NTB Museum Partners with Saudi Arabia for Cultural Research
In an effort to deepen the understanding and preservation of Indonesia’s rich Islamic cultural heritage, the West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) State Museum has partnered with the Saudi Arabian cultural organization, Al Madar, to establish an international research collaboration.
Ahmad Nuralam, Head of the NTB State Museum, said that collaboration with Al Madar will add value and enhance the Museum NTB’s capacity in preserving and maintaining various cultural objects.
“Capacity building, joint research, workshops, and related activities are important for us to develop and provide added value to the cooperation established,” he said in Mataram on Saturday, August 16, 2025, as reported by antaranews.com.
Nuralam highlighted the long-standing historical relationship between Indonesia and Saudi Arabia, especially in Lombok.
He acknowledged that Indonesia and Saudi Arabia have had a very long relationship because Islamic-influenced cultures create a mutual attraction and influence between Saudi Arabia and Indonesia.
“I think this is proof that we have actually been in good relations and have mutually influenced each other,” he said.
Furthermore, he conveyed that Indonesia, especially in Lombok, culturally and through the diaspora community originating from the Arabian Peninsula, has existed and lived harmoniously with the local society. From a historical aspect, this has already formed a new entity that is very harmonious in the daily life of the people in Lombok.
The NTB Museum will soon study and examine other collections related to the traditional relationship between Saudi Arabia and Indonesia. The study will also cover the influence of Saudi culture in shaping the cultural capacity of the local community.
This step is taken as a follow-up to the research collaboration with Al Madar. Al Madar literally means "Orbit" in Arabic. It is a segment of the exhibition that showcases dynamic cultural exchanges within Islamic civilization spreading from the Arabian Peninsula to Southeast Asia and West Africa.
Al Madar is part of the annual Islamic Arts Biennale exhibition organized by the Diriyah Biennale Foundation, a cultural nonprofit organization in Saudi Arabia. Abdulrahman Azaam, Artistic Director of the Islamic Arts Biennale Jeddah, said Saudi Arabia plans to provide funding related to institutional cooperation focused on research.
“Regardless of the success of the Al Madar biennale, Saudi Arabia itself wants to ensure that there will be definite funding for the next cooperation focused on research,” he said.
Azaam revealed that this understanding arose from an awareness of the importance of expanding the narrative of Islamic civilization beyond the traditional perspective centered on Saudi Arabia.
According to him, many other regions, such as Mali and Indonesia, have made significant contributions to the global development of Islamic civilization.
“Saudi Arabia recognizes the need for new discourses to explore the broader heritage of Islamic civilization. In this partnership, Al Madar acts as a facilitator connecting partners, such as the NTB Museum with the Saudi Arabian government,” said Azaam.
The focus of the collaboration between the NTB Museum and Al Madar is in the form of research, professional development, and human resource capacity building at the museum. It also includes collection preservation and research that can later be disseminated through seminars or workshops.