Ithra

The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, known as Ithra, opened in 2018 in Dhahran on the site of Dammam Well Number 7, the well that first produced oil in commercial quantity in 1938 and is preserved beside the building. The centre was designed by Snøhetta as a cluster of rounded forms clad in steel tube, with a tower, a library, an auditorium, a cinema, a children's museum, an Islamic art gallery, a natural history and heritage museum and a large temporary exhibition space that has hosted international shows. It functions as a working cultural institution with programming rather than as a monument, and entry to the permanent galleries is free.

What you actually see

• The building - the steel-clad forms and the tower by Snøhetta.
• The museum galleries - Islamic art, heritage and natural history.
• The library - the multi-storey reading tower.
• Well Number 7 - the preserved first producing oil well outside.

When to go

November to March for the weather, though the centre is entirely indoors and air conditioned. Check the exhibition programme before going, since the temporary shows are often the reason to visit. Weekends are busy.

Honest expectations

Some exhibitions and the cinema are ticketed separately and sell out. The permanent galleries are modest relative to the building. Booking may be required at busy times. Dhahran is spread out and a car is needed.

Nearby

Khobar lies east; Half Moon Bay is south.