Mystery Persists as Missing Swiss Paintings Reappear 

A man walks past the entrance of the Kunsthaus Zurich art museum on March 14, 2023. (AFP)
A man walks past the entrance of the Kunsthaus Zurich art museum on March 14, 2023. (AFP)
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Mystery Persists as Missing Swiss Paintings Reappear 

A man walks past the entrance of the Kunsthaus Zurich art museum on March 14, 2023. (AFP)
A man walks past the entrance of the Kunsthaus Zurich art museum on March 14, 2023. (AFP)

One of the Switzerland's top art museums announced Sunday the return of two paintings that went missing last year, refusing to provide details in a case still under investigation.

Kunsthaus Zurich offered in June 2023 a reward of 10,000 Swiss francs ($11,100) for information that could help it track one painting by Flemish painter Robert van den Hoecke and another by the Dutch Golden Age artist Dirck de Bray.

The small paintings disappeared when the Kunsthaus took down more than 700 works for cleaning and restoration after a fire broke out in August 2022.

But no trace of the two paintings could later be found.

On Sunday, the museum said only that its restoration experts had confirmed both paintings were in "good condition", with no indication of how or when they turned up.

Because of ongoing police inquiries, "no further information will be released for the time being," the Kunsthaus said.

Museum officials had alerted the missing works to the Art Loss Register, the world's largest database of lost and stolen pieces.



Saudi KSGAAL Concludes Arabic Language Program in France

Saudi Arabia's King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language (KSGAAL) concluded its Arabic Language Month program in France on Friday. (SPA)
Saudi Arabia's King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language (KSGAAL) concluded its Arabic Language Month program in France on Friday. (SPA)
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Saudi KSGAAL Concludes Arabic Language Program in France

Saudi Arabia's King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language (KSGAAL) concluded its Arabic Language Month program in France on Friday. (SPA)
Saudi Arabia's King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language (KSGAAL) concluded its Arabic Language Month program in France on Friday. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia's King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language (KSGAAL) concluded its Arabic Language Month program in France on Friday. The program began October 7 and was held in Paris, Lyon, and Tourcoing. It included a series of educational activities aimed at developing Arabic language curricula, enhancing teacher performance, and strengthening the presence of the Arabic language in educational institutions.

KSGAAL Secretary-General Dr. Abdullah bin Saleh Al-Washmi said the academy is honored by the ongoing support it receives from Minister of Culture and KSGAAL Chairman of the Board of Trustees Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan, whose support boosts all of KSGAAL's programs and activities, aligning with the objectives of the Human Capability Development Program, which is part of the initiatives for realizing Saudi Vision 2030.

The program included a series of visits and meetings with several French educational institutions that offer academic programs in Arabic and associations and centers focused on teaching and promoting the Arabic language. Additionally, there was a visit to the Saudi embassy and the Saudi cultural attaché in France.

Several scientific activities were carried out in collaboration with the Arab World Institute. These included a discussion session addressing key topics such as the most important tests used in evaluating Arabic teachers for non-native speakers, integrating technology in teaching Arabic, and identifying the best available tools and applications.

Furthermore, a comprehensive scientific symposium was conducted on Saudi Arabia's efforts to teach Arabic to non-native speakers, and discussions took place on the reality of teaching Arabic and its curricula in France, including the opportunities and challenges of bilingualism.

The program featured two scientific papers. The first was titled "Hamza Test to Measure Arabic Language Proficiency," which discussed the criteria for creating the Hamza test, its application mechanisms, and plans for its development. The second paper was titled "The Works of the King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language in Supporting the Arabic Language through Digital Platforms," which introduced the academy's platforms dedicated to serving the Arabic language.

Various training courses were offered for both teachers and learners. The teachers' courses aimed to bolster the skills of Arabic teachers for non-native speakers, focusing on active learning strategies in teaching Arabic as a second language. In contrast, the learners' courses were centered on developing listening skills for Arabic learners and non-native speakers. The program also facilitated collaboration between the KSGAAL and King Abdulaziz University, which sent two specialist professors in Arabic to present a training course in Lyon.