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Saudi Arabia, France Discuss Potential for More Cultural Cooperation

Saudi Minister of Culture Prince Bader bin Abdullah bin Farhan Al Saud has met in Paris with French Culture Rachida Dati. SPA
Saudi Minister of Culture Prince Bader bin Abdullah bin Farhan Al Saud has met in Paris with French Culture Rachida Dati. SPA
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Saudi Arabia, France Discuss Potential for More Cultural Cooperation

Saudi Minister of Culture Prince Bader bin Abdullah bin Farhan Al Saud has met in Paris with French Culture Rachida Dati. SPA
Saudi Minister of Culture Prince Bader bin Abdullah bin Farhan Al Saud has met in Paris with French Culture Rachida Dati. SPA

Saudi Minister of Culture Prince Bader bin Abdullah bin Farhan Al Saud has met in Paris with French Culture Rachida Dati to further cultural cooperation between the two countries.
Overseeing 11 sector specific commissions, Prince Bader and Dati discussed on Wednesday the potential for new partnerships across multiple cultural sectors, including museums, libraries, theatre and performing arts, culinary arts, film, heritage, and visual arts.
The discussions centered on ways to bolster cooperation and international cultural exchange in the fields of museums, libraries, theater and performing arts, culinary arts, heritage, and films. The two countries explored plans to exchange Islamic and Arabic manuscripts for exhibitions, cooperating through international art residencies which introduce Saudi talent to the French art scene, and an exchange program in theater and performing arts with the Paris National Opera.
"Meeting with Rachida Dati reaffirms our mutual commitment to fostering cultural exchange and collaboration between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Republic of France. I look forward to the many new initiatives and programs that will enrich the cultural landscape in both countries,” said Prince Bader.
The meeting follows Dati’s visit to the Kingdom in March when she explored several prominent cultural venues and events in Riyadh including the Diriyah Biennale for Contemporary Art and Irqah Cultural Center.
France and Saudi Arabia continue to strengthen their partnership through a series of collaborative initiatives. This year the Saudi Film Commission participated in the 77th annual Cannes Film Festival with a Saudi Arabia pavilion. The Saudi film "Norah" was the first film from Saudi Arabia to be screened at the festival, fostering cultural exchange at the international event.
In 2022, the Saudi Ministry of Culture, represented by the Saudi Heritage Commission together with the French embassy in Saudi Arabia, Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU), and the French Agency for the Development of AlUla (AFALULA) commemorated 20 years of meaningful collaboration between the Kingdom and France in the field of archeology with a two-day symposium in Saudi Arabia.
A notable future initiative is a selection of Islamic artifacts loaned from the Louvre that are set to be exhibited at the 2025 Islamic Arts Biennale.
The Saudi Ministry of Culture is leading a cultural renaissance and recognizes the importance of international partnerships to build bridges of understanding between nations and communities. Its dedication is evident through the diverse range of partnerships with France, spanning museums, libraries, film, heritage, and visual and culinary arts, emphasizing the mutual dedication of both nations to fostering cultural exchange and understanding.

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Southern California Wildfires Claim Will Rogers Ranch, Other Landmarks

The devastation of the Palisades Fire is seen in the early morning in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Friday, Jan. 10, 2025. (AP)
The devastation of the Palisades Fire is seen in the early morning in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Friday, Jan. 10, 2025. (AP)
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Southern California Wildfires Claim Will Rogers Ranch, Other Landmarks

The devastation of the Palisades Fire is seen in the early morning in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Friday, Jan. 10, 2025. (AP)
The devastation of the Palisades Fire is seen in the early morning in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Friday, Jan. 10, 2025. (AP)

Raging wildfires that continue to burn a path of destruction through Southern California claimed the Will Rogers ranch along with a number of other local landmarks in what is already the most damaging fire in Los Angeles history.

Some monuments remain unscathed, such as the famous Hollywood sign that looms above the city in the Santa Monica mountains, and the Getty Villa, a museum named for billionaire oilman J. Paul Getty that houses a collection of artifacts and antiquities.

However, the Will Rogers ranch, home to the one-time vaudeville performer who rose to fame as a syndicated newspaper columnist, "cowboy philosopher," radio personality and movie star, was gutted on Tuesday by the Palisades Fire.

State parks employees were able to remove some of the cultural and historical artifacts from the Rogers home, though the 31-room ranch house and stables are gone. All that remains are two chimneys.

It is unclear whether touchstones from Rogers' life, such as a light fixture made from a wagon wheel and a stuffed calf that a friend gave him so he could rope on rainy day, were recovered.

"When you were there, you could really feel the guy’s presence," said Ben Yagoda, author of "Will Rogers: A Biography," who became overcome with emotion while discussing the loss. "It was kept exactly how they had it. It’s just such a lovely location and it’s very, very peaceful."

Another casualty of the fire was the Topanga Ranch Motel once owned by publisher William Randolph Hearst.

In Altadena, the Eaton Fire claimed the Bunny Museum, the quirky home to more than 46,000 rabbit-themed objects that owners Candace Frazee and Steve Lubanski collected over four decades. The museum, which earned a Guinness world record for amassing the most bunny-related items, was leveled by fire on Wednesday, despite attempts by Lubanski to save it.

"The museum was the last building to burn around us as Steve so valiantly hosed the building down all night long, but when the building next door went down, it spread to the museum," the owners wrote on Instagram.

The Reel Inn, a seafood shack on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, was heavily damaged by the Palisades Fire. The restaurant known for its kitschy decor of faux sea creatures and twinkling lights was a local favorite, according to one review from Travel + Leisure.

"We are heartbroken and unsure what will be left," owners Teddy and Andy Leonard wrote on Instagram. "Hopefully, the state parks will let us rebuild when the dust settles."

The Queen Anne Victorian-style mansion Rand McNally co-founder Andrew McNally built in the late 1800s in Altadena was among the homes destroyed on Wednesday, according to video of the fire captured by ABC News.

"We aren't just losing homes -- we're losing history, culture, and pieces of our shared history," wrote Eric B. on the social media platform X.