The National Museum in Riyadh held a dialogue meeting entitled “Museum as a Community Activator,” in which Dr. Noura Shuqair was the main speaker, and she was interviewed by psychologist Faisal Al-Hamdan. This interview came as part of the International Museum Day celebration program, which aimed to raise awareness of the value and impact of museums in improving societies as an incubator for people. Dr. Noura Shuqair began the meeting by talking about the importance of museums and their relation to society, stating that “the museum is a permanent, non-profit institution that aims to serve the community, conduct artistic and social research, and collect, preserve, interpret, and display tangible and intangible heritage. Furthermore, the museum is a publicly available establishment that promotes diversity and sustainability.” She further said: “With the participation of different communities, museums are managed in a professional and ethical manner to offer diverse educational, entertainment, and contemplation experiences and chances for knowledge exchange,” noting that this signifies the value of the museums and the impact of developing and changing their concept within societies. Dr. Shuqair stressed that museums convey great messages in terms of cultural development and improving the public taste, as do many other cultural institutions. She added: “Museums are one of the facilities that, as a representative of culture, shall be available to every society member to equip them with learning, culture, and direct knowledge by watching.”

The psychologist Faisal Al-Hamdan drew a comparison between the psychiatric clinic and museums, stressing that the museum is a nice and inspiring environment that can improve the mood, general feeling, and health and offer the patients an opportunity to overcome their problems. “Museums allow for even more opportunities, not only for patients but also for doctors,” he said. He added, “Believing in the importance of museums drives our children and youth to visit them, due to their value in stirring consciousness and intellectual enlightenment. Museums not only preserve the artistic heritage but also deepen the psychological culture through watching their collections and their impressive arrangements.” These events come as part of the programs by the National Museum that aim to offer interactive activities to various sectors of society to equip them with appealing cultural content and an integrated museum experience, including live performances, workshops, and dialogue meetings, in addition to the national events activities.