Intangible Heritage Association

What Intangible Heritage Association does

Intangible Heritage Association (جمعية التراث غير المادي) is a Saudi non-profit organization headquartered in Riyadh (Al Nakhil District, Tadawil Street) that serves as the first dedicated association for the intangible cultural heritage sector in Saudi Arabia. Its mission is to celebrate, preserve, and transmit intangible cultural heritage locally and globally, while developing best practices, recognizing sector talent through certifications and awards, and raising public awareness through campaigns and events. The organization serves intangible heritage professionals, researchers and students, and the general public, primarily within Saudi Arabia, though its vision includes international cultural dissemination.

The association operates a unified digital member platform that integrates multiple service lines: a Membership Services system with tiered enrollment, a Digital Library (334+ books, 666 rated, 500 downloads) covering oral arts, social customs, celebratory events, and traditional knowledge, Training Courses, Consultation Services with attachment support, an Events Platform (workshops, seminars, exhibitions), a Media Center, a Survey Platform, and a forthcoming Professional Classification service. Core technology is a web-based membership and content management portal with member dashboards, QR code and vCard functionality, and task management tools. The platform is delivered through the website ih-assoc.org.sa, with social media presence on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X.

The business model is community-led and subscription-based. The association generates revenue primarily through recurring annual membership fees across multiple tiers, supplemented by member-paid training, consulting, and digital library access. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and requires inquiry. The organization is governed by an elected Board of Directors and General Assembly, and is supported by strategic partnerships with Saudi academic and institutional entities including King Saud University, Saudi Skills Institute, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, the Saudi Journalists Association, and others. With 11–50 employees and no external funding rounds disclosed, the association operates as a self-sustaining niche non-profit.

Name

Intangible Heritage Association

Legal name

جمعية التراث غير المادي

Website

https://ih-assoc.org.sa

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Intangible Heritage Association is a Saudi non-profit headquartered in Riyadh that operates a membership-based digital platform providing certifications, training, consulting, events, and a specialized digital library to intangible cultural heritage professionals, researchers, and the public across Saudi Arabia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Heritage Non-Profit Services

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Indigenous, Ethnic & Folk Arts/Heritage Organizations (BPAGAHAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Traditional & Indigenous Crafts Lessons (Heritage Skills, Folk Arts) (THAJAKAH), Cultural & Heritage Entertainment Booking (Traditional/Folk Acts) (HSACAHAG), Libraries, Archives & Special Collections (BPAGAHAF)

Keywords

• Intangible heritage preservation
• Cultural heritage education
• Professional membership services
• Heritage awareness campaigns
• Digital heritage library

Headquarters

HQ city

Riyadh

HQ country

Saudi Arabia

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: The association operates membership programs with different tiers. Members pay fees to join and access services including the digital library (334 books purchased, 666 books rated, 500 downloads by members), training courses, consulting services, and professional classification.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Intangible Heritage Association is a Saudi non-profit association that delivers membership-based services to the intangible cultural heritage sector, including a specialized digital library, training courses, consultation requests, events and workshops, professional classification, and media/news updates. It also runs awareness campaigns and recognition programs (certificates, awards) to support practitioners and raise public awareness of intangible heritage.

Product overview

The Intangible Heritage Association operates a unified membership-based platform that integrates multiple services for managing cultural heritage practitioners and enthusiasts. The core product portfolio includes: Membership Services for member registration and management; a Digital Library providing specialized heritage documentation resources; Training Courses for educational development; Consultation Services for professional guidance; an Events Platform for workshops, seminars, and cultural gatherings; a Media Center for news dissemination; a Survey Platform for member feedback; and Professional Classification services for sector practitioners. The platform is built around a member portal providing personalized access, QR code functionality, and task management tools. All services are oriented toward elevating the intangible heritage sector through capacity building, networking, certification, and awareness campaigns, with headquarters in Riyadh serving regions across Saudi Arabia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Membership Services (العضويات) Tiered membership program enabling individuals to join the association and gain access to member-only features, services, and resources. Members pay annual fees and receive access to training courses, the digital library, consulting, professional classification, events, and surveys.
• Digital Library (المكتبة الرقمية) A specialized knowledge platform documenting intangible heritage, containing books, articles, studies, and research covering oral arts, social customs, celebratory events, and traditional knowledge. Records 334+ books purchased, 666+ rated, and 500+ downloads by members.
• Training Courses (الدورات التدريبية) Educational and recreational training programs for members, including ongoing and completed courses across various categories relevant to the intangible heritage sector.
• Consultation Services (الاستشارات) Consultation request system allowing members to submit consultation requests by type with attachment support for professional guidance.
• Events Platform (الفعاليات) Event management system featuring workshops, seminars, art exhibitions, and cultural meetings that combine modernity with cultural identity, with scope filters for private, local, and global events.
• Media Center (المركز الإعلامي) News and media center providing updates and announcements about the association's activities, including latest news displayed on the homepage.
• Member Platform (منصة الأعضاء) Member portal providing personalized access to member profiles, membership cards, QR codes, and vCard functionality for contact information sharing.
• Survey Platform (إبداء المرئيات) Feedback and survey system enabling members to share ideas and observations about initiatives and projects.
• Professional Classification (التصنيف المهني) Professional classification service for practitioners in the intangible heritage sector; listed as coming soon.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• King Saud University (جامعة الملك سعود)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner site on the association's website. King Saud University is one of Saudi Arabia's leading academic institutions that may collaborate on research and academic initiatives related to intangible heritage.
• Saudi Skills Institute (معهد مهارات السعودية العالي للتدريب)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner site providing training and skills development. The institute likely collaborates on training programs for intangible heritage professionals.
• King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center (مستشفى الملك فيصل التخصصي ومركز الأبحاث)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner site. Major research institution in Saudi Arabia that may collaborate on heritage research initiatives.
• Adab (أديب)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLiterary and cultural platform listed as a partner site. May collaborate on literary heritage and cultural awareness initiatives.
• Saudi Journalists Association (هيئة الصحفيين السعوديين)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner site representing media professionals. May collaborate on awareness campaigns and media coverage of heritage events.
• Saudi Camel Study Society (الجمعية السعودية لدراسة الإبل)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic society focused on camel studies. May collaborate on traditional knowledge related to intangible heritage.
• Al-Faqeer Company for Events and Exhibitions (شركة الصقر لتنظيم الفعاليات والمعارض)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEvent management company listed as a partner site. Likely provides event organization and exhibition services for heritage events and activities.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• National Trust (UK): A long-standing membership-based non-profit dedicated to heritage preservation in the UK. It is highly comparable in operating model — members, training, events, advocacy, and education — making it a useful structural analog despite its tangible-heritage focus.
• American Alliance of Museums (AAM): A US-based membership organization that supports museums and heritage institutions with training, accreditation, and advocacy. Its operating model — members, professional classification, events — closely mirrors the Intangible Heritage Association's positioning.
• ICOM (International Council of Museums): The global network of museums and heritage professionals, with a comparable membership-services model (training, classification, advocacy). It is a relevant peer for benchmarking how heritage associations monetize and credential practitioners.
• Saudi Heritage Commission (هيئة السعودية للتراث): The Saudi government body responsible for preserving and promoting the Kingdom's heritage, including intangible cultural heritage. It is the most direct public-sector counterpart to the Intangible Heritage Association and competes for the same practitioner and audience mindshare.
• ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites): An international professional association for heritage practitioners, similar in form to the Intangible Heritage Association: members, conferences, training, and policy advocacy. It is a global peer in the heritage-professional-association category.

Regional players

• MiSK Foundation: A Saudi non-profit focused on youth and cultural development, including heritage-adjacent programming. It is a regional peer in the Saudi cultural non-profit space, with a different but overlapping target audience and mandate.
• King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra): A flagship Saudi cultural center offering events, training, exhibitions, and digital content with a strong heritage focus. It competes for the same Saudi cultural-practitioner and event-audience segments, though at a much larger scale.

Broad incumbents

• UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage: The global intergovernmental program for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage. It sets the international framework (the 2003 ICH Convention) within which a national body like the Intangible Heritage Association operates and aligns.
• Smithsonian Institution: A globally recognized cultural/heritage institution with educational programming, digital content libraries, and training. Although much larger and US-based, it shares the mandate of preserving and transmitting cultural heritage to future generations.

Emerging players

• Adab World Literary Platform (أديب): A Saudi literary and cultural platform already listed as a partner site of the Intangible Heritage Association. It overlaps in the oral/folk-arts and cultural-documentation space and is a natural adjacent or co-marketing peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ihorgassoc?s=21&t=XccK0ipG5SC6D6mGnIeLEg
• Facebookfacebook.com/ihorgassoc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ihorgassoc
• Instagraminstagram.com/ihorgassoc?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA%3D%3D

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Intangible Heritage Association