• Arab states committed to creating policies to enhance the role of culture as a major driver of sustainable development and develop robust governance and infrastructure to support the creative economy.

Riyadh – His Highness Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan Al Saud, Saudi Minister of Culture, chaired the Ministerial high-level Meeting of the Regional Consultation for Arab States in preparation for the UNESCO World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development – MONDIACULT 2022, due to be held in Mexico in September.

Held virtually on 16 and 17 February, the event was attended by UNESCO Assistant Director-General Ernesto Ottone Ramirez along with Arab culture ministers and representatives of member states and regional or sub-regional intergovernmental organizations, non-governmental organizations and UNESCO chairs or institutes.

During his opening speech, His Highness said: “The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia supports all national, regional and international efforts to develop innovative cultural policies and integrate them into wider public policies. We also recognize the importance of enabling the recovery of the cultural sector and enhancing its role as a major driver of sustainable development.”

He added, “The Kingdom acknowledges the crucial role of digitalization in promoting cultural diversity and safeguarding cultural assets, and therefore we concur with the regional and international recommendations to develop cultural policies aimed at utilising digitalization to advance the cultural sector in the Arab region and the world.”

Prince Badr also noted the Kingdom’s commitment to advancing the creative economy through providing robust governance, strong infrastructure, and ample opportunities for talent and capacity development.  

The meeting discussions focused on five main priorities: strengthening the role of the cultural sector as a key driver for recovery and sustainable development; responding to the opportunities and challenges of rapid digitalization and the promotion of cultural diversity; protecting cultural heritage and harnessing it for social inclusion, peace, and cultural diplomacy; bolstering the creative economy through robust governance and infrastructure; and strengthening education, training, and capacity-building in the cultural sector, targeting youth engagement and employment.

In chairing the Regional Consultations for Arab States – an extension of its leadership, at the regional and global levels – Saudi Arabia seeks to shed light on the development role of culture. This comes after its initiative to hold the first-ever meeting of the G20 Ministers of Culture during the Kingdom’s G20 2020 Presidency led to the official inclusion of the cultural track within the G20 Sherpa Tracks. The Kingdom’s proposal was unanimously endorsed by the UNESCO Executive Board in December of that year, giving further impetus to strengthening multilateral cooperation in the area of cultural policy.

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For further enquiries email media@moc.gov.sa 

About the Ministry of Culture:

The Ministry of Culture is leading a cultural transformation to develop a rich ecosystem that nurtures creativity, unlocks the economic potential of the sector and unleashes new and inspiring forms of expression.

As part of these efforts, the Ministry of Culture is seeking to bolster the presence of Saudi heritage and culture at events across the Kingdom and abroad, enabling participants to engage with the Kingdom's rich and diverse history and preserve Saudi heritage for generations to come.

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