Riyadh, 25 Jumada al-Thani 1447 AH (16 December 2025)

The third edition of the Riyadh Theatre Festival opened yesterday, organized by the Theater and Performing Arts Commission from 15 to 22 December 2025 at the Conference Center of Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University in Riyadh, as part of the Commission's efforts to energize the Kingdom's theatre scene and develop its performing-arts ecosystem in line with Saudi Vision 2030.

This third edition sees a notable expansion in programming and content, presenting a curated selection of theatrical productions that reflect the diversity of Saudi creative work, alongside specialized training workshops and talent-development programs aimed at young people and rising talent, intended to sharpen skills, build artistic capacity and nurture a new generation of theatre-makers.

This year's festival includes a special tribute segment honoring the contributions of two late pioneers of national theatre, Ibrahim Al-Hamdan and Abdulrahman Al-Muraikhi — may they rest in peace — in recognition of their leading role in founding the Saudi theatre movement and their influential contributions to its rise and development.

The current edition also features a series of artistic concerts staged at the Red Theatre as part of the accompanying events, diversifying visitors' cultural and artistic experience and offering integrated content that combines theatre and music, reflecting the growing richness of the Kingdom's cultural scene.

The Riyadh Theatre Festival is one of the prominent cultural initiatives run by the Theater and Performing Arts Commission as part of its efforts to empower national talent, develop a professional theatrical-production environment and strengthen Saudi Arabia's presence in the performing arts regionally and internationally, cementing the Kingdom's standing as a leading cultural destination.