The National Museum Hosts Official Visit of

the American Chamber of Commerce in Saudi Arabia (AmChamKSA)

for a Night of Arts, Culture & Entertainment

March 16th, 2022

Riyadh

On Wednesday evening, the American Chamber of Commerce in Saudi Arabia’s Arts, Culture & Entertainment Committee enjoyed a “Night at the National Museum,” hosted by the Kingdom’s National Museum which provided members of the American business community and their diverse group of guests an opportunity to journey through centuries of Arabian history and art with a tour of one of Riyadh’s many crown jewels. It was a night to showcase Saudi culture through a guided tour, traditional food and customs, engaging museum activities, a Saudi musical performance, and prizes from Saudi-owned companies.

The American Chamber of Commerce in Saudi Arabia serves those with American business interests and the surrounding community as they connect, grow and prosper across the Kingdom - both on a business and a personal level in Riyadh, Jeddah, and Eastern Province. As an active committee underneath the AmChamKSA umbrella, the Arts, Culture & Entertainment Committee provides American and Saudi companies with expertise, community, and access to support the development of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s emerging creative industries. Included industries are: domestic arts, culture, design, fashion, entertainment, cinema, music, theater, culinary arts, tourism, and film. The Committee recognizes a major portion of these creative emerging markets consist of SMEs (small-medium enterprises), and thus provides an array of impactful professional advancement programs, workshops, and community building activities to support its entrepreneurs.

The American Chamber guests were guided by an English-speaking tour guide named Ali, who shared unique, thought-provoking details about the various historical art and cultural exhibits. Having Ali as a guide allowed the visitors to ask specific questions that they had directly to the in-house expert, sharing knowledge about Saudi culture.

Todd Nims, Chairman of the Arts, Culture & Entertainment Committee shared his gratitude for the National Museum hosting the visit from AmChamKSA, highlighting that “cross-cultural exchanges are at the heart of the Arts, Culture & Entertainment Committee and its member activities. We aim to serve the community through increasing the appreciation for Saudi culture here in the Kingdom that we call home and look forward to many more opportunities to engage and explore these gems of Riyadh, Jeddah, and Eastern Province as part of our ACE Outings program.”

AmChamKSA aims to provide both professional and social opportunities for our members and the community to interact with one another and to have fun doing so! Plenty of fun was had as part of the Night at the National Museum. Guests enjoyed local flavors with a catered buffet from “Bint Albalad,” a local restaurant that supports female Saudi chefs. Accompanying the dinner was traditional Saudi music provided by the National Museum. Attendees won local gifts from Saudi-owned businesses like Things by Haa, whose tagline is “it’s a Saudi thing…” and provides unique wearables with modern takes on traditional Saudi patterns.

Joel Huffman, Culture and Tourism Industry Lead for the ACE Committee and CEO & Co-Founder of Arabius, a Saudi-dialect and cultural immersion company, was the one who led the event organization. He shared his passion for culture, saying that “by exploring centuries of Saudi’s cultural heritage and traditional art at the National Museum, we hope the AmChamKSA community gains a stronger understanding of the past, appreciation for the present, and enthusiasm for the future of Saudi Arabia.”

AmChamKSA’s Head of Communications and Executive Lead for the ACE Committee, Hana Nemec, noted “we were overwhelmed by the response that we had to welcoming our community to the National Museum, and this serves as a testament to the passion and interest that AmChamKSA and our network have for culture in Saudi Arabia. As an American expatriate that has been in the Kingdom for the last six years, my appreciation for Saudi Arabia and its rich culture continues to develop day after day. I can’t get enough!”

The National Museum, part of the King Abdulaziz Historical Center, was established in 6/10/1419 H (23/1/1999) to celebrate the centenary of the Saudi unification. The museum is a cultural landmark which aims to highlight the nation’s cultural identity, depth and dimension through the Kingdom’s heritage and antiquities. The National Museum contains eight galleries, each representing a specific historical period. The galleries are organized chronologically, starting with the creation of the universe to the unification of Saudi Arabia and the growth of Hajj.

Laila Al-Faddagh, the Director of the National Museum welcomes everyone to the museum. “Our doors are open to everybody. We take pride in this country’s rich and diverse history and culture and want to share it with everyone. We are doing this through the many new programs that are on offer at the National Museum, which include in-gallery activities, workshops, talks, musical performances, and most recently the Farmer’s market. This visit organized by AmChamKSA to the museum is hopefully just the start of many visits to come. We look forward to continuing this cultural exchange.”

View Arab News Article by Rahaf Jambi Here: Arab News Article

The photo gallery available here:

The National Museum Hosts Official Visit of the American Chamber of Commerce in Saudi Arabia (AmChamKSA) for a Night of Arts, Culture & Entertainment - AmChamKSA Photos