Airports are increasingly using arts and cultural heritage as a means of connecting with passengers on their journeys through terminal spaces. Whether arriving or departing the experience of being ‘in-transit’ is increasingly important for contemporary travellers. In Saudi Arabia, a Biennial site has been created to host the bi-annual global art event. The siting of the 2023 Islamic Arts Biennial at the Hajj Terminal in King Abdulaziz International Airport, Jeddah offers an opportunity to examine the dynamic relations between airport space, art biennials and Muslim identity in Saudi Arabia. The Islamic Arts Biennial, the first of its kind, seeks to reshape understandings of Islamic Art. This paper seeks to analyse how Islamic Art and Muslim identity were used as a central theme within the biennial; and how these identities were enhanced through the selection of the Hajj Terminal site. I argue that the siting of the first Islamic Arts Biennial in the Hajj Terminal presents an Islamic arts discourse that situates the Kingdom’s emerging transnational identity within the framework of Muslim heritage and national identity, and contributes to our understanding of airport cultures.

The Arab American National Museum (AANM) in Dearborn, Michigan offers a unique venue for the display of Islamic cultural heritage and national identity in the United States. The institution’s very title implies a paradox – a “national” museum that houses artifacts and narratives reflective of the 22 Arab countries whose diaspora populations form both the subject and audience of the museum. Through a series of “Core Galleries” and through rotating special exhibits, the AANM strives to showcase the diversity of the Arab American experience. In fulfilling its goal “to document, preserve and present the history, culture and contributions of Arab Americans,” the AANM must navigate the complexities of a multi-national, multi-religious diaspora community as well as the diverse perspectives and positions of the non-Arab population of Dearborn and beyond. This presentation explores the strategies AANM employs in its exploration and celebration of Islamic identity as a key feature of the Arab American experience. It analyzes the museum’s exhibition and education strategies, with a particular emphasis on the role that special exhibitions, such as the recent “reCRAFTED Histories” installation by Iraqi American artist Zahra Almajidi, play in the exploration of cultural identity. The presentation considers the way that AANM’s position as the only museum of its kind in the United States creates both expectations and opportunities for cultural expression and analyzes the effectiveness of the museum’s recent strategies for community engagement and education.

In 2016, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia announced a new strategic plan, ‘Vision 2030’, to diversify the economy and advance cultural advancement. The new vision emphasises the value of cultural heritage and museum developments within the Kingdom’s development goals. This paper discusses the concept of ‘Vision 2030’ and its impact on Saudi Arabian museums and the representation of Muslim heritage and identity. This paper will examine how ‘Vision 2030’ aims to transform Saudi Arabian museums by showcasing the nation’s Muslim cultural heritage and promoting the cultural tourism for Muslims worldwide. It will analyse how the principles of soft power and cultural diplomacy are embedded within ‘Vision 2030’ and what this means for the development of the cultural sector in KSA. In particular the paper will consider how museum experiences engage with Islamic history and Muslim identities. This paper contributes to understanding the evolving representation of Muslim heritage in a dynamic cultural landscape by examining the alignment of ‘Vision 2030’ with cultural development goals and its impact on Saudi Arabian museums.

In today's world, museums with collections from the Islamic world are seen not only as custodians or guardians of this heritage, but also as powerful educational institutions. While this has helped to bring certain artefacts to a wider audience appreciation beyond Muslim communities, it has also had the effect of obscuring the cultural values that have historically given meaning to these objects and collections. A significant challenge for attempts to recover aspects of a broader understanding of Islamic heritage within museums is to overcome contemporary frameworks that inhibit engagement with longer, complex histories of how particular communities have engaged with the material remains of different parts of the Islamic world. This paper then seeks to explore and highlight why the construction of knowledge about Islamic artefacts within museums is essential and necessary for museums today in order to engage visitors deeply with the different facets of this rich heritage. It then presents ways of understanding Islamic heritage from an Islamic perspective and illuminates the facets of the multi-sensory approach by presenting a blueprint for innovative engagement with audiences, using examples from different international museums. By proposing case studies of meaningful learning experiences that can catalyse engagement with Islamic heritage and raise awareness among visitors. It will therefore explore the design of an educational programme that incorporates a multi-sensory approach to different activities.