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.



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.