The National Theatre is a multi-performance space of 2,300 seats, confirmed in the Foundation's 2022 release. The 2019 launch plan said 2,500 seats and five indoor theatres. It forms part of the Royal Arts Complex, which is due to be handed to the Ministry of Culture around December 2026 to March 2027.
Key facts
| Seats |
2,300 seats
King Salman Park Founda…May 2022Umm Al-Qura Gazette (SP…May 2022SaudipediaJan 2023
Design capacity of the multi-performance space, Foundation release 25 May 2022 · as of May 2022
2,500 seats King Salman Park Founda…Al Madina
Earlier plan in the 2019 Arabic launch release; repeated in some later secondary articles · Mar 2019
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How many seats does the National Theatre have?
We show 2,300 seats for the National Theatre, from the Foundation. The 2,500 figure is listed as an older or secondary figure, and the other theatres are kept as separate venues.
Why figures differ →Why 2,300 seats?
The seat count has moved over time. In March 2019 the Arabic launch release described a 2,500-seat national theatre and five indoor theatres. When the Board launched the Royal Arts Complex in May 2022, the Foundation's English release said 2,300 seats, and Saudipedia and the Arabic WAM text agree. Some later secondary articles still repeat 2,500, but the Foundation's own 2022 figure is the one we use. The 2,500 number is a design-stage figure that was superseded, and we keep it visible so readers can see where it comes from.
A multi-performance space
The Foundation calls it a multi-performance space. That wording matters: the room is described as flexible rather than as a fixed-format opera house. We have no source for stage dimensions, orchestra pit or acoustic design.
Neighbours
The Foundation's release pairs the theatre with a separate 650-seat theatre and three cinema halls, all within the Royal Arts Complex designed by Bofill Taller de Arquitectura. The institute's own 600-seat auditorium is a different room.
Who will run it
The complex's operator is the Ministry of Culture, which appointed Douglas Gautier as the complex's CEO in April 2025. MEED reported in September 2026 that the complex is due to be handed over in three to six months.
Where it stands
The theatre is under construction and not open. There is no programme, ticketing or opening date. Please treat any 2026 opening claim for the Royal Arts Complex as unconfirmed until the Ministry of Culture announces one.
Explore it in 3D
Drag to turn it. A stylised model and artist impression, not an official design.
Timeline
Royal Arts Complex construction launched
The Foundation's board, chaired by the Crown Prince, launched construction on the Royal Arts Complex, more than 500,000 square metres with a museum, theatre, library, cinema and institute for traditional arts.
King Salman Park Founda…May 2022Gallery
Sources
- (Arabic version) Board launches the Royal Arts Complex project · King Salman Park Foundation, 25 May 2022
- Board launches Royal Arts Complex project · King Salman Park Foundation, 25 May 2022
- (Arabic version) King Salman launches 4 giga projects worth USD 23 billion in Riyadh · King Salman Park Foundation, 19 Mar 2019
- King Salman Park prepares for soft opening · MEED, 30 Sep 2026
- برئاسة ولي العهد.. مجلس إدارة مؤسسة حديقة الملك سلمان يطلق مشروع المجمع الملكي للفنون · Umm Al-Qura Gazette (SPA wire), 25 May 2022
- What Are the Components of King Salman Park Project? · Saudipedia, 30 Jan 2023
