Aya Albakree

Aya Al-Bakree is the CEO of Diriyah Biennale Foundation (DBF), a not-for-profit cultural organization chaired by His Highness Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan and mandated to stage two world-class biennales in Saudi Arabia, alternating between contemporary and Islamic arts. At the heart of the foundation’s strategy is a mission to foster artistic cross-fertilization by connecting Saudi Arabia to international cultural discourse, to elevate artistic practice through an unwavering commitment to curatorial excellence and to provide vast educational public programs for participants of all ages and backgrounds.
As a passionate advocate for the arts and the adaptive reuse of public spaces into cultural venues, Aya has overseen the successful launch of two-city inaugural biennale editions at the JAX district in Diriyah, and the iconic Hajj Terminal in Jeddah, which showcased the works of diverse local and international artists, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors to date. The contemporary art biennale in 2021 was recognized as the first dedicated biennale in Saudi Arabia, and the Islamic Arts Biennale in Jeddah was the first of its kind in world history, showcasing contemporary and ancient works of unprecedented breadth and scale.
Prior to her appointment as CEO at Diriyah Biennale Foundation and after earning her Global Communications degree at the American University of Paris in 2011, where she has also completed a year-long exchange program at Parsons, Aya has held strategic roles in fostering local and international artistic exchange at leading contemporary art galleries in France and Saudi Arabia.