Saudi Arabia Participates in UNESCO Executive Council's 217th session

 The Saudi participation, consisting of the National Commission for Education, Culture and Science, and various competent national bodies. SPA
The Saudi participation, consisting of the National Commission for Education, Culture and Science, and various competent national bodies. SPA
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Saudi Arabia Participates in UNESCO Executive Council's 217th session

 The Saudi participation, consisting of the National Commission for Education, Culture and Science, and various competent national bodies. SPA
The Saudi participation, consisting of the National Commission for Education, Culture and Science, and various competent national bodies. SPA

Saudi Arabia, represented by its permanent delegation to UNESCO, participated in the works of the 217th session of the Executive Council of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), which kicked off Monday.

The event is being held at UNESCO’s headquarters in the French capital, Paris, and continues until the 18th of this month.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's delegation is headed by the Saudi Ambassador to France Fahd Al-Ruwaili, who delivered the Kingdom's speech in the presence of high level representatives of the Council's 58 member states, Chairman of the Executive Council of UNESCO, President of the General Conference of UNESCO and Director-General of UNESCO.
Al-Ruwaili recalled the outcomes of the expanded 45th session of the World Heritage Committee, which was hosted by capital, Riyadh, from September 10 to 25 last year, stressing the potential that the Kingdom abounds in hosting such a meeting, citing the presence of nearly 3,000 delegations from UNESCO member states, observers, advisory committees and UNESCO employees, SPA reported.

He presented Saudi Arabia's bid to host the World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development (MONDIACULT) 2025, stressing the Kingdom’s aspiration to cooperate with all concerned parties in achieving this objective.



'Riyadh Reads French' Initiative Brings French Culture to Riyadh International Book Fair

The Riyadh International Book Fair 2024 logo
The Riyadh International Book Fair 2024 logo
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'Riyadh Reads French' Initiative Brings French Culture to Riyadh International Book Fair

The Riyadh International Book Fair 2024 logo
The Riyadh International Book Fair 2024 logo

The Riyadh International Book Fair 2024 featured the return of the "Riyadh Reads French" initiative, which was introduced the previous year and gathered numerous French publishers specializing in various fields.

The initiative garnered significant attention and attracted a large number of visitors to the fair.

The French Embassy’s communication officer in Saudi Arabia, Alsaeed Ezz, elaborated that this year's edition aimed to enhance the experience and expand activities, with a particular focus on children. The initiative included over 25,000 books in its pavilions, with 118 French publishing houses participating. Additionally, the Alliance Francaise in Riyadh offered free French language courses to fair visitors, aiming to bring the French language and culture closer to Saudis and all fair attendees.

Ezz highlighted that the Alliance Francaise had dedicated a fully integrated section for children to cater to their needs and knowledge aspirations, with specialized supervisors offering activities such as drawing, reading, and expression to familiarize the younger generation with the French culture.

The initiative also involved Campus France, a national office facilitating registration procedures for studying in French universities and educational institutions. Campus France collaborated with relevant Saudi authorities to introduce available scholarship programs for studying in both English and French, as well as the requirements for obtaining bachelor's and master's degrees and conducting research in various fields.

This year's Riyadh International Book Fair saw a participation from over 2,000 publishing houses and agencies from the Kingdom, the region, and around the world, occupying 800 pavilions representing over 30 countries.