Saudi, Kuwaiti Culture Ministers Sign MoU to Boost Cooperation

The Saudi Minister of Culture and the Kuwaiti Minister of Information and Culture and Minister of State for Youth Affairs have signed an MoU. SPA
The Saudi Minister of Culture and the Kuwaiti Minister of Information and Culture and Minister of State for Youth Affairs have signed an MoU. SPA
TT

Saudi, Kuwaiti Culture Ministers Sign MoU to Boost Cooperation

The Saudi Minister of Culture and the Kuwaiti Minister of Information and Culture and Minister of State for Youth Affairs have signed an MoU. SPA
The Saudi Minister of Culture and the Kuwaiti Minister of Information and Culture and Minister of State for Youth Affairs have signed an MoU. SPA

Saudi Minister of Culture Prince Bader bin Abdullah bin Farhan Al Saud and Kuwaiti Minister of Information and Culture and Minister of State for Youth Affairs Abdulrahman bin Bedah Al-Mutairi have met at the Riyadh International Book Fair.

During the meeting on Monday, the two ministers emphasized the deep-rooted historical and distinguished relations between the two countries and the importance of joint work in the cultural field under the umbrella of the Saudi-Kuwaiti Coordination Council.

The two ministers signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to enhance cultural cooperation between the Kingdom’s Ministry of Culture and Kuwait’s National Council for Culture, Arts, and Literature (NCCAL).

The MoU aims to enhance collaboration in various cultural fields such as heritage, architecture, design, museums, visual arts, theater, performing arts, literature, publishing, translation, fashion, culinary arts, and film. It also involves sharing expertise on cultural systems, regulations, and policies and participating in each other's festivals and cultural events.

As members of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), both parties will jointly coordinate agreements and contribute to strategic projects across various cultural sectors. Additionally, the MoU seeks to establish artistic residency programs and implement projects for preserving heritage in all its forms.

The MoU is based on longstanding historical ties and solid fraternal relations between the leaderships and peoples of the Kingdom and Kuwait. Its goal is to strengthen relations as part of the two countries' ongoing efforts to improve bilateral relations across different cultural aspects and to promote international cultural exchange, which aligns with the objectives of the National Culture Strategy under the umbrella of Saudi Vision 2030.

The Kuwaiti ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Sheikh Sabah Nasser Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, was present at the meeting.



US Returns to Iran Latest Batch of Ancient Clay Tablets

Achaemenid-era clay tablets returned from the United States and on display at Iran's National Museum in Tehran on October 2, 2019 - AFP
Achaemenid-era clay tablets returned from the United States and on display at Iran's National Museum in Tehran on October 2, 2019 - AFP
TT

US Returns to Iran Latest Batch of Ancient Clay Tablets

Achaemenid-era clay tablets returned from the United States and on display at Iran's National Museum in Tehran on October 2, 2019 - AFP
Achaemenid-era clay tablets returned from the United States and on display at Iran's National Museum in Tehran on October 2, 2019 - AFP

The United States has returned to Iran more than 1,000 clay tablets dating from the Achaemenid-era, official media said, reporting the sixth such handover of its kind.

Iran's official IRNA news agency said Thursday evening that the tablets, 1,100 in all, were returned with President Masoud Pezeshkian who had attended the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Found at the ruins of Persepolis, the capital of the Persian Achaemenid Empire which ruled from the 6th to 4th centuries BC in southern Iran, the repatriated tablets reflect how the ancient society was organised and its economy managed.

According to AFP, the tablets constitute records of "the rituals and the way of life of our ancestors", said Ali Darabi, vice-minister of cultural heritage, cited by IRNA.

The tablets were returned to Iran by the University of Chicago's Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures, West Asia & North Africa, formerly known as the Oriental Institute.

A large portion of the tablets were returned in three batches between 1948 and 2004 before the rest were blocked by legal action until 2018.

More than 3,500 tablets were repatriated in September, 2023.

"The American side undertook to return the rest," Darabi said, cited by Iran's ISNA news agency.