In Senegal, the Bastion of the Region’s Francophonie, French Is Giving Way to Local Languages

Culture A man sits outside a stationary store with French signs in Dakar, Senegal, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024. (AP)

In Senegal, the Bastion of the Region’s Francophonie, French Is Giving Way to Local Languages

For decades Senegal, a former French colony in West Africa, has been touted as the bastion of the French language in the region. Leopold Sedar Senghor, the…

Culture The Saudi Ministry of Culture logo

GCC Culture Ministers Discuss Enhancing Cultural Cooperation

Saudi Assistant Minister of Culture Rakan bin Ibrahim Al-Touq participated on Thursday in the 28th meeting of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) culture ministers…

Asharq Al Awsat (Doha)
Culture The Riyadh International Book Fair 2024 logo

'Riyadh Reads French' Initiative Brings French Culture to Riyadh International Book Fair

The Riyadh International Book Fair 2024 featured the return of the "Riyadh Reads French" initiative, which was introduced the previous year and gathered…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Culture Saudi Culinary Arts Commission Signs New Partnership to Expand Global Presence

Saudi Culinary Arts Commission Signs New Partnership to Expand Global Presence

The Culinary Arts Commission has announced a strategic partnership with the international organization Sirha Food to enhance the presence of Saudi culinary…

Asharq Al Awsat
Culture Saudi Arabia Launches Intangible Cultural Heritage Documentation Project in Al-Ahsa

Saudi Arabia Launches Intangible Cultural Heritage Documentation Project in Al-Ahsa

The Saudi Ministry of Culture has launched an intangible cultural heritage documentation project in Al-Ahsa Governorate. The project is one of several the…

Asharq Al Awsat

Culture Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman approves the adoption of the non-profit King Salman Foundation’s bylaws.

King Salman Launches Non-Profit Foundation to Invest in Human Development

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman, in a royal decree on Thursday, approved the adoption of the non-profit King Salman Foundation’s bylaws. The…

Omar al-Badwi (Riyadh)
Culture  Canadian Cultural Heritage Deputy Minister Isabelle Mondou unveils Yousuf Karsh's "Roaring Lion" portrait of Churchill, stolen in 2022 from Ottawa’s Fairmont Chateau Laurier and recovered in Italy, during a ceremony at the Canadian Embassy in Rome, Italy, September 19, 2024. (Reuters)

‘Roaring Lion’ Churchill Portrait Retrieved from Italy after Canada Theft

Italy handed back to Canada on Thursday a famous photographic portrait of Winston Churchill that was stolen from an Ottawa hotel more than two years ago and…

Culture Nassif House is open daily with two visiting slots: 10 am to 1 pm and 5 pm to 9 pm, offering both morning and evening visits. - SPA

Jeddah Historic District Program Unveils New Archaeological Finds at Heritage Nassif House

The Ministry of Culture's Jeddah Historic District Program is currently showcasing a plethora of archaeological discoveries at the heritage Nassif House,…

Asharq Al Awsat
Culture The museum will welcome visitors from September 21 to 23, from 4:30 pm to 11 pm (SPA)

Royal Saudi Air Force Museum Hosts National Day Celebration

To commemorate Saudi Arabia's 94th National Day, the Royal Saudi Air Force Museum (Saqr Al-Jazeera Aviation Museum) is hosting a three-day event filled with…

Asharq Al Awsat
Culture The project’s results yielded valuable discoveries on the presence of humans in the region for thousands of years (SPA).

Green Arabian Peninsula Project Continues to Uncover Insights into Ancient Human Settlements in Saudi Arabia

The Green Arabian Peninsula Project, which was launched in 2010, continues its efforts to study the impact of successive climatic changes on the Arabian…

Omar al-Badawi (Riyadh)
Culture The Ministry of Culture logo

Saudi Culture Minister Lauds Cabinet for Naming 2025 the 'Year of Handicrafts'

Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan has commended the Cabinet's decision to declare 2025 the "Year of Handicrafts,” acknowledging the…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Culture QSAS will enrich the cultural landscape by developing interactive and creative cultural, historical, and heritage storytelling experiences.

PIF Establishes Company for Immersive Experiences Inspired by Saudi Heritage

The Public Investment Fund (PIF) announced on Wednesday the establishment of the National Interactive Entertainment Company (QSAS) to create immersive…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Culture A special installation work for the artist Ahmed Mater commissioned by Wadi AlFann in AlUla. (Christie's)

Christie’s Launches First International Auction House in Saudi Arabia

Christie’s auction house announced the appointment of Nour Kelani as General Manager in Saudi Arabia, tasked with overseeing services for local clients. This…

Eman Al-Khattaf (Al-Dammam)
Culture The Saudi Ministry of Culture logo

Saudi Culture Ministry, King Salman Academy Organize Learning Arabic Language Hackathon

The Saudi Ministry of Culture, in collaboration with the King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language (KSGAAL), is organizing the "Learning and Embracing the…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Culture Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum reviewed the cultural district project. WAM

Mohammed bin Rashid Reviews Cultural District Project in Dubai South

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, reviewed the cultural district project, located within…

Asharq Al Awsat (Dubai)
Culture Preparations Underway for Riyadh International Book Fair

Preparations Underway for Riyadh International Book Fair

Saudi Arabia's Literature, Publishing, and Translation Commission continues to prepare to hold this year's Riyadh International Book Fair, scheduled to take…

Culture Sanuki Kagari Temari balls are in a gift box in Eiko Araki's studio in Kawaramachi, Kagawa prefecture, Japan, on Sept. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Yuri Kageyama) 

Dedicated Artists Are Keeping Japan’s Ancient Craft of Temari Alive 

Time seems to stop here. Women sit in a small circle, quietly, painstakingly stitching patterns on balls the size of an orange, a stitch at a time. At the…

Culture Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu Celebrates National Day with Diverse Events

Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu Celebrates National Day with Diverse Events

The Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu (RCJY) is holding a series of events and competitions in Jubail and Yanbu industrial cities to mark Saudi Arabia's…

Asharq Al Awsat
Culture The winning scripts may be made into movies by GEA

Writers Invited to Submit Works, Compete for Saudi Arabia’s Golden Pen Award

Chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority (GEA) Turki bin Abdulmohsen Alalshikh has announced that Arabic-speaking writers may start…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Culture This year's forum focuses on the power of art to transform abstract ideas into tangible reality. SPA

6th Int’l Video Art Forum in Dammam to Celebrate Power of Art

The sixth edition of the International Video Art Forum, organized by the Saudi Arabian Society for Culture and Arts in Dammam, in collaboration with the Cinema…

Asharq Al Awsat (Dammam)
Culture Darah Releases Updated Guide on History of Saudi Arabia to Mark 94th National Day

Darah Releases Updated Guide on History of Saudi Arabia to Mark 94th National Day

The King Abdulaziz Foundation for Research and Archives (Darah) released an updated version of its guide on the history of Saudi National Day. This is part of…

Culture KAPSARC, KSGAAL Launch 3rd Edition of KAPSARC Arabic Award

KAPSARC, KSGAAL Launch 3rd Edition of KAPSARC Arabic Award

Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC), in partnership with the King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language (KSGAAL),…

Culture Lebanese prominent writer and intellectual Elias Khoury speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at his office in the Institute for Palestine Studies in Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, Aug. 8, 2014. (AP)

Leading Lebanese Novelist Elias Khoury Dies at 76

Lebanese novelist Elias Khoury who dedicated much of his writings to the Palestinian cause and taught at universities around the world, making him one of…

Culture FILE - Schoolchildren perform at a ceremony marking Belarus' holiday honoring the state flag and emblem in Minsk, Belarus, on May 13, 2012. (AP Photo, File)

In Belarus, the Native Language is Vanishing as Russian Takes Prominence

When school started this year for Mikalay in Belarus, the 15-year-old discovered that his teachers and administrators no longer called him by that name…

Asharq Al Awsat
Culture GAIN Summit Honors Saudi Culture Ministry with AI Ethics Medal

GAIN Summit Honors Saudi Culture Ministry with AI Ethics Medal

The Saudi Ministry of Culture was presented with the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Ethics Medal for 2024 in recognition of its innovative work in this area on…

Culture The MoU covers several key areas, including developing unique and engaging cultural experiences for various segments of society. SPA

Saudi Culture Ministry, stc Group Partner on Cultural Projects

The Saudi Ministry of Culture has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with stc Group to collaborate on strategic projects that will enhance the Saudi…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Culture The building now houses Irth Café and Store. SPA

Jeddah's Historic Beit Al Kottab Reopens as Irth Café and Store

The Saudi Ministry of Culture's Historic Jeddah Program has successfully restored and rehabilitated Beit Al Kottab, a historic building in the city's UNESCO…

Asharq Al Awsat (Jeddah)
Culture Helle Horsnes, senior researcher at the National Museum of Denmark, looks at seven rare coins that the museum bought earlier this year from the collection of butter magnate Lars Emil Bruun, in Copenhagen, Denmark, September 11, 2024. (Reuters)

Danish Butter King’s Coin Collection for Sale 100 Years After His Death 

The 20,000-piece coin collection of Danish butter magnate Lars Emil Bruun, worth an estimated $74 million, is set to go under the hammer on Saturday in…

Culture (FILES) A view of Sudan National Museum in Khartoum on August 12, 2020. (Photo by ASHRAF SHAZLY / AFP)

Sudan Museums' Precious Antiquities Looted in War

Sudan's priceless archaeological heritage is being stripped from museums, with looters loading statuettes and fragments of ancient palaces onto lorries,…

Asharq Al Awsat (Khartoum)