Saudi Culture Ministry Hosts Yemeni Orchestra in Riyadh

The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat
The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat
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Saudi Culture Ministry Hosts Yemeni Orchestra in Riyadh

The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat
The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat

The Saudi Ministry of Culture is set to host on Sunday the Yemeni Orchestra at the King Fahad Cultural Centre in Riyadh, in collaboration with the Yemeni Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism.

The event will feature Yemeni musicians performing a wide array of music and songs showcasing Yemen’s cultural heritage, including traditional genres from Aden, Sanaa, and Hadramout. Saudi musicians will participate, performing collaborative pieces that celebrate the shared musical heritage between Saudi Arabia and Yemen.

As part of the festivities, the Saudi Music Commission, one of 11 sector specific commissions under the Ministry of Culture, will host interactive exhibits allowing visitors to explore traditional Saudi music instruments and view archival audio-visual recordings from Saudi Arabia’s musical heritage. Additionally, the Saudi Trouq Meets the World initiative will feature musical performances blending traditional instruments from Saudi Arabia and Yemen.

The ALIPH Foundation, in cooperation with the Saudi Ministry of Culture, will present a photo exhibition documenting their work in preserving Yemen’s cultural and historical heritage sites, in collaboration with various Yemeni institutions and international organizations.

The upcoming event reflects the Ministry’s commitment to fostering cultural exchange and collaboration. It is also a testament to the strong ties between the Kingdom and Yemen, while supporting cultural preservation and furthering the fraternal ties between the two nations.



Saudi Culture Minister Meets with Scholarship Students in Manga Production Program in Japan

The Saudi Minister of Culture met with Saudi scholarship students in the Manga Production Foundations Program at his residence in Tokyo on Saturday. SPA
The Saudi Minister of Culture met with Saudi scholarship students in the Manga Production Foundations Program at his residence in Tokyo on Saturday. SPA
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Saudi Culture Minister Meets with Scholarship Students in Manga Production Program in Japan

The Saudi Minister of Culture met with Saudi scholarship students in the Manga Production Foundations Program at his residence in Tokyo on Saturday. SPA
The Saudi Minister of Culture met with Saudi scholarship students in the Manga Production Foundations Program at his residence in Tokyo on Saturday. SPA

Saudi Minister of Culture, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Literature, Publishing, and Translation Commission (LPTC) Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan, met with Saudi scholarship students in the Manga Production Foundations Program at his residence in Tokyo on Saturday.

This specialized training program, organized in collaboration between the commission and Manga Productions, a subsidiary of the Mohammed bin Salman Foundation (Misk), aims to nurture talented manga artists through professional training rooted in Japanese techniques, the birthplace of this art form.

During the meeting, Prince Badr emphasized the Saudi leadership's unwavering support for developing human capabilities across all fields, highlighting the importance of academic and professional training in cultural disciplines.

The meeting was attended by CEO of LPTC Dr. Mohammed Hasan Alwan, CEO of Manga Productions Essam Amanullah Bukhari, and students studying manga art at Kadokawa Contents Academy (KCA), one of Japan’s leading institutions for training and recruiting talent in manga creation.

The program includes virtual workshops, an intensive training course, and overseas training in Japan. It has also launched competitions blending manga with Saudi cultural themes, such as "Munjanha," which transforms Arabic proverbs into manga stories; "Manga Al-Qaseed," which adapts Arabic poems into manga; and "Manga Al-Ibil," which celebrates the cultural symbolism of camels in Saudi Arabia.

The program has benefited over 1,850 participants through virtual workshops, with 115 advancing to the intensive training phase, resulting in the creation of 115 manga stories. Among these, 21 students were sent to Japan for advanced training. The competitions garnered significant engagement, receiving 133 submissions for "Munjanha," over 70 for "Manga Al-Qaseed," and more than 50 for "Manga Al-Ibil."