ACCIONA Cultura, a leading cultural production firm, held a second-panel discussion in its series of Talks designed to promote culture through technological innovation and creativity. The event, held at the World Tourism Organization’s (UNWTO) regional office in Riyadh, brought together a range of leading figures from across the arts, government, and business to showcase the decisive role that culture plays in promoting a more sustainable world.
The discussion in this session focused on the relationship between cities and culture and how museums, in particular, have evolved over the last thirty years to reach new audiences, remaining relevant to younger, hyper-connected, and highly digitized generations.
The Riyadh event follows an inaugural panel discussion of its series entitled Sustainability Matters: A Social Conversation in May, which explored the concept of culture as a powerful tool for achieving social sustainability by promoting diversity, inclusivity, and creativity while preserving the cultural heritage of local communities.
Panelists who participated in the event included Farah Abushullaih, Head of Museums at Ithra; Muna Alamer, Managing Partner at Naqaa Solutions; Marta Fernández de Alarcón, Secretary General of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in the UAE; Nayfa Rayed Al-Brahim, Co-founder of Vox Art and Atrum Art; and Cristina Hernández Prieto, ACCIONA Cultura head of Events. The participants shared their experiences in different areas and explained how Saudi Arabia´s Vision 2030 aims to nurture the country’s cultural scene.
Daniel Orti, ACCIONA Cultura Middle East Director, who participated as the keynote speaker, said, “Museums are perfectly positioned to address and enhance sustainability as they can work with communities to raise public awareness, support research, and contribute to well-being. The role museums play in the public discussion on sustainability has never been more critical”.
Cristina Hernández Prieto underscored that events are a relevant tool for cultural promotion. “By bringing together leading figures from a range of sectors, events like these can themselves spark innovation and collaboration while raising the profile of sustainability and culture in the public consciousness,” she said.
All of ACCIONA Cultura´s activities are carbon neutral, including events. As part of a renewable energy company, all CO2 emissions are offset through Acciona´s clean energy projects. Furthermore, ACCIONA Cultura has recently launched a Sustainable Events Guide designed to help all the actors involved in events towards a net zero future”.
