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Saudi Arabia Gifts Artwork to UN on International Mother Language Day

The artwork was gifted to the United Nations on the occasion of International Mother Language Day at its headquarters in Geneva. (SPA)
The artwork was gifted to the United Nations on the occasion of International Mother Language Day at its headquarters in Geneva. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia Gifts Artwork to UN on International Mother Language Day

The artwork was gifted to the United Nations on the occasion of International Mother Language Day at its headquarters in Geneva. (SPA)
The artwork was gifted to the United Nations on the occasion of International Mother Language Day at its headquarters in Geneva. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia unveiled on Friday artwork it gifted to the United Nations on the occasion of International Mother Language Day at its headquarters in Geneva.

The ceremony was attended by Secretary General of the King Salman Global Academy for the Arabic Language Dr. Abdullah bin Saleh Al-Washmi, Saudi Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva Ambassador Abdulmohsen bin Khathila, Director-General of the UN Geneva Office Tatiana Valovaya, and several officials.

The initiative is part of the Kingdom's ongoing efforts to promote and disseminate the Arabic language on a global scale, acknowledging the UN's role in fostering multilingualism.

The aim is to strengthen the international status of the Arabic language through close collaboration between the Ministry of Culture, the King Salman Global Academy for the Arabic Language, the Permanent Mission of Saudi Arabia to the UN, and various international organizations in Geneva.

The Saudi permanent ambassador said that boosting collaboration with international organizations to promote the Arabic language and reinforce its global status aligns with the directives of the wise Saudi leadership.

Arabic is one of the six official languages recognized by the UN and its specialized agencies worldwide, he noted, underscoring its importance in the international arena and supporting efforts to deepen cultural diversity and global civilizational dialogue.

The fruitful collaboration between Saudi Arabia and the UN highlights the strong partnership between both sides across various domains, fostering dialogue and promoting cultural diversity on a global scale.

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Ancient Bronze Griffin Head Is Returned to Greece from New York in Major Repatriation Move

The head of a griffin, that was repatriated from New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, is displayed at the Archaeological Museum of Olympia in Ancient Olympia, Greece, on Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP)
The head of a griffin, that was repatriated from New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, is displayed at the Archaeological Museum of Olympia in Ancient Olympia, Greece, on Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP)
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Ancient Bronze Griffin Head Is Returned to Greece from New York in Major Repatriation Move

The head of a griffin, that was repatriated from New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, is displayed at the Archaeological Museum of Olympia in Ancient Olympia, Greece, on Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP)
The head of a griffin, that was repatriated from New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, is displayed at the Archaeological Museum of Olympia in Ancient Olympia, Greece, on Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP)

New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art has returned an ancient bronze griffin head stolen nearly a century ago to a museum in southern Greece, the latest repatriation marking a broader shift in the museum world to return significant artifacts.

The 7th century B.C. artifact was on display at the Archaeological Museum of Olympia, the city that in ancient times was the birthplace of the games that later inspired the modern Olympic Games.

Greece’s culture minister, Lina Mendoni, attended a ceremony Friday at the museum, calling the return a significant moment.

“After decades of absence, the griffin returns from the Metropolitan Museum in New York to the place it belongs,” she said, praising the joint effort by the Culture Ministry and the Met to trace the artifact’s past. The ceremony coincided with a visit to Greece by members of the International Olympic Committee to elect a new president. Kirsty Coventry became the first woman and first African to lead the global body.

The griffin, a mythical creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle, symbolized strength and divine protection in ancient Greece. The bronze head will now be displayed alongside a similar griffin head already at the Olympia museum.

The Met has recently increased its efforts to review the history of its holdings, hiring additional experts to track the origins of objects in its collection.

“We are grateful for our long-standing partnership with the Greek government and look forward to continued engagement and cultural exchange,” the Met's museum director Max Hollein said in a statement.

Institutions across the world in recent years have begun to acknowledge the importance of returning significant cultural items while still promoting global access to heritage. As part of this new framework, Greece has agreed to loan the griffin head back to the Met for future exhibitions, Mendoni said.

Athens is hoping the new, more open approach will boost its decades-long campaign for the return of the Parthenon Sculptures, taken from the Acropolis in Athens in the 19th century and now in the British Museum. The government — citing their cultural importance and illegal removal — says it is making slow progress in negotiations with the London museum.