Dhahran | B | B
20 May 2026

The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) is moving toward a new operational phase driven by artificial intelligence and smart systems, within a strategy aimed at reshaping the visitor experience through an advanced technological ecosystem operating behind the scenes — connecting culture, data, and real-time responsiveness.

The Brief

Ithra — an initiative by Saudi Aramco — announced the introduction of new AI-supported services designed to enhance visitor experience through interactive systems that provide faster access to information, guidance, and support across the center’s facilities.

Abdullah Al-Baqmi, Director of Technical and Engineering Services at Ithra, stated that the center relies on more than 36 integrated smart systems that monitor movement flow and crowd density throughout the facilities, dynamically reorganizing pathways and capacities to ensure a smooth and balanced visitor experience.

He added that visitors will soon interact with the new smart services through the phrase:
“Your Voice is Heard,”
in a move aimed at strengthening real-time engagement and improving service quality.

Al-Baqmi explained that technology at Ithra is not managed as a separate layer from the cultural experience, but rather as an essential part of it, with operational systems working in harmony to provide a comfortable and secure environment without visitors feeling the technical complexity behind the scenes.

Operationally, the ecosystem is built on a multi-layered control structure that includes building management systems, climate and ventilation control, air quality monitoring, and space management solutions to maintain a continuous balance between operational efficiency and flexible usage.

The center also manages more than 30,000 square meters of green spaces through fully automated smart irrigation systems, alongside a closed-loop organic waste recycling system that converts all organic waste into compost used within the site itself.

In highly sensitive environments such as the museum and grand hall, the systems rely on advanced sensors controlling temperature, humidity, and lighting according to sophisticated preservation standards, ensuring both artifact protection and maximum visitor comfort.

B Analysis

What is happening at Ithra goes beyond the idea of simply modernizing traditional services…
This is a new model where the cultural experience itself is managed by a silent digital intelligence.

The real transformation is no longer about:
adding a screen,
an app,
or even a smart robot…

but about building an environment that thinks, responds, and learns in real time.

At a deeper level,
this experience reflects how Saudi Arabia is moving from the phase of:
using technology,
to the phase of:
engineering experiences through artificial intelligence and data.

That is what makes Ithra closer to:
an intelligent cultural platform,
rather than merely a traditional cultural center.