Named one of the 100 most influential people in the art world by Art+Auction magazine (December 2011) and one of the most powerful art patrons and collectors in the Middle East by Canvas magazine (July 2011), Basma has made it her personal mission to support emerging artists and promote contemporary art from Saudi Arabia and beyond.

Basma Al Sulaiman is the founder of BASMOCA, the Basma Al Sulaiman Museum of Contemporary Art. She was born and raised in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where she is considered a patron of the arts. She holds a BA in English Literature.

Basma discovered contemporary art through one of her other passions: travelling. It was in New York (1992) that she acquired her first piece, a work by the celebrated David Hockney. Soon after, she began to collect in earnest, purchasing works by Frank Stella, David Mack, Renier Fetting, and Luciano Castelli, which she brought home to her native Saudi. 

She decided to further her knowledge in the field of art, and in 2000, completed a diploma in Modern and Contemporary Art from Christie’s Education, London.

Basma later became interested in Chinese contemporary art. She travelled all over China, visiting artists’ studios and galleries, and acquired pieces by Yue Minjun, Zhang Xiaogang, Zeng Fanzhi, and Zhang Huan. She continued building her international collection, whilst also focusing on Saudi artworks.

In 2011, she launched BASMOCA, a virtual museum showcasing her private collection of contemporary Western, Middle Eastern, and Chinese artworks. The first of its kind, it allows visitors from anywhere in the world to create avatars and interact with one other as they “walk through” the museum.

Basma spearheaded the development of the Jeddah Sculpture Park, an open-air museum on the Jeddah corniche featuring 21 large-scale sculptures by various Western artists, which opened to the public in 2013. That same year, Basma helped found the Saudi Art Council, under the tutelage of Her Royal Highness, Princess Jawaher bint Majed.

In 2014, Basma became the first woman to receive an award from the Saudi government for her contributions to the country’s art and cultural spheres. Through her philanthropic activities, Basma also supports many local and international charities. 

In 2018, Basma launched a social media campaign on Facebook and Instagram consisting of short, snappy videos and posts on the subjects of contemporary art and art history. Featuring various famous and lesser-known artists, these informative yet entertaining videos are aimed at both the layman and art enthusiast alike.

Basma dedicates her art collection to her beloved son, Mohammed Al Juffali, who passed away in 2012.