Saudi Arabia’s cultural landscape is entering one of the most ambitious chapters in its modern history. Under Vision 2030, culture has moved to the center of national development, creating new industries, opening professional pathways for young Saudis, strengthening the Kingdom’s creative identity, and expanding its presence on the global cultural stage.

One of the clearest symbols of this transformation is the establishment of Riyadh University of Arts (RUA), the Kingdom’s first specialized university dedicated to arts and culture. At the helm of this emerging institution is Dr. Mohammed Hasan Alwan, Acting President of Riyadh University of Arts and one of Saudi Arabia’s most distinguished literary and cultural leaders.

Building a Multidisciplinary Foundation

An award-winning novelist, academic, business professional, and cultural executive, Dr. Mohammed Hasan Alwan has built a career that brings together creativity, leadership, and institution-building. His journey reflects a central ambition of Saudi Arabia’s cultural transformation: turning creative talent into lasting national impact.

Dr. Alwan’s professional path spans several fields. He studied technology, business, marketing, and international management, giving him a broad perspective that would later support his leadership across Saudi Arabia’s cultural sector. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Information Systems from King Saud University, followed by a Master of Business Administration from the University of Portland in the United States. He later completed a Ph.D. in Marketing and International Business Administration at Carleton University in Canada.

This multidisciplinary background gave Dr. Alwan a strong foundation in both strategic thinking and organizational leadership. It also prepared him to understand how creative ideas can be developed into sustainable institutions, industries, and opportunities.

Before taking on senior roles in Saudi Arabia’s cultural sector, Dr. Hasan Alwan gained extensive corporate experience. Between 2003 and 2015, he held leadership positions at Naser M. Alnabit & Sons, including Managing Director and Board Member, after earlier working with Samba Financial Group. Alongside his academic and business career, however, Dr. Alwan was also establishing himself as one of Saudi Arabia’s most prominent contemporary literary voices.

From Celebrated Novelist to Cultural Leader

Long before leading major cultural institutions, Dr. Hasan Alwan established himself as one of Saudi Arabia’s most recognizable contemporary literary voices. His literary journey began with the publication of Saqf Al-Kifayah (Ceiling of Sufficiency) in 2002. He went on to publish works including Sofia, Touq Altahara (The Collar of Purity), Al-Qundus (The Beaver), Al Raheel (Departure: Theories and Key Factors), and his internationally celebrated historical novel Mawt Saghir (A Small Death).

His work gained attention well beyond the Kingdom. In 2010, Dr. Hasan Alwan was selected among the Beirut39, recognizing 39 leading Arab writers under the age of 40. His novel The Beaver was shortlisted for the International Prize for Arabic Fiction in 2013, while its French translation later received the Prix de la Littérature Arabe in Paris in 2015.

Then came one of the most significant achievements of his literary career. In 2017, A Small Death, an expansive historical novel inspired by the life of Sufi philosopher Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi, won the International Prize for Arabic Fiction, one of the Arab world’s most prestigious literary honors. Dr. Hasan Alwan has also contributed articles and literary writing to major regional and international publications, adding to a career built around ideas, storytelling, and cultural dialogue. Yet his influence would increasingly extend beyond the written page.

Leadership Across Saudi Arabia’s Cultural Transformation

As Saudi Arabia accelerated its cultural development under Vision 2030, Dr. Hasan Alwan became an important figure in the institutional transformation taking place across the sector. In 2019, he served as Head of the Literature, Translation, and Publishing Sector at the Ministry of Culture, contributing during an important period in the development of the Kingdom’s modern cultural infrastructure.

In February 2020, he became CEO of the Literature, Publishing, and Translation Commission, where his responsibilities expanded from cultural participation to sector-building. The role placed him at the center of efforts to support authors, publishers, translators, literary professionals, and cultural businesses while helping strengthen the institutional foundations required for a growing creative economy.

In November 2024, Dr. Hasan Alwan was appointed CEO of the Theater and Performing Arts Commission, extending his leadership into another rapidly developing part of Saudi Arabia’s cultural ecosystem. These roles demonstrate a defining feature of his career: the ability to move between artistic understanding and executive execution. It is precisely that combination that now positions him to help shape the future of Saudi creative education.

Riyadh University of Arts

A New Chapter for Creative Education

In August 2026, Dr. Mohammed Hasan Alwan assumed the role of Acting President of Riyadh University of Arts, taking charge at a pivotal stage in the university’s development. He will lead RUA through its next phase by overseeing academic and operational readiness, launching its academic programs, and building educational and industry partnerships. His role will also focus on preparing qualified Saudi professionals across artistic disciplines and strengthening specialized higher education in the Kingdom’s cultural and creative sectors.

RUA represents more than the launch of a new university. With its first cohort studying fields including theater and performing arts, music, film, and cultural management, it is designed to create stronger pathways from creative talent to professional careers, supporting Saudi Arabia’s broader cultural ambitions under Vision 2030.For generations of young Saudis passionate about film, theater, music, performance, and cultural leadership, specialized academic pathways can help transform creative ambition into professional expertise. Riyadh University of Arts is set to welcome students into programs including:

• Theater and Performing Arts, combining theoretical study with practical production and performance experience.
• Music, supporting the development of Saudi musicians through structured academic and artistic training.
• Film, preparing emerging directors, producers, and storytellers for an expanding Saudi screen industry.
• Cultural Management, developing professionals capable of leading institutions, projects, festivals, and creative enterprises.

By combining academic learning with practical industry preparation, RUA can help address one of the most important requirements of a sustainable cultural economy: specialized Saudi talent. Its graduates will not simply participate in Saudi Arabia’s cultural transformation. They can become the people who lead it.

Building a National Creative Ecosystem

Vision 2030 has expanded the meaning of opportunity for a new generation of Saudis. Today, creative careers that once existed largely outside traditional professional structures are becoming increasingly visible within education, entrepreneurship, tourism, entertainment, media, design, cultural management, and the performing arts.

Riyadh University of Arts strengthens this ecosystem by providing formal academic pathways into fields that are increasingly important to the Kingdom’s future. The university also represents a powerful connection between Saudi heritage and contemporary creativity. Saudi Arabia possesses centuries of poetry, storytelling, music, craftsmanship, architecture, performance traditions, and regional cultural identities. Developing modern creative institutions allows this heritage to inspire new forms of artistic expression while giving Saudi creators the capabilities to engage with global audiences.

Under Dr. Hasan Alwan’s leadership, RUA has the opportunity to become a bridge between those worlds: heritage and innovation, creativity and professionalism, local identity and international exchange.

A Legacy Beyond Literature

As Vision 2030 continues to redefine Saudi Arabia’s relationship with culture, creativity, and global engagement, leaders like Dr. Mohammed Hasan Alwan are demonstrating what cultural transformation looks like in practice.

His journey from novelist to national cultural executive and university leader is a powerful reminder that Saudi Arabia’s renaissance is being written not only through strategies and institutions, but through people capable of turning imagination into impact.

Discover more inspiring stories at Saudi Wins, where Vision 2030 comes to life.