Riyadh University Of Arts Forms Educational Partnership With AMDA College Of Performing Arts For Global Performing Arts Training

Riyadh University of Arts, affiliated with the Ministry of Culture, has signed a formal partnership with the American Musical and Dramatic Academy’s College of Performing Arts, which operates campuses in New York City and Hollywood, California. The agreement positions AMDA as an educational partner for the university’s College of Theater and Performing Arts, aiming to develop creative talent and deepen international cultural exchange.

The agreement supports the wider vision for Riyadh University of Arts, which Minister of Culture Prince Bader bin Abdullah bin Farhan announced last September during the Cultural Investment Conference. The university is planned as a key centre for creative education and cultural innovation, preparing students with skills, knowledge, and vision to contribute to the Kingdom’s cultural future from its launch in the first quarter of 2026.

The signing ceremony took place at the King Fahd Cultural Center in Riyadh, alongside performances of "Wicked The Musical," produced by the Royal Commission for Riyadh City as part of its Middle East tour. Deputy Minister of Culture for National Partnerships and Capacity Building Noha Kattan signed on behalf of Riyadh University of Arts, while AMDA was represented by academic vice president, chief academic officer, and executive vice president of operations Michael Angotti.

Representatives from the Theater and Performing Arts Commission attended the event, together with a selected group of theatre and arts specialists from public, private, and non-profit sectors. Their presence underlined the importance of this partnership for the broader cultural ecosystem, as the agreement is expected to feed directly into the growth of performing arts training and practice in Saudi Arabia and abroad.

Under the partnership, AMDA will work with Riyadh University of Arts to encourage student enrolment in the College of Theater and Performing Arts and to design and deliver specialised training programmes. AMDA experts will provide faculty training both in person and online, with sessions held in Saudi Arabia and in the United States, creating shared academic standards across both institutions.

The agreement also includes academic exchange programmes linking Riyadh University of Arts with AMDA’s campuses in New York and Los Angeles. These exchanges are set to give students and faculty access to different performance cultures and teaching approaches, while strengthening long-term academic cooperation across film, theatre, music, and related creative fields.

The Riyadh University of Arts AMDA partnership forms part of a broader series of agreements and memoranda of understanding being developed for the university’s colleges. Additional collaborations with leading international institutions will be introduced in phases as more colleges launch, supporting programme design, research collaboration, and initiatives that enrich education and cultural development throughout the Kingdom.

Riyadh University of Arts plans to introduce academic programmes gradually across multiple artistic fields and sub-disciplines, with a focus on lifelong learning. The institution will offer a wide range of qualifications, from short courses to doctoral programmes, as shown below.

Details about specific colleges, academic offerings, and institutional partnerships will be published on the university’s official website before teaching begins in the first quarter of 2026. This staged release is designed to give prospective students and stakeholders clear information about study routes, admission options, and the role of global partners such as AMDA in shaping course content.

Riyadh University of Arts AMDA partnership draws on AMDA experience

For more than six decades, AMDA has prepared artists to participate in the future of the entertainment industry across film, television, Broadway, music, and related sectors. Through its campuses in New York and Los Angeles, AMDA delivers intensive, career-focused training led by experienced industry professionals who bring current workplace practice into the classroom and studio.

AMDA’s curriculum blends classical performance techniques with newer, realistic approaches to acting, music, and movement. This mix is designed to equip graduates to work confidently in a creative environment that continues to change quickly. AMDA is regarded as one of the most influential arts institutions globally, with thousands of graduates contributing to the advancement of the arts worldwide.

Taken together, the Riyadh University of Arts AMDA partnership and the wider network of planned international agreements are expected to support Saudi Arabia’s cultural ambitions. The collaboration links a new national institution, scheduled to launch academic programmes in the first quarter of 2026, with an experienced global partner, helping to build skills, exchange knowledge, and strengthen performing arts education.

With inputs from SPA