Dia Aziz Dia, a Saudi artist, sculptor and photographer, is renowned for his contributions to the field of fine arts in the Arab world. He is a graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome. Dia went to the academy on a scholarship in 1971. Following his graduation, he worked as an art teacher at Al-Thaghr Schools in Jeddah for nearly two years. During his stint as an art teacher, he felt teaching stifled his true calling. In 1974, he started his own business with Mas Institute of Art, which ran until 1979. He joined the Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia) in 1980 as an administrative director of office design. In 2004, Dia took early retirement from the airlines.  He also headed the board of Saudi Center for Fine Arts in 1987. He was a member of the Saudi House of Artists at its inception. Dia is still a member of the Saudi Arts and Culture Society.  As an artist, Dia has contributed extensively to the Kingdom’s art scene. In 1979, he designed the famous Gate of Makkah, which is a monument that greets travelers who cross Makkah-Jeddah Highway to enter the city. In 1985, he was assigned by Prince Khalid bin Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz to sculpt Al-Ahli Football Club’s Statue at Tahlia Street in Jeddah.  In 1993, he created a sculpture titled “A Man’s Dream” for Saudia using airplane parts. He had originally designed it in 1981. He also sculpted the Kingdom’s statue in Mexico in 2006. It was a gift from the Saudi government to Mexico.  Dia has received several awards for his works. In 1970, he was awarded the first prize for designing a golden medal to mark the 50th anniversary of Rome’s General Works Financing Committee.  A year later, he won the best foreign artist cup at Oderisi da Gubbio, an international competition organized by the International Academy for Culture and Patronage in Rome. The Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and the Equestrian Club in Riyadh awarded the Saudi artist in 2012 for his huge contributions to the Saudi art scene.