Saudi Arabia’s Diriyah Company has awarded a $490m contract to Al Bawani Company and the Saudi Arabian arm of Egypt’s Hassan Allam Construction to build the Saudi Arabia Museum of Contemporary Art (SAMoCA).

The 45,252-sq-m museum will document, research and exhibit Saudi Arabian modern and contemporary art.

It has been designed by UK-headquartered Godwin Austen Johnson and Egypt’s Rafaat Miller Consulting.

Jerry Inzerillo, Diriyah Company’s chief executive, said: “The Saudi Arabia Museum of Contemporary Art will provide Saudi and international artists with a truly world-class platform, one that invites global voices to engage with the Kingdom as it is today.

“This iconic asset will further elevate Diriyah’s reputation as the Kingdom’s capital of culture, and underscores our unwavering commitment to developing a vibrant city that serves our community, and the nation at large.”

The new SAMoCA building will operate alongside the SAMoCA exhibition space at the JAX Center.

Diriyah is one of Saudi Arabia’s most historically significant sites and a major centrepiece of the Kingdom’s modern development plans. It is also where the first Saudi state was founded in the 18th century, and is often referred to as the “birthplace of the Kingdom”.

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