PARIS/JEDDAH: Fady Jameel, chair of Art Jameel and vice chairman of Abdul Latif Jameel, has been appointed a Chevalier in France’s Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, recognising his and the Jameel family’s long-standing global contributions to the arts.
The distinction was conferred by the French Ministry of Culture at a ceremony in Paris last week, led by Rachida Dati, and attended by cultural figures from the arts and cinema sectors.
The Chevalier title honors individuals whose work has significantly enriched culture and the arts in France and internationally. The award also marks 80 years of the Jameel family’s philanthropic activity and more than two decades of arts-focused initiatives led by Fady Jameel across Saudi Arabia, the UAE and beyond, alongside efforts to deepen cultural ties between the Middle East and France.
“It is a tremendous source of pride to be recognised in the French Order of Arts and Letters,” Jameel said, crediting his family’s support and the philanthropic legacy established by his grandfather in Jeddah eight decades ago. He thanked the French Ministry of Culture and officials at the French Embassy and Consulate in Saudi Arabia, as well as public- and private-sector partners, for their continued backing of the cultural sector.
“At Art Jameel, we believe in the role of the arts in transforming lives,” he added, citing programmes spanning Islamic art and craft to contemporary practice.
He said the organisation would continue to strengthen arts ecosystems in Saudi Arabia and internationally through new initiatives supporting students, creatives and public engagement, while expanding international exchange.
Mohammed Nehad, Consul General of France in Jeddah, said the honor recognised the Jameel family’s sustained collaboration with French institutions. He highlighted joint projects ranging from artist commissions and film screenings to education programmes and production support, adding that France looked forward to expanding cooperation with Art Jameel.
Founded in 2003 by the Jameel family, Art Jameel operates as a privately funded organisation with a public mission, working alongside government partners to broaden access to learning, exchange and development through the arts. Its flagship, free-entry institutions include Hayy Jameel in Jeddah and Jameel Arts Centre in Dubai, the latter recently receiving a medal of excellence at the Art Basel Awards.
Art Jameel also maintains long-term partnerships with leading global museums, including the Victoria and Albert Museum, home to the Jameel Gallery of Islamic Art and the Jameel Prize, and Metropolitan Museum of Art, where the Jameel Programme supports the presentation of artists from the Middle East.
Cultural exchange with France features prominently in the organisation’s programming. The Alliance Française operates at Hayy Jameel, while Hayy Cinema regularly screens French films and hosts collaborations between French and Saudi artists. A current joint initiative with the Cinémathèque de Toulouse focuses on restoring and screening rare Palestinian films from the 1960s to the 1980s.
Exhibitions and commissions at Jameel Arts Centre frequently include French artists and members of Arab diasporas, with recent collaborations involving institutions such as the Biennale de Lyon, Palais de Tokyo and the Institut du monde arabe.
Art Jameel employs more than 90 full-time staff across its centres, and its exhibitions and learning programmes reach nearly two million people annually.