Majed Al-Hugail Appointed CEO of Saudi Cultural Development Fund

A landmark is lit up in the colors of the national flag in Diriyah on the occasion of Saud National Day. (SPA file)
A landmark is lit up in the colors of the national flag in Diriyah on the occasion of Saud National Day. (SPA file)
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Majed Al-Hugail Appointed CEO of Saudi Cultural Development Fund

A landmark is lit up in the colors of the national flag in Diriyah on the occasion of Saud National Day. (SPA file)
A landmark is lit up in the colors of the national flag in Diriyah on the occasion of Saud National Day. (SPA file)

The board of directors of the Cultural Development Fund (CDF), chaired by Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan Al Saud, appointed Majed bin Abdulmohsen Al-Hugail as CDF’s new chief executive officer (CEO) effective June 1, reported the Saudi Press Agency on Wednesday.

With his expertise, Al-Hugail is set to lead the fund, continuing its growth, fostering the cultural sector’s development and sustainability, and boosting its economic and social impact.

Al-Hugail has extensive leadership experience in the financial, cultural, and public sectors. His distinguished career includes several key roles, most recently as general supervisor of the Ministry of Culture vice minister’s executive office and Saudi Awwal Bank (SAB) head of the private sector.

Al-Hugail holds a master's degree in business administration from London Business School, a board director diploma from the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) in Lausanne, and a bachelor's degree in management from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals.

He succeeds Mohammed Bin Dayel, who led the fund for three years, during which CDF devoted its efforts to developing and advancing the cultural sector.

The CDF was founded in 2021 to further boost the cultural landscape within Saudi Arabia. It is organizationally linked to the National Development Fund to promote the development of a self-reliant cultural sector. The CDF supports various cultural activities and projects, facilitates investment, and seeks to improve the domestic cultural sector's profitability in alignment with the National Culture Strategy and Saudi Vision 2030.



Nigeria’s Museum Agrees with Royal Ruler on Custody of Benin Bronzes 

Examples of Benin bronzes which, together with collections such as the Parthenon sculptures, are the subject of talks of their return to countries of origin, are displayed at the British Museum in London, Britain, January 25, 2023. (Reuters) 
Examples of Benin bronzes which, together with collections such as the Parthenon sculptures, are the subject of talks of their return to countries of origin, are displayed at the British Museum in London, Britain, January 25, 2023. (Reuters) 
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Nigeria’s Museum Agrees with Royal Ruler on Custody of Benin Bronzes 

Examples of Benin bronzes which, together with collections such as the Parthenon sculptures, are the subject of talks of their return to countries of origin, are displayed at the British Museum in London, Britain, January 25, 2023. (Reuters) 
Examples of Benin bronzes which, together with collections such as the Parthenon sculptures, are the subject of talks of their return to countries of origin, are displayed at the British Museum in London, Britain, January 25, 2023. (Reuters) 

Nigeria's national museum commission will be responsible for retrieving and keeping priceless Benin Bronzes, taking on the task with the assent of the royal ruler appointed sole owner and custodian of the objects nearly two years ago, its head said.

Nigeria is on a quest to recover thousands of intricate bronze sculptures and castings that were looted by British soldiers during a raid on the then-separate Kingdom of Benin, located in what is now southwestern Nigeria, in 1897.

The stolen bronzes are among Africa's finest and most significant heritage objects and are mostly in Europe.

In March 2023, then-president Muhammadu Buhari signed a decree saying the Oba, or king, of the historic kingdom of Benin rightfully owned all returned Benin Bronzes and was responsible for managing all places where the artifacts are kept.

Olugbile Holloway, director general of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM), told Reuters that the Oba did not have the infrastructure to care for the bronzes.

"So, the Oba has given the NCMM the blessing to display, conserve and to pursue reparation of these objects. So, there is no more ambiguity," said Holloway.

In 2023 the NCMM had said the University of Cambridge's Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology put on hold plans to return more than 100 artifacts after the government decree.

Holloway, however, said it was now a matter of time before an agreement would be reached with Cambridge University for the artifacts' return.

"The return of these objects is not just about displaying them in the museum or taking care of them. It is about the dignity of our people and undoing the injustice of 1897," he said.