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RCU, UK Forge Strategic Partnership to Boost AlUla's Cultural and Economic Growth

The tripartite partnership will see RCU work closely with two UK Ministries
The tripartite partnership will see RCU work closely with two UK Ministries
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RCU, UK Forge Strategic Partnership to Boost AlUla's Cultural and Economic Growth

The tripartite partnership will see RCU work closely with two UK Ministries
The tripartite partnership will see RCU work closely with two UK Ministries

Saudi Arabia’s Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) has announced a new strategic partnership with the United Kingdom to deepen cross-cultural links between the two nations while creating opportunities in culture, media, sport, heritage, and tourism development.

Established along the principles of Saudi Vision 2030, the tripartite partnership will see RCU work closely with two UK Ministries – the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Department of Business and Trade, empowering Saudi Arabia's goal to create a thriving economy that supports a vibrant society and ambitious nation by enhancing cooperation and knowledge exchange in tourism and hospitality fields, sports, and cultural ones including heritage preservation and restoration, research, education, and arts, the Commission said in a statement.

Key collaborations signed as part of the partnership will enrich AlUla's educational, cultural, and investment landscape and empower the community by providing access to more than 42 institutions, which will help to upskill members of the AlUla community, with vocational training programs focused on strengthening the capabilities of the local workforce across diverse sectors, said the statement.

A further collaboration has been announced between the Royal Commission for AlUla and the British Council as the organization marks its 90th anniversary. This collaboration aims to accelerate the UK's engagement with AlUla through culture, training, creative industries, and research initiatives, it added.

Earlier this year, RCU signed a partnership agreement with the British National Archives to collaborate on archival management and historical documentation. This agreement aligns with RCU's strategic goals of cultural heritage preservation and international collaboration.

"RCU's newest agreement with our UK partners further solidifies Saudi Arabia's long-running ties with Great Britain while bolstering AlUla's rapidly growing status as a destination for culture, tourism, and economic investment,” said RCU Acting CEO Abeer AlAkel.

She added: "By creating fresh opportunities to share valuable expertise, experience, and knowledge with our network of global colleagues, AlUla's comprehensive regeneration will continue to gather pace as it delivers exciting opportunities to uplift our community, promote international cross-cultural exchange, and welcome global visitors and businesses."

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he was pleased the UK is forging new partnerships with Saudi Arabia to protect the cultural heritage of AlUla. “Through deeper economic ties with key partners such as Saudi Arabia, we can unlock growth and new opportunities both at home and abroad to deliver change that is felt by working people in the UK."

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Culture

Culture Being Strangled by Kosovo's Political Crisis

The cinema has been waiting for much-needed repairs for years. Armend NIMANI / AFP
The cinema has been waiting for much-needed repairs for years. Armend NIMANI / AFP
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Culture Being Strangled by Kosovo's Political Crisis

The cinema has been waiting for much-needed repairs for years. Armend NIMANI / AFP
The cinema has been waiting for much-needed repairs for years. Armend NIMANI / AFP

Kosovo's oldest cinema has been dark and silent for years as the famous theater slowly disintegrates under a leaky roof.

Signs warn passers-by in the historic city of Prizren that parts of the Lumbardhi's crumbling facade could fall while it waits for its long-promised refurbishment.

"The city deserves to have the cinema renovated and preserved. Only junkies gathering there benefit from it now," nextdoor neighbor butcher Arsim Futko, 62, told AFP.

For seven years, it waited for a European Union-funded revamp, only for the money to be suddenly withdrawn with little explanation.

Now it awaits similar repairs promised by the national government that has since been paralyzed by inconclusive elections in February.

And it is anyone's guess whether the new government that will come out of Sunday's snap election will keep the promise.

'Collateral damage'

Cinema director Ares Shporta said the cinema has become "collateral damage" in a broader geopolitical game after the EU hit his country with sanctions in 2023.

The delayed repairs "affected our morale, it affected our lives, it affected the trust of the community in us," Shporta said.

Brussels slapped Kosovo with sanctions over heightened tensions between the government and the ethnic Serb minority that live in parts of the country as Pristina pushed to exert more control over areas still tightly linked to Belgrade.

Cultural institutions have been among the hardest-hit sectors, as international funding dried up and local decisions were stalled by the parliamentary crisis.

According to an analysis by the Kosovo think tank, the GAP Institute for Advanced Studies, sanctions have resulted in around 613 million euros ($719 million) being suspended or paused, with the cultural sector taking a hit of 15-million-euro hit.

'Ground zero'

With political stalemate threatening to drag on into another year, there are warnings that further funding from abroad could also be in jeopardy.

Since February's election when outgoing premier Albin Kurti topped the polls but failed to win a majority, his caretaker government has been deadlocked with opposition lawmakers.

Months of delays, spent mostly without a parliament, meant little legislative work could be done.

Ahead of the snap election on Sunday, the government said that more than 200 million euros ($235 million) will be lost forever due to a failure to ratify international agreements.

Once the top beneficiary of the EU Growth Plan in the Balkans, Europe's youngest country now trails most of its neighburs, the NGO Group for Legal and Political Studies' executive director Njomza Arifi told AFP.

"While some of the countries in the region have already received the second tranches, Kosovo still remains at ground zero."

Although there have been some enthusiastic signs of easing a half of EU sanctions by January, Kurti's continued push against Serbian institutions and influence in the country's north continues to draw criticism from both Washington and Brussels.

'On the edge'

Across the river from the Lumbardhi, the funding cuts have also been felt at Dokufest, a documentary and short film festival that draws people to the region.

"The festival has had to make staff cuts. Unfortunately, there is a risk of further cuts if things don't change," Dokufest artistic director Veton Nurkollari said.

"Fortunately, we don't depend on just one source because we could end up in a situation where, when the tap is turned off, everything is turned off."

He said that many in the cultural sector were desperate for the upcoming government to get the sanctions lifted by ratification of the agreements that would allow EU funds to flow again.

"Kosovo is the only one left on the edge and without these funds."

Culture

Saudi Culture Ministry Concludes Intangible Cultural Heritage Documentation Project in Al-Ahsa

Saudi Culture Ministry Concludes Intangible Cultural Heritage Documentation Project in Al-Ahsa
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Saudi Culture Ministry Concludes Intangible Cultural Heritage Documentation Project in Al-Ahsa

Saudi Culture Ministry Concludes Intangible Cultural Heritage Documentation Project in Al-Ahsa

The Saudi Ministry of Culture concluded the project to survey, document, and archive intangible cultural heritage in Al-Ahsa Governorate by holding a workshop in the governorate, attended by stakeholders and relevant entities, as part of the ministry’s efforts to preserve national cultural heritage and strengthen Saudi cultural identity, reported the Saudi Press Agency on Thursday.

The project included a field survey covering various cities and villages across Al-Ahsa, during which diverse elements of intangible cultural heritage were identified and documented. These included oral traditions, performing arts, skills associated with traditional cultural crafts, social practices, and knowledge related to nature and the local environment.

The work was carried out in cooperation with concerned entities, specialized experts, and local practitioners.

The workshop reviewed the project’s final outcomes and presented reports on documentation and digital archiving activities.

It discussed mechanisms to ensure the sustainability of these efforts and the transmission of this cultural legacy to future generations, contributing to greater community awareness of the value and importance of intangible cultural heritage.

Culture

Hail Region Pavilion Showcases Heritage Artifacts at Camel Festival

The pavilion aims to connect visitors to Hail's history and social legacy - SPA
The pavilion aims to connect visitors to Hail's history and social legacy - SPA
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Hail Region Pavilion Showcases Heritage Artifacts at Camel Festival

The pavilion aims to connect visitors to Hail's history and social legacy - SPA
The pavilion aims to connect visitors to Hail's history and social legacy - SPA

Hail Region pavilion at the Ministry of Interior’s Security Oasis exhibition, part of the 10th King Abdulaziz Camel Festival in Al-Sayahid, features heritage artifacts that reflect the region's renowned hospitality.

The display includes ancient trays and copperware from nearly seventy years ago.

According to SPA, these traditional food preparation and serving vessels have garnered significant interest from visitors. They document daily life in old Hail and its deep-rooted social traditions, particularly in gatherings and special occasions.

The pavilion aims to connect visitors to Hail's history and social legacy, fostering appreciation for national heritage and ensuring cultural preservation for future generations.