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Saudi Fund for Development Breaks Ground for Library at University of Sarajevo

Officials at the ceremony in Sarajevo. (SPA)
Officials at the ceremony in Sarajevo. (SPA)
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Saudi Fund for Development Breaks Ground for Library at University of Sarajevo

Officials at the ceremony in Sarajevo. (SPA)
Officials at the ceremony in Sarajevo. (SPA)

Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) Board of Directors Chairman Ahmed bin Aqeel Al-Khateeb laid the foundation stone on Monday for the construction of the new library at the University of Sarajevo.

The important project is being funded through a generous $22 million grant provided by Saudi Arabia through the SFD, reported the Saudi Press Agency.

Present at the ceremony were Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina Elmedin Konakovic, Prime Minister of Sarajevo Canton Nihad Uk, Saudi Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina Osama bin Dakhil Al-Ahmadi, Rector of the University of Sarajevo Prof. Dr. Rifat Skrijelj, Deputy CEO of SFD Eng. Faisal Al-Kahtani, and other officials.

The new library will act as a central hub to connect the university’s 28 sub-libraries, and will help boost its educational and research capabilities. Covering an area of 13,590 square meters, it will be equipped with the latest technology and digital learning tools, helping to future-proof the university, and allowing it to better meet the needs of its students.

More than 22,000 male and female students, 1,618 staff and faculty members will be able to access the new facility.

Additionally, the library will play a key role in supporting the advancement of the university’s research and innovation capabilities, while helping build the research skills of students and graduates. It will also contribute towards realizing the UN Sustainable Development Goals, specifically SDG 4, Quality Education, and SDG 10, Reduced Inequalities.

Al-Khateeb stressed: "This project reflects the strong and lasting developmental ties between Saudi Arabia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, which began three decades ago. We are confident that the new library will help meet the needs of both male and female students at the University of Sarajevo, and the surrounding community."

Konakovic stated: "Thanks to a generous grant from the Kingdom, through SFD, this project has become the largest post-war investment in the infrastructure of our University. It will enrich our academic community, while reflecting the strong ties and mutual respect between our two nations.”

“The library will serve as a symbol of our joint efforts to promote education and advance knowledge, and as a place where generations of students and researchers can gather to contribute to the development of our society, country and wider region."

Uk said: "The building for which we are laying the foundation stone today is significant because it will also be the most visible bridge of friendship between Saudi Arabia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. We are grateful to Saudi Arabia for this investment.”

“The library is a symbol of knowledge, cultural upliftment, communication, and I believe that our cooperation and friendship will develop precisely in these directions in the future.”

During the past three decades, SFD has helped to fund 11 projects and development programs across Bosnia and Herzegovina, through soft development loans worth a total of $185 million.

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Culture

Culture Being Strangled by Kosovo's Political Crisis

The cinema has been waiting for much-needed repairs for years. Armend NIMANI / AFP
The cinema has been waiting for much-needed repairs for years. Armend NIMANI / AFP
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Culture Being Strangled by Kosovo's Political Crisis

The cinema has been waiting for much-needed repairs for years. Armend NIMANI / AFP
The cinema has been waiting for much-needed repairs for years. Armend NIMANI / AFP

Kosovo's oldest cinema has been dark and silent for years as the famous theater slowly disintegrates under a leaky roof.

Signs warn passers-by in the historic city of Prizren that parts of the Lumbardhi's crumbling facade could fall while it waits for its long-promised refurbishment.

"The city deserves to have the cinema renovated and preserved. Only junkies gathering there benefit from it now," nextdoor neighbor butcher Arsim Futko, 62, told AFP.

For seven years, it waited for a European Union-funded revamp, only for the money to be suddenly withdrawn with little explanation.

Now it awaits similar repairs promised by the national government that has since been paralyzed by inconclusive elections in February.

And it is anyone's guess whether the new government that will come out of Sunday's snap election will keep the promise.

'Collateral damage'

Cinema director Ares Shporta said the cinema has become "collateral damage" in a broader geopolitical game after the EU hit his country with sanctions in 2023.

The delayed repairs "affected our morale, it affected our lives, it affected the trust of the community in us," Shporta said.

Brussels slapped Kosovo with sanctions over heightened tensions between the government and the ethnic Serb minority that live in parts of the country as Pristina pushed to exert more control over areas still tightly linked to Belgrade.

Cultural institutions have been among the hardest-hit sectors, as international funding dried up and local decisions were stalled by the parliamentary crisis.

According to an analysis by the Kosovo think tank, the GAP Institute for Advanced Studies, sanctions have resulted in around 613 million euros ($719 million) being suspended or paused, with the cultural sector taking a hit of 15-million-euro hit.

'Ground zero'

With political stalemate threatening to drag on into another year, there are warnings that further funding from abroad could also be in jeopardy.

Since February's election when outgoing premier Albin Kurti topped the polls but failed to win a majority, his caretaker government has been deadlocked with opposition lawmakers.

Months of delays, spent mostly without a parliament, meant little legislative work could be done.

Ahead of the snap election on Sunday, the government said that more than 200 million euros ($235 million) will be lost forever due to a failure to ratify international agreements.

Once the top beneficiary of the EU Growth Plan in the Balkans, Europe's youngest country now trails most of its neighburs, the NGO Group for Legal and Political Studies' executive director Njomza Arifi told AFP.

"While some of the countries in the region have already received the second tranches, Kosovo still remains at ground zero."

Although there have been some enthusiastic signs of easing a half of EU sanctions by January, Kurti's continued push against Serbian institutions and influence in the country's north continues to draw criticism from both Washington and Brussels.

'On the edge'

Across the river from the Lumbardhi, the funding cuts have also been felt at Dokufest, a documentary and short film festival that draws people to the region.

"The festival has had to make staff cuts. Unfortunately, there is a risk of further cuts if things don't change," Dokufest artistic director Veton Nurkollari said.

"Fortunately, we don't depend on just one source because we could end up in a situation where, when the tap is turned off, everything is turned off."

He said that many in the cultural sector were desperate for the upcoming government to get the sanctions lifted by ratification of the agreements that would allow EU funds to flow again.

"Kosovo is the only one left on the edge and without these funds."

Culture

Saudi Culture Ministry Concludes Intangible Cultural Heritage Documentation Project in Al-Ahsa

Saudi Culture Ministry Concludes Intangible Cultural Heritage Documentation Project in Al-Ahsa
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Saudi Culture Ministry Concludes Intangible Cultural Heritage Documentation Project in Al-Ahsa

Saudi Culture Ministry Concludes Intangible Cultural Heritage Documentation Project in Al-Ahsa

The Saudi Ministry of Culture concluded the project to survey, document, and archive intangible cultural heritage in Al-Ahsa Governorate by holding a workshop in the governorate, attended by stakeholders and relevant entities, as part of the ministry’s efforts to preserve national cultural heritage and strengthen Saudi cultural identity, reported the Saudi Press Agency on Thursday.

The project included a field survey covering various cities and villages across Al-Ahsa, during which diverse elements of intangible cultural heritage were identified and documented. These included oral traditions, performing arts, skills associated with traditional cultural crafts, social practices, and knowledge related to nature and the local environment.

The work was carried out in cooperation with concerned entities, specialized experts, and local practitioners.

The workshop reviewed the project’s final outcomes and presented reports on documentation and digital archiving activities.

It discussed mechanisms to ensure the sustainability of these efforts and the transmission of this cultural legacy to future generations, contributing to greater community awareness of the value and importance of intangible cultural heritage.

Culture

Hail Region Pavilion Showcases Heritage Artifacts at Camel Festival

The pavilion aims to connect visitors to Hail's history and social legacy - SPA
The pavilion aims to connect visitors to Hail's history and social legacy - SPA
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Hail Region Pavilion Showcases Heritage Artifacts at Camel Festival

The pavilion aims to connect visitors to Hail's history and social legacy - SPA
The pavilion aims to connect visitors to Hail's history and social legacy - SPA

Hail Region pavilion at the Ministry of Interior’s Security Oasis exhibition, part of the 10th King Abdulaziz Camel Festival in Al-Sayahid, features heritage artifacts that reflect the region's renowned hospitality.

The display includes ancient trays and copperware from nearly seventy years ago.

According to SPA, these traditional food preparation and serving vessels have garnered significant interest from visitors. They document daily life in old Hail and its deep-rooted social traditions, particularly in gatherings and special occasions.

The pavilion aims to connect visitors to Hail's history and social legacy, fostering appreciation for national heritage and ensuring cultural preservation for future generations.