(With photos)
ALEXANDRIA, April 6 (KUNA) -- Kuwaiti Minister of Information Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah extolled here Sunday the Kuwaiti Al-Arabi magazine's cultural role.
The minister was addressing a ceremony by Egypt's Bibliotheca Alexandrina to mark the 50th anniversary of the Kuwaiti magazine.
Commending Al-Arabi's role in the enrichment of Arab culture, he said the magazine had stood side by side with cultural projects carried out by the State of Kuwait in order to support Arab cultural identity.
Kuwait has allocated prizes and projects for encouraging literature, writers, scientists and creative figures of all generations in the Arab world, he said.
The minister praised publications and books published by the Kuwaiti National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters as cultural support for all Arab families.
He termed the Al-Arabi magazine as a mirror that reflects cultural diversity in the Arab world in light of common history, geography and culture.
Hailing its staff, he added that the magazine would remain to highlight Arab cultural unity.
The magazine plays a key role in the promotion of early veteran writers, thinkers and intellectuals in the Arab nation, and in the consecration of enlightenment values.
The Kuwaiti minister of information cited the Bibliotheca Alexandrina's celebration marking the 50th anniversary of the Al-Arabi magazine as a piece of evidence that five years of relentless work for enriching Arab culture would remain unforgotten.
He praised Kuwait's relations with the Mediterranean city of Alexandria, recalling to memory that Alexander The Great, founder of Alexandria, had left behind traits in the Kuwaiti Failaka Island.
He also reminded of the role of early Arab thinkers in the enrichment of culture.
He finally hailed the great role of Bibliotheca Alexandrina in serving human culture and communication with the world.
The celebration was attended by Al-Arabi Chief Editor Solaiman al-Askari, Foundation of Babtain Abdelaziz Saud Babtain Prize Chairman Abdelaziz Saud, Kuwaiti Center for Research and Studies Chief Abdullah al-Ghunaim, Alexandria Governor Adel Labib and Bibliotheca Alexandrina Director Ismail Serageddin.
The celebration features plastic art, a photography show and Kuwaiti public art performances.
The monthly Arabic magazine Al-Arabia mainly focuses on culture, literature, art, politics, society and economics.
The first edition was published in December 1957, seeking to propound the ideology of Pan-Arabism.
The magazine has adopted a strategy of involving photography, and freelance work, to increase public participation. (pickup previous)
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Copyright Kuwait News Agency 2008.
