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Quality of Life Program Continues to Empower Saudi Cultural Sector

The flag of Saudi Arabia. Asharq Al-Awsat
The flag of Saudi Arabia. Asharq Al-Awsat
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Quality of Life Program Continues to Empower Saudi Cultural Sector

The flag of Saudi Arabia. Asharq Al-Awsat
The flag of Saudi Arabia. Asharq Al-Awsat

The Quality of Life Program continues to support the transformation of Saudi Arabia's cultural sector, aiming to establish the Kingdom as a global hub for arts and culture, as outlined in Vision 2030. This is evident in the reopening of the King Fahd Cultural Center, the historic Qishlah Palace in Hail, and the launch of the teamLab Jeddah museum, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The program also bolstered the production of Saudi films and series like "Threads of the Ma'azib," "Al Sharrar," and "Complex 75," while showcasing international films like "Kandahar" and "Dunki," filmed in the Kingdom.
The initiative to develop public libraries resulted in two new libraries in Dammam and Ahad Rufaidah, with plans for 153 cultural centers by 2030. The Saudi Artisanal Company was also established to support the handicraft sector and preserve Saudi heritage, SPA said.
In 2023, the program's cultural initiatives achieved remarkable success. The Cultural Development Fund, with 180 million riyals in funding, was established for over 45 projects. The Aruq Bani Ma'arid was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The King Abdulaziz Historical Palace and Jerash archaeological site in the south of the Kingdom were restored, and the Saudi Museum of Contemporary Art in Diriyah opened, hosting the Biennale exhibition with over 16,232 visitors.
The "Nuqush Al Uqair" event in Al-Ahsa attracted over 60,000 visitors and highlighted the region's traditional crafts. The Royal Institute of Traditional Arts trained over 1,453 individuals and participated in international cultural events, SPA reported.
The Professional Music Association and the Professional Museums Association were established to foster diversity. The initiative to enhance Saudi contributions to culture and the arts presented over 100 diverse performances, and the Culinary Arts Authority hosted three cultural festivals across Riyadh, Jeddah, and Khobar, the news agency added.

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Culture

France's Louvre Museum Remains Shut as Workers Weigh Strike Extension

FILED - 07 December 2018, France, Paris: A View of the inner courtyard with the glass pyramid of the Louvre Museum in Paris. Photo: Christian Böhmer/dpa
FILED - 07 December 2018, France, Paris: A View of the inner courtyard with the glass pyramid of the Louvre Museum in Paris. Photo: Christian Böhmer/dpa
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France's Louvre Museum Remains Shut as Workers Weigh Strike Extension

FILED - 07 December 2018, France, Paris: A View of the inner courtyard with the glass pyramid of the Louvre Museum in Paris. Photo: Christian Böhmer/dpa
FILED - 07 December 2018, France, Paris: A View of the inner courtyard with the glass pyramid of the Louvre Museum in Paris. Photo: Christian Böhmer/dpa

Paris' Louvre, the world's most-visited museum, remained closed at 0800 GMT on Wednesday, as its staff continued discussions on whether to extend a strike over pay and working conditions that started on Monday.

The strike comes after a spectacular jewel heist in October, as well as recent infrastructure problems, including a water leak that damaged ancient books, which have exposed glaring security gaps and revealed the museum's deteriorating state.

According to Reuters, unions have said that staff at the Louvre are overworked and mismanaged, and they are calling for more hiring, pay increases and a redirection of spending.

Louvre director Laurence des Cars, who has faced intense criticism since burglars in October made off with crown jewels worth 88 million euros ($103.14 million), is due to answer questions from the French Senate on Wednesday afternoon.

The museum is routinely closed on Tuesdays.

Culture

New Rome Metro Stations Showcase Ancient Treasures After Years of Delays

People examine artifacts on display during the inauguration of the Colosseo Fori Imperiali stop on Metro Line C in Rome, Italy, 16 December 2025. (EPA)
People examine artifacts on display during the inauguration of the Colosseo Fori Imperiali stop on Metro Line C in Rome, Italy, 16 December 2025. (EPA)
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New Rome Metro Stations Showcase Ancient Treasures After Years of Delays

People examine artifacts on display during the inauguration of the Colosseo Fori Imperiali stop on Metro Line C in Rome, Italy, 16 December 2025. (EPA)
People examine artifacts on display during the inauguration of the Colosseo Fori Imperiali stop on Metro Line C in Rome, Italy, 16 December 2025. (EPA)

After years of delays and spiraling costs, Rome inaugurated two new metro stations on Tuesday, including one by the Colosseum, showcasing archaeological discoveries that might become tourist attractions in their own right.

The driverless Metro C line now stretches from the Italian capital's eastern suburbs to Porta Metronia and the Colosseum, extending its reach into the historic city center.

Future plans will take it even deeper under Rome's baroque heart, beneath the river Tiber and onto the Vatican, though the next stop at Piazza Venezia is not expected to open before 2032.

Excavations for the new stations revealed remarkable finds, which slowed work as archaeologists painstakingly preserved layers of ancient Rome they hadn't known were there.

At Porta Metronia, drilling rigs uncovered a military barracks dating back 2,000 years, as well as a residential house, complete with frescoed rooms and mosaics, which are preserved in a museum within the station.

During the Colosseum excavations, workers discovered 28 ancient wells and hundreds of everyday artifacts, including hairpins, oil lamps, irrigation pipes, knives, and statues, many of which are on show.

"These two stations will travel around the world," Transport Minister Matteo Salvini said on Tuesday, predicting they would soon flood social media.

"Beyond serving commuters and Romans, anyone who comes here from Italy or from abroad will stop in these stations. They might take the metro even if they don't need it, just to enjoy the ride," he added.

LONG DELAYS, COST HIKES

Rome's Metro C was meant to link the city's two main Basilicas by the year 2000. Instead, the line only reached the imposing San Giovanni Basilica in 2018, and the Vatican station near St. Peter's Basilica won't be ready for at least another decade.

The initial plan to build 24 stations to the Colosseum was priced at 2.23 billion euros ($2.63 billion), but costs have surged past 3 billion euros, and the entire line could exceed 6 billion by the time the final seven stations are completed.

Engineers say Rome is among the most challenging cities in the world for metro construction, due to buried archaeological sites that require safeguarding and concerns that vibrations could damage the heritage above ground.

At the next stop, at Piazza Venezia, a construction team is digging an 85-meter deep (280 feet) ring around the site which will be filled with reinforced concrete to protect the six underground floors of the station that are being dug out.

Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri said it was worth the effort.

"Without these major works, we would never have discovered the barracks at Porta Metronia, we would never have found these wells, and today we would have known far less about our extraordinary past," he said.

Metro C is intended to carry 600,000 passengers a day, easing Rome's notorious traffic and speeding tourists between major landmarks. At present it carries 41,000 daily, but the new openings should see numbers climb.

Culture

New Discoveries Bridge Chronological Gap between Nabataean, Early Islamic Periods in AlUla’s Wadi al-Qura

The study presents, for the first time, detailed evidence documenting a historical phase in Wadi al-Qura (modern-day AlUla) spanning the 3rd to 7th centuries CE. (SPA)
The study presents, for the first time, detailed evidence documenting a historical phase in Wadi al-Qura (modern-day AlUla) spanning the 3rd to 7th centuries CE. (SPA)
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New Discoveries Bridge Chronological Gap between Nabataean, Early Islamic Periods in AlUla’s Wadi al-Qura

The study presents, for the first time, detailed evidence documenting a historical phase in Wadi al-Qura (modern-day AlUla) spanning the 3rd to 7th centuries CE. (SPA)
The study presents, for the first time, detailed evidence documenting a historical phase in Wadi al-Qura (modern-day AlUla) spanning the 3rd to 7th centuries CE. (SPA)

A joint research team from the Saudi Arabia’s Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) and the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) published a new peer-reviewed paper in “Arabian Archaeology and Epigraphy, one of the leading international journals dedicated to Arabian Peninsula and Middle Eastern archaeology.

The study presents, for the first time, detailed evidence documenting a historical phase in Wadi al-Qura (modern-day AlUla) spanning the 3rd to 7th centuries CE.

An RCU statement said the research focuses on a period long regarded as a knowledge gap between the end of the Nabataean era and the beginning of the early Islamic period in northwest Arabia, a time traditionally assumed to have witnessed a widespread decline in settled occupation across sites such as Tayma, Khaybar, and Hegra.

Building on fieldwork from the Dadan Archaeological Project, a collaboration between RCU, CNRS, and AFALULA, the study compiles findings from three consecutive excavation seasons (2021–2023) at an archaeological mound located within the boundaries of the Dadan site, less than one kilometer south of ancient Dadan.

Excavations uncovered a substantial structure built in the late 3rd or early 4th century CE and occupied continuously until the first half of the 7th century CE. This discovery provides the first integrated archaeological evidence of sustained settlement in the region from the early 5th to the early 7th century CE.

The findings reveal a clear architectural and cultural sequence, featuring a network of organized rooms and courtyards, a central square equipped with a well, basin, and water channels, as well as evidence of agricultural practices, crop storage, food production, and craft activities, indicating a stable, structured community.

The study adopts a multidisciplinary approach, incorporating ceramic and lithic analysis, archaeobotany, zooarchaeology, and geoarchaeology. Together, these methods offer new insights into diet, agriculture, and the oasis environment during this extended period.

Collectively, the results challenge long-held assumptions about the history of Wadi al-Qura. Rather than experiencing a complete interruption in settlement between the 4th and 6th centuries CE, the region appears to have hosted a continuous, well-organized community with advanced architectural planning and internal water-management systems, illustrating social and economic continuity up to the eve of the Islamic era.

Commenting on the study, Vice President of Culture within RCU’s Tourism Sector Dr. Abdulrahman AlSuhaibani, who is also a principal contributor to the research, said that "these findings reveal an important chapter in the history of Wadi al-Qura and show that AlUla was part of a vibrant settlement network in the centuries preceding the rise of Islam.”

“This research enriches our understanding of local communities in northwest Arabia and further reinforces AlUla’s position as a place of enduring cultural continuity,” he added.

This achievement reflects RCU’s commitment to advancing world-class archaeological research and building international partnerships with leading scientific institutions.

It supports the ongoing rediscovery of AlUla’s heritage and strengthens its role as a global reference for the study of Arabian history, aligning with Saudi Vision 2030 objectives to boost cultural tourism, grow the knowledge economy, and protect natural and cultural heritage.