RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Royal Institute of Traditional Arts, or Wrth, has launched an initiative with the UK titled “A Shared Heritage of Two Kingdoms,” which celebrates how art bridges cultures.

It is a part of the GREAT Futures Initiative Conference held in Riyadh on May 14 and 15, which showcased opportunities for UK businesses in Saudi Arabia.

The event began with several workshops and other activities in the King Abdullah Financial District, where artists from both nations focused on traditional practices and crafts including Najdi wooden doors and sadu weaving.

The campaign will move to London with a similar workshop planned for May 16 at the Victoria and Albert Museum. The session will focus on the “art of creating traditional Saudi doors” to foster cross-cultural understanding and greater artistic exchange, the organizers stated.

The campaign concludes at the Wrth headquarters in Riyadh on May 18, where British artist Harriet Frances will hold a workshop on jewelry embroidery so that local artists can learn about different cultural traditions.

UK Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Lucy Frazer told Arab News: “I think it is really valuable for the sector as a whole because the Royal College of Art is one of our finest institutions, it’s produced artists like Tracey Emin, Ridley Scott, and it’s got a huge amount of knowledge.

"We want to share that knowledge and also learn from the Saudis as well in these important areas of arts, architecture, and design.”

The “Two Kingdoms” campaign runs in conjunction with World Cultural Diversity Day on May 21, which reinforces the Wrth’s mission to preserve traditional arts worldwide while empowering the artists who practice them.

For over 30 years, the Wrth has played a leading role in promoting Saudi Arabia’s unique cultural heritage through traditional arts education, exhibitions, and global exchange programs.

The royal institute contributes to the dissemination and global recognition of traditional arts, drawing attention to values shared by all humans, regardless of language, culture and customs.

 In line with Saudi Vision 2030, the Wrth seeks to represent the culture of Saudi Arabia by showcasing the history of traditional artworks.

RIYADH: The National Center for Wildlife Development launched on Tuesday a project that aims to assess the state of marine habitats in the Arabian Gulf’s Saudi waters, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The NCWD said the goal behind the project was to build a baseline for developing an integrated management plan for marine environments, preserving biodiversity and reducing threats.
It will also enhance the sustainability of marine environments in Saudi waters in light of their economic, social and cultural value and their provision of many valuable ecosystem services.
Mohammed Ali Qurban, NCWD’s CEO, said the project aimed to provide a basic assessment of the condition of coral reefs, seagrass meadows, mangrove forests, and associated animals and marine species.
The project will identify natural risks associated with human activities that threaten these coastal ecosystems, and concurrently, find solutions to reduce those threats.
It will also design an effective plan to preserve and rehabilitate these coastal habitats, based on the data provided by the project.
Qurban said Saudi waters in the Gulf cover an area exceeding 27,000 square kilometers and contain very important marine habitats, which support a wide range of marine species.
NCWD’s CEO pointed out that marine systems are exposed to many pressures and require continuous monitoring and the application of an effective plan to preserve and manage them in a sustainable manner.
The data provided by the project constitute an essential factor for conservation and rehabilitation measures and enabling NCWD and other relevant parties to build a management plan to sustain these valuable habitats.