Saudi Arabia Participates in 220th UNESCO Executive Board Session

The Saudi delegation is headed by Saudi Ambassador to France and Monaco and the Kingdom’s acting permanent delegate to UNESCO Fahd bin Mayouf Al-Ruwaili who delivered the Kingdom’s speech in the presence of member states of the board, as well as the chairperson of the Executive Board, the president of UNESCO’s General Conference, and UNESCO’s director-general - SPA
The Saudi delegation is headed by Saudi Ambassador to France and Monaco and the Kingdom’s acting permanent delegate to UNESCO Fahd bin Mayouf Al-Ruwaili who delivered the Kingdom’s speech in the presence of member states of the board, as well as the chairperson of the Executive Board, the president of UNESCO’s General Conference, and UNESCO’s director-general - SPA
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Saudi Arabia Participates in 220th UNESCO Executive Board Session

The Saudi delegation is headed by Saudi Ambassador to France and Monaco and the Kingdom’s acting permanent delegate to UNESCO Fahd bin Mayouf Al-Ruwaili who delivered the Kingdom’s speech in the presence of member states of the board, as well as the chairperson of the Executive Board, the president of UNESCO’s General Conference, and UNESCO’s director-general - SPA
The Saudi delegation is headed by Saudi Ambassador to France and Monaco and the Kingdom’s acting permanent delegate to UNESCO Fahd bin Mayouf Al-Ruwaili who delivered the Kingdom’s speech in the presence of member states of the board, as well as the chairperson of the Executive Board, the president of UNESCO’s General Conference, and UNESCO’s director-general - SPA

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, represented by its permanent delegation to UNESCO, is participating in the 220th session of the Executive Board of UNESCO, which began its opening sessions on Monday at the organization’s headquarters in Paris, France.

The Saudi National Commission for Education, Culture, and Science, along with several national entities, is also participating in the session, which will continue until October 23, according to SPA.
The Saudi delegation is headed by Saudi Ambassador to France and Monaco and the Kingdom’s acting permanent delegate to UNESCO Fahd bin Mayouf Al-Ruwaili who delivered the Kingdom’s speech in the presence of member states of the board, as well as the chairperson of the Executive Board, the president of UNESCO’s General Conference, and UNESCO’s director-general.
Al-Ruwaili highlighted Saudi Arabia’s extensive and continuous efforts in collaboration with its regional and global partners to address the deteriorating humanitarian conditions and the suffering of civilians in Gaza and Lebanon. He reiterated the Kingdom’s call for an immediate ceasefire, the protection of civilians and infrastructure, the prevention of violence, and the need for a just and comprehensive resolution to the crisis that ensures security and stability for all. He also stressed the importance of implementing relevant UNESCO resolutions and supporting its active role in promoting peace through the frameworks of education, culture, and science.
The ambassador referred to the Kingdom’s organization of the Global AI Summit in Riyadh in September, during which a trilateral agreement was signed between the Saudi government, UNESCO, and the International Center for AI Research and Ethics (ICAIRE). This agreement led to accrediting ICAIRE as a UNESCO Category 2 Center, underscoring Saudi Arabia’s commitment to advancing the future of AI and sustainable development.
Al-Ruwaili emphasized the importance of supporting joint efforts that play a pivotal role in achieving UNESCO’s goals and enhancing the protection of global heritage.



Egypt Opens More Galleries in Long-Awaited Antiquities Museum

A King Ramses II statue displayed at the Grand Egyptian Museum during the trial partial operation in Giza, Egypt, 15 October 2024. (EPA)
A King Ramses II statue displayed at the Grand Egyptian Museum during the trial partial operation in Giza, Egypt, 15 October 2024. (EPA)
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Egypt Opens More Galleries in Long-Awaited Antiquities Museum

A King Ramses II statue displayed at the Grand Egyptian Museum during the trial partial operation in Giza, Egypt, 15 October 2024. (EPA)
A King Ramses II statue displayed at the Grand Egyptian Museum during the trial partial operation in Giza, Egypt, 15 October 2024. (EPA)

Egypt opened a series of galleries to the public on Tuesday in its flagship new museum, the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), located near the pyramids of Giza.

Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly last week announced a "trial opening" ahead of a formal inauguration. Egyptian officials say a number of world leaders have expressed interest in attending the official opening but have not indicated when this will take place.

Pharaonic statues are showcased at the Grand Staircase of the Grand Egyptian Museum during a partial trial in Giza, Egypt, October 15, 2024. (Reuters)

The museum's main entrance hall with its stairway of Pharaonic statues and an annex for commercial shopping opened to the public in February 2023.

Ali Abu Al-Shish, a member of the Egyptian Archaeologists Union who attended Tuesday's opening of almost a dozen galleries, said the trial operation of the vast museum was evidence Egypt now had the space to exhibit its antiquities, including those being returned by Western states and museums.

It's an "important message that we can recover our antiquities, which are spread across various countries in the world," he said.

Visiting Russian tourist Kseniia Muse said: "We are so happy to be here, to have visited these beautiful sculptures... It is very modern and at the same time you can touch the ancient."

Pharaonic statues are displayed at the Grand Staircase of the Grand Egyptian Museum during a partial trial in Giza, Egypt, October 15, 2024. (Reuters)

Tourism is an important source of foreign currency revenue for Egypt. The government has been trying to increase tourist numbers after facing a long-running foreign currency shortage that was exacerbated by external shocks.

Until now, Egypt's most famous collections have been housed in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo's Tahrir Square, which has been largely unmodernized and unrenovated since opening in 1902.