Ithra’s creative learning conference starts this week

The multifaceted platform provides audiences with access to creative industry professionals who specialize in innovative, unconventional and informal learning methods. (Supplied)
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Updated 15 January 2024
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Ithra’s creative learning conference starts this week

  • This year, visitors will take a deep dive into informal learning through the lens of storytelling

DHAHRAN: The Learning Beyond Conference at the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, Ithra, is back for its second edition at the center’s headquarters this week.

For two days starting Jan. 19, Ithra will host more than 22 interactive talks and sessions, 50 speakers, 15 workshops and four book signings, held in both English and Arabic.

Tickets can be purchased for workshop events via the Ithra website starting Tuesday. Visitors can also buy day one or day two passes or a pass for both days.

This year, visitors will take a deep dive into informal learning through the lens of storytelling. An Ithra statement said: “Learning through storytelling is about utilizing our natural tendencies to maximize our learning experiences.

“Attendees will get into the crux of creative and informal learning by engaging with global industry experts on a myriad of topics, some of which cover learning tools, learning strategies, learning environments, imagination rooms, the impact of social spaces and learning beyond books.”

Ithra’s Learning Beyond Conference is a pioneering event in the MENA region.

The multifaceted platform provides audiences with access to creative industry professionals who specialize in innovative, unconventional and informal learning methods.

Through its different offerings — interactive panel discussions, intensive workshops, intimate roundtable sessions with global experts and immersive experiences activated across Ithra’s facilities — the Learning Beyond Conference reveals cutting-edge practices to visitors, with the goal of providing people with lifelong tools to forge stronger connections with their audiences, whether children, students, clients or customers.

The conference is targeted at adults and aims to engage educators, teachers, parents, content developers, intellectuals, lifelong learners and education entrepreneurs in one space.

The complete schedule for the Learning Beyond Conference will be posted online.

Doors open from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday and 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday.


King Abdulaziz Foundation reveals rare images from king’s 1916 Basra visit

Updated 20 December 2025
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King Abdulaziz Foundation reveals rare images from king’s 1916 Basra visit

  • Photographs form part of a wider collection documented by British photographer Gertrude Bell

RIYADH: The King Abdulaziz Foundation has revealed archival photographs documenting King Abdulaziz’s tour of the outskirts of Basra in 1916, a visit that came at an early stage of his efforts to build regional relationships.

One of the photographs, taken by British photographer Gertrude Bell, shows King Abdulaziz standing with his men in the Basra desert, the Saudi Press Agency reported. 

The image reflects his early political and diplomatic engagement in the region, as he sought to strengthen ties with neighboring areas and engage with the wider Arab and international community, SPA added.

The photograph forms part of a wider collection documented by Bell, which records key developments and transformations across the Arabian Peninsula during the early 20th century.

The Basra visit holds particular significance in King Abdulaziz’s journey as a unifying leader. 

Rather than crossing borders in pursuit of power, the visit reflected an approach focused on stability, cooperation and long-term regional harmony, laying the groundwork for a leadership style defined by pragmatism and openness, SPA said.