National Cultural Award-Granting Ceremony to Be Held under Saudi Crown Prince's Patronage

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. SPA
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. SPA
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National Cultural Award-Granting Ceremony to Be Held under Saudi Crown Prince's Patronage

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. SPA
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. SPA

The Saudi Ministry of Culture will grant the National Cultural Awards on Monday at King Fahd Cultural Center in Riyadh under the patronage of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
The event, in its fourth edition, will honor pioneers excelling in various cultural tracks.
Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan expressed gratitude for the Crown Prince's generous patronage, which, he said, "reflects the wise leadership's interest in the cultural sector and in supporting creativity in the field of culture.”
He also emphasized that through this initiative, the Ministry of Culture honors the most significant achievements that contribute to the development and creativity of the cultural sector.
Honored at the event will be the winners of 16 cultural awards: Cultural Pioneer of the Year, Youth Culture Award, International Cultural Excellence Award, Business Owners Award, Cultural Institutions Award, Film Award, Fashion Award, Music Award, National Heritage Award, Literature Award, Theater and Performing Arts Award, Visual Arts Award, Architecture and Design Award, Culinary Arts Award, Publishing Award, and Translation Award.



Saudi Cultural Sector Sees Growth Across Various Fields

The Riyadh International Book Fair 2023 (SPA)
The Riyadh International Book Fair 2023 (SPA)
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Saudi Cultural Sector Sees Growth Across Various Fields

The Riyadh International Book Fair 2023 (SPA)
The Riyadh International Book Fair 2023 (SPA)

A recent report on Saudi Arabia’s cultural sector shows that 2023 saw significant growth in cultural activities, including theater, film, and performance arts.
This growth is attributed to strong support and empowerment within the sector.
“The Cultural Status in Saudi Arabia 2023” report by the Kingdom’s Ministry of Culture noted that 2023 was marked by steady, gradual development rather than a sudden burst of activity.
The cultural sector has been growing steadily, reflecting the long-term impact of institutional efforts that began a few years ago.
Saudi Arabia’s cultural sector, as per the report, has grown its economic contribution by over 20%.
The sector has recovered well from the pandemic’s impact, with its contribution reaching 35 billion riyals, or 1.49% of non-oil GDP, almost back to pre-pandemic levels.
The report also revealed increased cultural activity and rising demand for cultural services and products, and highlighted promising prospects for turning cultural projects into financially successful and sustainable ventures.
In 2023, Saudi Arabia’s publishing and translation sectors had mixed results.
Literary publishing and Saudi authors’ publication rates fell to their lowest since 2019. However, Saudi authors’ international publications increased, making up 22% of the year’s literary output.
Research and scientific publishing hit a four-year high, with 405 papers in peer-reviewed journals.
Of these, 82% were by researchers from Saudi universities. International research made up 36% of contributions, while independent researchers added 7%.
The report identified several challenges requiring more effort, centered around comprehensive sustainability.
These include balancing economic, social, and environmental factors, such as addressing geographic centralization, uneven distribution of cultural activities, and ensuring equitable access for all social groups.
There is also a need for better regulations to boost investment in the cultural sector.
A major environmental challenge is protecting cultural and natural heritage from climate change.
The report highlighted the growing recognition of climate change’s threat to heritage sites and the need for proactive steps to preserve these valuable cultural and historical sites.