Saudi Arabia Launches Awareness Campaign on Cultural Significance of Museums

Saudi Arabia Launches Awareness Campaign on Cultural Significance of Museums
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Saudi Arabia Launches Awareness Campaign on Cultural Significance of Museums

Saudi Arabia Launches Awareness Campaign on Cultural Significance of Museums

The Saudi Museums Commission announced the launch of “Telling Tomorrow’s Story” campaign, which aims at raising awareness of museums’ role in preserving history and cultural heritage, strengthening national identity, and promoting new forms of creative expression.

The campaign motto embodies the Museums Commission’s forward-looking vision centered on innovation, preservation of historical and contemporary cultural treasures and practices, and fostering creativity for generations to come. Through “Telling Tomorrow’s Story” campaign, the Museums Commission presents museums as spaces where the past is kept safe, and where the future takes shape, SPA reported.
According to a statement issued by the Museums Commission on Sunday, the campaign includes digital content that showcases the museums and cultural centers under the Museums Commission’s authority, including: the National Museum, Al-Masmak Palace Museum, Saudi Arabia Museum of Contemporary Art at Jax (SAMoCA@Jax), Diriyah Art Futures (DAF), in Riyadh, and the Tariq Abdulhakim Museum in Jeddah. It also introduces future museums under development that are poised to enrich the Kingdom’s cultural landscape, in particular the Black Gold Museum in Riyadh and the Red Sea Museum in Jeddah.
As part of its efforts to preserve Saudi heritage and highlight its diversity, the Commission also announced the development of museums in 11 regions of the Kingdom, as follows: Al-Qassim, Al-Jouf, Aseer, Tabuk, Hail, Najran, Arar, Dammam, Makkah, Jazan, and Al-Baha. Under the motto “Our Saudi Story,” the regional museums will celebrate the cultural elements that make up Saudi history, heritage, and identity, collectively weaving the story of the Kingdom’s diverse cultural tapestry and rich history. In addition to displaying permanent collections, these museums will offer temporary exhibitions, educational programs, and cultural events, thus becoming inclusive spaces of knowledge, wonder, and community for all.
The statement added that the motto “Telling Tomorrow’s Story” reflects the Museums Commission’s commitment to sustainability, be it through documenting and preserving cultural heritage for future generations, or through integrating environmentally friendly practices into the design and operation of museums.
With “Telling Tomorrow’s Story”, the Museums Commission presents museums as more than just spaces – they are gateways to the rich stories of Saudi Arabia’s past, present and future.



Sudan Accuses RSF of Looting Museums, Antiquities

A view of the entrance of the Sudan National Museum in the capital Khartoum. (AFP file photo)
A view of the entrance of the Sudan National Museum in the capital Khartoum. (AFP file photo)
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Sudan Accuses RSF of Looting Museums, Antiquities

A view of the entrance of the Sudan National Museum in the capital Khartoum. (AFP file photo)
A view of the entrance of the Sudan National Museum in the capital Khartoum. (AFP file photo)

Sudan's Foreign Ministry accused the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of looting and destroying museums, including the National Museum, when they were in control of Khartoum state.

The ministry said the damage included artifacts documenting Sudan's 7,000-year-old civilization, calling it a “war crime.” It vowed to hold those responsible accountable and to work with international organizations to recover the stolen antiquities.

Moreover, the ministry said on Tuesday that archaeological archives at the National Museum had been looted and smuggled into two neighboring countries, without naming them.

It accused the RSF of targeting the National Records House, public and private libraries, universities, laboratories, mosques, and churches of historical significance in both Khartoum and Wad Madani.

It described the attacks on museums and cultural institutions as part of a deliberate plan to erase Sudan's national identity.

It added that Sudan's historical and cultural heritage had also been targeted, saying the destruction and looting of the National Museum was intentional, aiming to obliterate artifacts that encapsulate the country's history.

The RSF were also accused of targeting all major museums in the greater Khartoum area, including the Khalifa House Museum, the Ethnographic Museum, the Republican Palace Museum, the Military Museum, the Natural History Museum at the University of Khartoum, and the Sultan Ali Dinar Museum in El Fasher.

The ministry described the looting and destruction of museums as part of a “criminal scheme” carried out by the RSF, calling it an attack on Sudan's people, state, cultural heritage, historical memory, and economic and scientific foundations.

The assault on Sudan's cultural history was an extension of atrocities committed against civilians, it added, citing mass graves, hostage-taking, torture centers, and the skeletal remains of those who had perished across Khartoum.