King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture also known as ‘Ithra’ should be a primary destination for locals and international visitors in Saudi Arabia. What is unique about it is the diversity of offered entertainment to suit all ages and cater to different interests. The center’s story and all the activities they carry on weekly basis are available on the official website http://www.kingabdulazizcenter.com/.

In this post we will share a glimpse of what you will see when you visit the center and tell you a little bit about the things we found interesting during our earlier visits.

The center is huge and consists of two main parts:

• The Tower building where the library, museums and halls are all connected through the plaza area.
• The stand alone energy exhibit building offering enriching content on the region’s primary economic sector, Energy.

Transportation is easy and well managed. You could take the bus or the golf carts operated by center staff or you could even enjoy a short walk between the buildings. The place is filled with information counters and kiosks displaying the schedule of all the activities offered on the day of your visit so you could plan your time and movements accordingly. Also if you are visiting with kids, don’t forget to get the children wrest bands from information desks for in case they get lost.

Our favorite thing about Ithra is the rich artistic elements in the architecture. For example, pay attention to the pillars in the plaza area. You will notice they start with 4 edges at the top and transform into a 3 edges base! impressive.. Another art element is the walls that are designed to depict the desert colors in the kingdom. So to achieve that, as we were told, the artists collected sands from every desert soil in the country to create this masterpiece. Be sure to take the art tour offered by the center to know more.

If you are an eager reader, you will fall head over heels for the library! The atmosphere is soothing and the technology is utilized quite modernly. Not to mention the large collection of books available to readers. This four floor library is actually the largest library in the country.

Knowledge seekers will be really satisfied with the exhibit and museums at Ithra. I quite enjoyed the informative short movies played at the energy exhibit. I heard that they are frequently changing so there is always something to come back for. Children’s museums are also very enjoyable. Anyone with children struggling to find an enriching and fun place to spend the weekend will be really pleased when they visit the center. The center has other not yet open museums such as the Great hall oasis which has plants from all over the world.

Last but not least, the cinema roof deserves a comment. As a passionate traveller who cannot wait to head north and see the aurora, I salute the artists for conveying the spirit through the ceiling design. Well done.

Ithra definitely has a lot more to offer. Be sure to book your tickets through their official website. They are finally open for everyone to visit on the weekends.

Enjoy!