Arabic Calligraphy Enscribed into UNESCO Heritage List

 A Pakistani artist works on a Koranic calligraphy project made with gold-plated letters at Arts Council of Pakistan, in port City of Karachi on September 6, 2021. (AFP)
A Pakistani artist works on a Koranic calligraphy project made with gold-plated letters at Arts Council of Pakistan, in port City of Karachi on September 6, 2021. (AFP)
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Arabic Calligraphy Enscribed into UNESCO Heritage List

 A Pakistani artist works on a Koranic calligraphy project made with gold-plated letters at Arts Council of Pakistan, in port City of Karachi on September 6, 2021. (AFP)
A Pakistani artist works on a Koranic calligraphy project made with gold-plated letters at Arts Council of Pakistan, in port City of Karachi on September 6, 2021. (AFP)

UNESCO on Tuesday added Arabic calligraphy, a key tradition in the Arab and Islamic worlds, to its Intangible Cultural Heritage list.

A total of 16 Muslim-majority countries, led by Saudi Arabia, presented the nomination to the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, which announced the listing on Twitter.

"Arabic calligraphy is the artistic practice of handwriting Arabic script in a fluid manner to convey harmony, grace and beauty," UNESCO said on its website.

"The fluidity of Arabic script offers infinite possibilities, even within a single word, as letters can be stretched and transformed in numerous ways to create different motifs."

Saudi Culture Minister Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan Al-Saud welcomed the decision and said it would "contribute to developing this cultural heritage", in a statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency.

Abdelmajid Mahboub from the Saudi Heritage Preservation Society, which was involved in the proposal, said calligraphy "has always served as a symbol of the Arab-Muslim world".

But he lamented that "many people no longer write by hand due to technological advances", adding that the number of specialized Arab calligraphic artists had dropped sharply.

The UNESCO listing "will certainly have a positive impact" on preserving the tradition, he added.

According to the UNESCO website, intangible cultural heritage "is an important factor in maintaining cultural diversity in the face of growing globalization".

Its importance "is not the cultural manifestation itself but rather the wealth of knowledge and skills that is transmitted through it from one generation to the next".



Saudi Arabia Wins Grand Prix, Scores Record Haul at Geneva Exhibition of Inventions

A total of 161 Saudi innovators vied for international recognition - SPA
A total of 161 Saudi innovators vied for international recognition - SPA
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Saudi Arabia Wins Grand Prix, Scores Record Haul at Geneva Exhibition of Inventions

A total of 161 Saudi innovators vied for international recognition - SPA
A total of 161 Saudi innovators vied for international recognition - SPA

Saudi Arabia has achieved a historic triumph at the 50th Geneva International Exhibition of Inventions, securing the prestigious Grand Prix, awarded to Dr. Saad Alenezi of Majmaah University.

This landmark achievement is further amplified by the remarkable success of other Saudi innovators, who garnered six international awards and 124 global medals.

This unprecedented performance marks a new pinnacle for the Saudi education sector since the exhibition's inception.
The Kingdom's strong presence at the event included 134 scientific inventions, competing among over 1,000 innovations from 35 countries.

A total of 161 Saudi innovators, representing general and higher education, technical training institutions, and university faculty, vied for international recognition, SPA reported.
Grand Prix recipient Dr. Saad Alenezi expressed profound gratitude for the leadership's unwavering support of innovators, emphasizing that this victory underscores the Kingdom's commitment to fostering innovation and empowering national talent.
Echoing this sentiment, the student innovators conveyed their immense pride and appreciation for the encouragement received, expressing their joy in representing Saudi Arabia and raising its flag at such a prominent global innovation platform.