to the arts of the region and a curator of the Ancient Near East who has led extensive archeological efforts on behalf of the NMAA and the Smithsonian. Recent exhibitions include the highly successful “Roads of Arabia: Archaeology and History of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia” (2012–2013), “Art of the Qur’an” (2016), “Engaging the Senses: Arts of the Islamic World” (ongoing) and “The Arts of Devotion: Beyond Rumi” (forthcoming November 2025).

NMAA is a forum for understanding and celebrating Asian arts and cultures, particularly their intersection with America. International partnerships are central to NMAA’s mission, formalized through MOUs and high-level executive agreements with global partners in countries such as Japan, Korea, China, Cambodia, Indonesia and most recently, Saudi Arabia.

Located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the museum is free and open 364 days a year (closed Dec. 25). The Smithsonian Institution, the world’s largest museum, education and research complex, welcomes 20–30 million visitors annually. For more information about the National Museum of Asian Art, visit asia.si.edu.

For more information about the museum, visit asia.si.edu and follow updates on Instagram: @natasianart, X: @NatAsianArt, YouTube: @NatAsianArt, and Facebook: @NatAsianArt.

About RCU

The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) was established by royal decree in July 2017 to preserve and develop AlUla, a region of outstanding natural and cultural significance in north-west Saudi Arabia. RCU’s long-term plan outlines a responsible, sustainable, and sensitive approach to urban and economic development that preserves the area’s natural and historic heritage while establishing AlUla as a desirable location to live, work, and visit. This encompasses a broad range of initiatives across archaeology, tourism, culture, education, and the arts, reflecting a commitment to meeting the economic diversification, local community empowerment, and heritage preservation priorities of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 programme.

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