My name is James, and I am Head of Culture and Creativity at the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture. I’m from London and I’ve been with Saudi Aramco for 2 years. In my role at the Center, I am responsible for the museum, the children’s discovery zone, performing arts, multimedia and a creativity think tank.

One of the most inspiring things about Saudi Aramco is if they want to do something, they do it well. They bring in the right investment and they bring in the right people, and I think the King Abdulaziz Center is a great example of that.

I’m really looking forward to seeing the Center grow and develop, it’s truly an iconic institution, the building is impressive, and as we develop more exhibitions, more live performances and our audiences grow, it really will become a benchmark for other institutions around the world. I’ve got a really close group of friends in Saudi Aramco, on weekends we regularly travel. Within Saudi Arabia, we go across to the Red Sea and visit Jerteh, but we also have the opportunity to go to other countries within the Gulf Region; it’s an amazing opportunity to do that.

One of the most distinctive things about Saudi Arabia is its people; they are really the most hospitable, kind and welcoming people. We regularly get invited around to peoples’ houses, whereas the tradition of serving Arabic coffee and dates is common, it really is a lovely experience. Moving oversees is going to be a big step for anyone, but I’m glad I came to Saudi Arabia; it really is an opportunity not to be missed.