Our story
The District
Five chapters — from workshops and warehouses to the home of Saudi contemporary art.
Chapter 01 · 1980s
Workshops & warehouses for a growing capital
Built to serve Riyadh's industrial growth — metalworks, light manufacturing, storage. The buildings that today house galleries and studios were once filled with welders, mechanics and shipping crates.
Chapter 02 · 2018
Reimagined as a cultural district
Within the Diriyah Biennale Foundation framework, JAX District is identified as the future hub for Saudi contemporary art and design. The vision: restore the warehouses, preserve the industrial fabric, host a creative ecosystem.
Chapter 03 · 2021
The first Diriyah Biennale opens
Public launch with the inaugural Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale. International audiences discover JAX District, artist residencies and gallery programming begin, and the first generation of long-term tenants moves in.
Chapter 04 · 2024–2025
Full programming, year-round
Five public programme tracks crystallise: The Research Room, Studio Youth + Minis, Events, PaperBack, and Culture on Tap. F&B vendors, retail spaces and partnerships expand the daily life of the district.
Chapter 05 · Now
SAMOCA opens. The platform launches.
The Saudi Arabian Museum of Contemporary Art — the Kingdom's first contemporary art museum — opens inside JAX District, alongside a new bilingual digital platform for visitors, tenants and applicants.
Context
Why Diriyah matters
Diriyah is the historical seat of the first Saudi state. Adjacent to JAX is At-Turaif — a UNESCO World Heritage Site. JAX exists in dialogue with that heritage: industrial fabric preserved, contemporary culture inserted.