First Look Inside Jeddah’s Red Sea Museum

Jeddah just gained a new cultural anchor on its ancient shoreline: the Red Sea Museum, a world-class institution set inside the newly restored Bab Al-Bunt, the historic customs house that once welcomed goods, and people, from across the globe. Now, it’s welcoming ideas.

In a ceremony attended by HRH Prince Saud bin Mishal bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Governor of Makkah, and Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan Al Saud, Minister of Culture and Chairman of the Museums Commission, along with artists, diplomats, and the region’s cultural A-list, the museum swung open its doors as the latest milestone in the revival of UNESCO-listed Historic Jeddah.

The opening unfolded with: guided walkthroughs of the museum’s permanent galleries, the debut of its first temporary exhibition Gateway of Gateways by Saudi artist Moath Alofi, and a special performance by the “Silk Road” ensemble, an ode to the musical rhythms that once travelled the same waters the museum now celebrates.

At the ceremony, Prince Badr called the museum “a vast space for creativity and a platform for cultural dialogue,” positioning it firmly within Saudi Arabia’s ongoing cultural renaissance and the wider reimagining of Al-Balad as a living bridge between eras and civilizations.

Housed at the literal meeting point of land and sea, Bab Al-Bunt has been restored with sustainability at its core as part of Vision 2030’s Quality of Life Program. Its rebirth transforms a century-old maritime gateway into a cultural landmark, preserving its architectural soul while reopening it to the world, this time, through art, research, and storytelling.

Inside, the Red Sea Museum offers a sweeping narrative of the region’s intertwined histories. More than 1,000 artifacts and artworks—from ancient navigational tools and Chinese ceramics to rare photographs, manuscripts, and contemporary pieces, are displayed across 23 galleries structured around seven thematic chapters. Together, they trace centuries of migration, trade, creativity, and exchange along one of the world’s most storied coastlines.