This is not the first time, however, that the kingdom has sought to embrace the new, though the previous attempt involved art, not social and economic changes.

Back in the 1970s Mohamed Said Farsi, the mayor of the Red Sea port city of Jeddah, embarked on a huge “beautification project” based around modern art. Monumental sculptures by the likes of Joan Miró, Henry Moore and Jean Arp, many of them specially commissioned, began appearing along the Corniche in an era when the petrodollars were in full flow.

The project caused controversy locally as many residents felt it was a waste of money. However Farsi’s son Hany, speaking to The National newspaper, said no government cash was involved – the purchase of 400 works was funded by public donations or the mayor’s own resources.

Nevertheless, as I gazed up at, say, Miró’s Project for a Monument, I couldn’t help thinking that large-scale abstract modern art seemed an odd priority when, decades later, some housing in Jeddah remained dire, beggars held out their hands towards passing cars beneath flyovers, and piles of rubble seemed a more pressing candidate for beautification.

Still, there’s no doubting the quality of some of the works, and they do enliven a city where it can be difficult to think of things to do. Descriptions of Jeddah as liberal and easygoing are by Saudi, not Western, standards.

My favourite sculptures include that Miró – one of two by the artist on the Corniche – Arnaldo  Pomodoro’s Rotating First Section No. 3, Moore’s Oval with Points and Ottmar Hollmann’s Large Ball Bearing. Julio Lafuente’s Accident! (Crazy Speed), with its cars set into a concrete block, captures perfectly the experience of driving on Jeddah’s Wild West roads.

Four decades standing in a harsh maritime environment took its toll on the sculptures, leading to the launch of a major restoration project. Around 20 of the finest pieces were repaired by experts and moved from their original locations to the open-air Jeddah Sculpture Museum. The artworks are not the only giant spectacle in Jeddah. Across the water from the Corniche, shooting up hundreds of metres into the sky, is King Fahd’s Fountain, the tallest in the world.

Verdict: Startling collection of large-scale Western modern art in an incongruous setting.

Top tip: If you’re taking photos on the Corniche make sure there are no Saudi women in the background to avoid offending locals.

Top photo: Ottmar Hollmann’s Large Ball Bearing.