Culture, science essential to Saudi Vision 2030: Minister of Culture

Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan said the culture and science sectors are essential to the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, in a speech at the 41st session of the UNESCO General Conference in Paris, France on Thursday.

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“During the challenges of COVID-19, Saudi Arabia’s strong digital infrastructure enabled us to advance the cultural sector through the preservation of heritage and increasing participation in cultural performances,” Prince Badr said.

Saudi Arabia initiated the cultural track within the G20 agenda and convened the first-ever Cultural Ministerial Meeting during the Kingdom’s Presidency in 2020 because of “our belief in the potential of the cultural sector,” the minister of culture said in his speech.

Prince Badr also said Saudi Arabia is a proud partner of UNESCO, and it is committed to cooperating with all member states to “spread world peace and unleash the potential of science and culture to achieve the sustainable development goals.”

Earlier, the Saudi minister of culture met with Audrey Azoulay, the Director-General of the UNESCO.

“The partnership between UNESCO and The Royal Commission for AlUla enhances Saudi Arabia’s solid relationship with UNESCO and builds on our 75-year relationship of cultural cooperation,” Prince Badr said.

For her part, Azoulay said: “I had the pleasure to welcome HH Prince Badr, Minister of Culture of Saudi Arabia, at UNESCO Headquarters. We held fruitful discussions on our bilateral cultural ties and signed a partnership agreement for the promotion and protection of AlUla region.”

Earlier this week, the minister of culture also held a meeting with his French counterpart Roselyne Bachelot.

Prince Badr “met with the French Minister of Culture Roselyne Bachelot today to discuss the ongoing cultural collaborations between Saudi Arabia and France as well as future opportunities to build on the longstanding relationship,” Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Culture said in a statement.

Meeting with UAE Minister of Culture and Youth

Prince Badr also met with the Minister of Culture and Youth of the United Arab Emirates, Noura al-Kaabi, on Wednesday in France to “enhance cultural cooperation between the two countries,” the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

The meeting touched upon the Saudi-Emirati Coordination Council and praised the work being carried out in the initiative of the “Saudi-Emirati Cultural Council,” and emphasized the importance of completing joint work in the cultural fields, according to the press agency.

“During the meeting, they reviewed the close cultural relations between the Kingdom and the UAE, and praised the existing cooperation in registering several files with UNESCO,” SPA added.

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