Saudi creator builds Arabic cultural platform through art

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia (MNTV) — Saudi media content creator Farah Al-Ibrahim has transformed her experience in digital journalism into an independent platform focused on making art and culture more accessible.

Al-Ibrahim founded Fann Culture in 2025 after years of working with major media organizations, where she developed digital content strategies and managed online teams.

Talking to Arab News, she said the project represents an extension of her media career rather than a departure from it, drawing on the storytelling and audience-development skills she gained throughout her professional experience.

Al-Ibrahim studied mass communication at the American University of Sharjah and entered the digital media industry in 2012, initially working as a social media producer as traditional news organizations began expanding their digital operations.

She later became social media manager at Sayidaty before joining Al Arabiya, part of MBC Group, as a digital content manager.

Her experience led her to recognize a gap in Arabic cultural content. As Saudi Arabia’s cultural sector expanded through exhibitions, museums, artists and cultural events, she found limited material that combined substantial information with an accessible and engaging presentation.

Fann Culture was created to address that gap by exploring the stories, people, historical developments and ideas surrounding art rather than simply describing individual artworks or artistic movements.

The platform aims to encourage curiosity among audiences who may have little formal education in art while giving them enough context to explore cultural subjects further.

Al-Ibrahim initially launched the project on Instagram and deliberately kept its operation small rather than attempting to reproduce the structure of a large media organization. It later expanded to TikTok and attracted more than 100,000 followers across both platforms during its first year, with its content receiving millions of views.

She said building an active community around the platform has been more meaningful than the number of followers. Artists, collectors and younger audiences without formal art training have begun engaging with the material and sharing their own perspectives.

According to Al-Ibrahim, this interaction has also helped make discussions about art less intimidating, with audiences increasingly recognizing that appreciating or responding to art does not require professional expertise.

She sees short-form social media content as an entry point to deeper cultural learning rather than a substitute for books, museums or detailed study.

A brief video, she said, can encourage someone to research a subject, visit an exhibition or reconsider an artwork, helping develop cultural awareness through curiosity.

Although Fann Culture is based in Saudi Arabia, Al-Ibrahim intends it to serve Arabic-speaking audiences across the region. Her previous work with Sayidaty and Al Arabiya helped shape her understanding of how Saudi perspectives can be presented to a broader Arab audience.

The platform is also preparing to expand beyond social media. It plans to release its first digital book in September, focusing on modern art and beginning with the Realism movement.

The idea emerged after followers repeatedly asked Al-Ibrahim to recommend Arabic-language books about art history that offered useful information without being excessively academic. Finding few suitable options, she decided to develop one herself using research and established sources.

Al-Ibrahim’s longer-term vision extends beyond visual art. She hopes Fann Culture will eventually cover subjects including music, theater, heritage, history, fashion, food, travel and the individuals shaping these cultural fields.

She also envisions developing a multimedia cultural library featuring videos, documentaries, books, audio content and other formats that audiences can use to discover new subjects.

Despite its growing reach, Fann Culture remains a small operation, largely managed by Al-Ibrahim with occasional assistance from freelancers.

She said building the platform has renewed her appreciation for content creation while revealing an entrepreneurial side of her career.

For Al-Ibrahim, the platform’s growing audience demonstrates that there is significant interest in art and culture when Arabic stories are presented in an accessible, engaging and relatable way.