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Saudi Arabia, Qatar Seek to Boost Cultural Cooperation

The meeting was chaired by Saudi Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan and his Qatari counterpart, Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Hamad Al Thani. SPA
The meeting was chaired by Saudi Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan and his Qatari counterpart, Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Hamad Al Thani. SPA
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Saudi Arabia, Qatar Seek to Boost Cultural Cooperation

The meeting was chaired by Saudi Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan and his Qatari counterpart, Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Hamad Al Thani. SPA
The meeting was chaired by Saudi Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan and his Qatari counterpart, Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Hamad Al Thani. SPA

The Culture, Tourism and Entertainment Committee of the Saudi-Qatari Coordination Council held on Monday its first meeting at the Riyadh International Book Fair.

The meeting was chaired by Saudi Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan and his Qatari counterpart, Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Hamad Al Thani.

The committee members discussed the committee's achievements, its objectives and initiatives in the cultural, tourism, and entertainment domains, and issued several recommendations aimed at boosting cooperation between the two countries.

The two countries have close ties and strive to boost cooperation and integration, in line with the Saudi Vision 2030 and Qatar's National Vision 2030.
The two ministers also toured the fair, where Qatar is the guest of honor.

Some 2,000 publishing houses from 30 countries are taking part in this year's fair, which brings together local and international writers, publishers, and readers, promoting cultural exchange and knowledge sharing.

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Van Gogh Painting Falls Short of Expectations in Hong Kong Auction

A visitor looks closely at 'Les canots amarres' by Vincent van Gogh at Christie's new Asia Pacific headquarters in Hong Kong. Peter PARKS / AFP
A visitor looks closely at 'Les canots amarres' by Vincent van Gogh at Christie's new Asia Pacific headquarters in Hong Kong. Peter PARKS / AFP
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Van Gogh Painting Falls Short of Expectations in Hong Kong Auction

A visitor looks closely at 'Les canots amarres' by Vincent van Gogh at Christie's new Asia Pacific headquarters in Hong Kong. Peter PARKS / AFP
A visitor looks closely at 'Les canots amarres' by Vincent van Gogh at Christie's new Asia Pacific headquarters in Hong Kong. Peter PARKS / AFP

A Vincent van Gogh painting displaying the artist's shift from dark realism to vibrant impressionism sold for US$32.2 million at a Hong Kong auction on Thursday, falling short of expectations that it would fetch a record-breaking price.
"Les canots amarres" -- or "the moored boats" -- was the centerpiece of an inaugural evening sale held to celebrate the opening of auction house Christie's new Asia Pacific headquarters.
According to Christie's, it was expected to fetch HK$230-380 million (US$30-50 million) on the auction floor, AFP reported.
If bidding had reached the higher end of the estimated value, it could have surpassed Jean-Michel Basquiat's "Warrior" -- which went for HK$323.6 million in 2021 -- as the most expensive Western painting sold in Asia.

But the hammer of auctioneer Adrien Meyer fell Thursday at HK$250 million.
Cristian Albu, deputy chairman and head of 20th/21st century art at Christie's Asia Pacific, said the price was the "record of a Van Gogh in Asia.”
The auction house was "cautious" with its lineup on Thursday in hopes of boosting market confidence, added Ada Tsui, head of evening sale and specialist for 20th/21st century art.
Owned by the Italian royal family of Bourbon Two Sicilies, the Van Gogh painting is "the most important painting by the artist ever to be offered in Asia,” Christie's said in its introduction.
"'Les canots amarres' marks a vital stepping stone in his career," it said.
The painting is one of about 40 works Van Gogh developed around the scenic French town of Asnieres, a boating hub on the outskirts of Paris, during the summer of 1887.