Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Culture has announced that the Common Ground Festival, produced by Benchmark, will be held from December 24, 2025, to January 6, 2026, at Misk City in Riyadh.
The festival forms part of the Saudi-Chinese Cultural Year 2025 and coincides with the celebration of 35 years of diplomatic relations between the two nations.
A highlight of the festival is When the Wind Turns East, a landmark exhibition presented by the Sigg Art Foundation. The show brings together more than 60 contemporary artists from Saudi Arabia and China, exploring cultural dialogue and artistic exchange across diverse media.
The exhibition will feature major works from the renowned Uli Sigg Collection of Chinese contemporary art and the Pierre Sigg Collection of Saudi contemporary art. Additional pieces will be sourced from significant private collections and directly from artists’ studios, making it one of the most comprehensive showcases of cross-cultural creativity between the two countries to date.
The Common Ground Festival aligns with Saudi Arabia’s ongoing efforts to foster global cultural connections and underscores the growing role of the Kingdom’s cultural institutions in facilitating international artistic collaboration.
Athmaja Biju is the Editor at Abir Pothi. She is a Translator and Writer working on Visual Culture.
