Oum Saad Cultural Centre, Laayoune

A public cultural institution in Laayoune

Oum Saad Cultural Centre is one of Laayoune’s established public cultural venues. Opened in January 2001, the complex is also associated with the Regional Directorate of Culture for Laayoune-Sakia El Hamra and with public services covering cultural programming, heritage, reading and artistic development. It is widely known in Arabic as دار الثقافة أم السعد.

The centre functions as more than an occasional events hall. It brings together public institutions, cultural associations, artists, researchers, schools and local audiences through screenings, exhibitions, festivals, lectures, literary events and educational programmes.

Cinema, performance and public events

The venue contains a hall used for film screenings, stage events, ceremonies and discussions. In 2024, Morocco’s Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication identified Oum Saad as one of the cultural centres participating in the national programme to open cinema screens in towns and cities across the country.

Its programme has included the International Madih and Samaa Festival, Hassani Bedouin Poetry Festival, documentary screenings, theatre, book presentations and public conferences. Events held in 2025 and 2026 around Saharan food heritage, youth guidance, theatre and civic dialogue confirm that the centre remains active.

Saharan collections and cultural memory

The complex historically housed an ethnographic museum dedicated to Saharan arts and traditions. Documented collections included a traditional tent, clothing, jewellery, leatherwork, saddles, household objects and other materials connected to nomadic and oasis life. These holdings gave the building an important role as a place of memory and as a potential resource for research into Hassani culture.

Public sources do not clearly confirm the museum’s current opening arrangements, the number of objects still displayed or whether the collection can be visited every day. Anyone travelling specifically for the museum should contact the centre in advance.

Reading, training and regional cultural work

Oum Saad has also included a cultural-centre library and activities connected to reading, visual arts, writing and artistic residencies. Its relationship with the regional cultural administration makes it both a public venue and a working base for cultural programmes across Laayoune-Sakia El Hamra.

Planning a visit

The centre is located in the Oum Saad square area of Laayoune. A published contact number is +212 5 28 89 44 06. Administrative hours are commonly listed as Monday to Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm, but screening and event times depend on the individual programme.

The map point used by Culturama currently identifies Oum Saad square and should be treated as approximate until the centre’s exact entrance is confirmed through an official Google Maps listing. Continue with the Oum Saad Congress Palace, browse events in Laayoune and explore other cultural places in the city.