Social Development Bank Highlights Successes of the Art Bank Initiative, in the Presence of Her Royal Highness Princess Haifa bint Abdul Mohsen

In the presence of Her Royal Highness Princess Haifa bint Abdul Mohsen, Director of Development and Partnerships at the Culture and Arts Society in Riyadh, and CEO of the Social Development Bank (SDB), Eng. Sultan Al-Hamidi, the SDB, in cooperation with the Culture and Arts Society, organized a media meeting at the headquarters of "Jada 30" in Riyadh. During the meeting, they reviewed the most prominent initiatives and achievements of the Art Bank initiative in empowering Saudi artists, supporting the national creative system, and enhancing their presence in the cultural and creative scenes in line with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 and the "Year of Handicrafts 2025”.

The Art Bank project, which was launched in 2022, aims to empower Saudi artists and invest in artistic talents, through an electronic platform that was able to attract more than 2,540 Saudi artists, from 221 cities and governorates around the Kingdom. These artists have participated in more than 6,730 diverse artistic works, including paintings, handicrafts, and textiles. The first phase of the project was launched in 2023 and aimed to decorate the bank's main building in Riyadh with artworks that reflect the Kingdom's cultural identity. The second phase in 2025 saw the initiative expand to include the acquisition of artwork to decorate the bank's branches in seven cities across the Kingdom, enhancing the presence of arts and crafts in the public space and consolidating the visual identity of institutions in a contemporary style.

These figures highlight the growing volume of interaction with the platform and its role in opening new horizons for creators to document their production and highlight it in a professional manner, as participation extended to cover most regions and cities of the Kingdom, which confirms the initiative’s national spread. The platform also contributed to organizing 846 participations in various events, in addition to launching a series of events that constitute an addition to enhancing the presence of artists and craftsmen in the cultural scene and highlighting their works to the public and concerned parties.

In her speech during the meeting, Her Royal Highness Princess Haifa bint Abdul Mohsen expressed her pride in the achievements made by the "Art Bank" project, stressing that the cooperation between the Culture and Arts Association and the SDB represents a pioneering national model for empowering the creative sector. She pointed out that highlighting Saudi arts through this project contributes to strengthening national identity and gives Saudi artists a professional avenue for marketing and spreading locally and internationally, reflecting the richness of the Kingdom's cultural heritage and creative energies.

For his part, the CEO of the Social Development Bank, Eng. Sultan Al-Hamidi, affirmed the bank's commitment to supporting the cultural and creative sector as one of the engines of national development, stressing the importance of institutional partnerships in achieving sustainable impact. He said: "We are proud of our partnership with the Saudi Arabian Society for Culture and Arts through the 'Art Bank', which represents a comprehensive national project that expresses the Kingdom's identity, enriches its cultural scene, and gives its people opportunities to build a sustainable career path.

It is noteworthy that the "Art Bank" platform was launched in 2022 as a distinctive initiative by the SDB in partnership with the Saudi Arabian Society for Culture and Arts, serving as a digital incubator and a professional interface for marketing the works of artists and craftsmen according to the needs of government and private agencies.