Two of the new museums approved by the commission, Riwaq Al-Turath Museum in Riyadh and Moudi Al-Asimi Museum in Al-Dawadmi governorate, are owned by women RIYADH: The Riyadh region now has more private museums than any other province in Saudi Arabia after five new licenses were granted. The Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH) gave the go-ahead for the latest exhibition centers, which will take the total number of museums in the region’s towns, cities and governorates to 50. Two of the new museums approved by the commission, Riwaq Al-Turath Museum in Riyadh and Moudi Al-Asimi Museum in Al-Dawadmi governorate, are owned by women. Other licenses go to the Majid Heritage Museum in Rawdat Sadir, the Khalid Al-Radian Heritage Museum in Riyadh, and the Qararah Museum in Al-Dawadmi. Ajab Al-Otaibi, director of national heritage administration for the SCTH’s Riyadh region, highlighted the important role played by public- and private-sector partners in supporting and marketing private museums. He said: “Private museums participate in celebrating official holidays and national and international museum days. They receive visitors, both citizens and residents, school students and state guests of foreign countries, often hosting cultural events and heritage shows.” Al-Otaibi noted that private museums were key providers in helping raise awareness of the Kingdom’s cultural and civil identity, while also acting as a source of education, knowledge, entertainment and tourist trade. He also hailed museum owners for their vital contribution to preserving the Saudi national heritage. Some of the most prominent private museums in the region include Al-Hamdan Heritage Museum in Riyadh, Al-Tamim Museum in Al-Aflaj, Hamad Al-Salem Museum in Ishkeir Center, Al-Sadiriyeh Heritage Museum in Wadi Al-Dawaser, Al-Dalm Abaq Al-Tarikh Museum in Al-Kharj, Jarallah Al-Adib Museum for Popular Heritage in Riyadh, Diyar Al-Izz Museum in Al-Muzahimiyah, and Abdulrahman Al-Dweihi Museum for Popular Heritage in Al-Zulfi.