Saudi Culture Minister Visits KSGAAL to Review its Key Projects

The Saudi Minister of Culture has visited the KSGAAL headquarters in Riyadh. SPA
The Saudi Minister of Culture has visited the KSGAAL headquarters in Riyadh. SPA
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Saudi Culture Minister Visits KSGAAL to Review its Key Projects

The Saudi Minister of Culture has visited the KSGAAL headquarters in Riyadh. SPA
The Saudi Minister of Culture has visited the KSGAAL headquarters in Riyadh. SPA

Saudi Minister of Culture and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan has visited the KSGAAL headquarters in Riyadh.

During the visit on Sunay, he was briefed on the academy’s initiatives and projects across its four specialized areas: language planning and policy, computational linguistics, educational programs, and cultural programs.

Prince Badr praised KSGAAL’s linguistic achievements at both local and international levels in promoting the Arabic language and culture. He emphasized the importance of collective efforts to meet the aspirations of the Kingdom’s leadership in advancing the Arabic language, in alignment with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.

As part of his visit, the Minister toured the Arabic Language Exhibition for Children, which features interactive and educational tools designed for children in various areas of the Arabic language. He also visited the Abjad Center for Teaching the Arabic Language, which offers advanced curricula for teaching Arabic to non-native speakers. There, he met with several students from diverse countries.

The Minister was also briefed at the Arabic Intelligence Center on artificial intelligence techniques in Arabic language processing.

He examined the applications and tools designed to preserve the Arabic language in the digital space, benefiting researchers and developers in the field.



Egyptian Archaeologist Calls on Berlin to Return Nefertiti Bust

The bust of Queen Nefertiti, Berlin, March 1, 2021. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
The bust of Queen Nefertiti, Berlin, March 1, 2021. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
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Egyptian Archaeologist Calls on Berlin to Return Nefertiti Bust

The bust of Queen Nefertiti, Berlin, March 1, 2021. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
The bust of Queen Nefertiti, Berlin, March 1, 2021. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights

Prominent Egyptian archaeologist and former antiquities minister Zahi Hawass has launched a petition for the return to Egypt of the pharaonic bust of Queen Nefertiti from the Neues Museum in Berlin.

Nefertiti's famous painted limestone bust was uncovered at Tell el-Amarna, around 300 km (185 miles) south of Cairo, in 1912 by a German archaeological mission, which shipped it to Berlin the following year.

Amarna was the short-lived capital of Nefertiti's husband, the 18th dynasty Pharaoh Akhenaten, who reigned until about 1335 B.C.

Akhenaten, called the heretic king, was notorious for promoting the worship of the god Aten to the exclusion of Egypt's other gods. His reign also introduced a radical change in Egyptian art.

In his petition launched on Saturday, Hawass asked for the return of the bust, saying it was removed from Egypt illegally after its discovery, Reuters reported.

"We announce today that Egypt - this is the national committee, it is not a government committee - asks for the return of the bust of Nefertiti," Hawass said.

"What I need from everyone here is to go to my website... hawasszahi.com, and you will sign, one signature, to show that you would love for this bust to come back."

Hawass said he is not calling for the repatriation of artefacts taken out of Egypt legally. His campaign is focused on repatriating "three main beautiful objects" including the bust of Nefertiti, the Rosetta Stone and the Dendera Zodiac.