Ithra | King Abdulaziz center for world culture | Ithra Saudi aramco | Dahran | Saudi Arabia
The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra)[1] (Arabic: مركز الملك عبد العزيز الثقافي العالمي) also known as Ithra, is situated in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.[2] It was built by Saudi Aramco and inaugurated by King Salman bin Abdulaziz on December 1, 2016.[3] It is operated by Saudi Aramco[4] and is currently the company’s main corporate social responsibility initiative[5] with a focus on culture, learning and cross-cultural activities.[6] The Center is located where the first commercial Saudi oilfield was found in March 1938.[7] The Center incorporates a museum, children museum, library, cinema, theater, and exhibition halls.[7] It was designed by the Norwegian architectural firm Snøhetta.[8] The Center has been listed in Time magazine as one of the world’s top 100 places to visit[1][9] and attracted one million visitors in 2019.[10] The director of Ithra is Hussain N. Hanbazazah.[11]
