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.



Saudi Arabia Participates in UNESCO World Heritage Committee in India

The Saudi delegation, led by the advisor to the Saudi National Commission for Education, Culture and Science, Engineer Mohammed bin Youssef Al-Aidaroos, participated in various activities during the session that were supported by the Kingdom. (SPA)
The Saudi delegation, led by the advisor to the Saudi National Commission for Education, Culture and Science, Engineer Mohammed bin Youssef Al-Aidaroos, participated in various activities during the session that were supported by the Kingdom. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia Participates in UNESCO World Heritage Committee in India

The Saudi delegation, led by the advisor to the Saudi National Commission for Education, Culture and Science, Engineer Mohammed bin Youssef Al-Aidaroos, participated in various activities during the session that were supported by the Kingdom. (SPA)
The Saudi delegation, led by the advisor to the Saudi National Commission for Education, Culture and Science, Engineer Mohammed bin Youssef Al-Aidaroos, participated in various activities during the session that were supported by the Kingdom. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia -- represented by the Saudi National Committee for Education, Culture and Science and the Kingdom’s permanent delegation to UNESCO and the Heritage Commission -- is participating in the 46th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee.

The session is taking place from July 21 to 31 in New Delhi, India, and will be attended by representatives from 195 member states who ratified the World Heritage Convention of 1972.

The Saudi delegation, led by the advisor to the Saudi National Commission for Education, Culture and Science, Engineer Mohammed bin Youssef Al-Aidaroos, participated in various activities during the session that were supported by the Kingdom.

The delegation delivered speeches highlighting Saudi Arabia's interest, support, and contributions to UNESCO's efforts to preserve world heritage. Some of the activities included discussions on the digital heritage platform, capacity building in African countries, and an event on Islamic World Heritage organized by the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO).

Additionally, the Saudi delegation met with representatives from other official delegations attending the session to strengthen cooperation in heritage conservation.

The digital heritage platform, a collaborative effort between Saudi Arabia and UNESCO, is an online platform that utilizes cutting-edge digital technologies to explore UNESCO's cultural and natural world heritage sites as well as intangible cultural heritage.

The World Heritage Committee will review a proposal to add 27 new sites from various regions worldwide to the World Heritage List. It will also assess the preservation status of 124 sites currently included on the list, including 56 that are categorized as being in danger.

The World Heritage Committee, consisting of representatives from 21 countries elected by the 195 parties to the Convention Concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage, oversees the implementation of the convention.