DHAHRAN: The Arab world needs to resolve many of its shortfalls in order to “develop its own vision” for the future, an influential regional conference has been told.
Hussain Haqqani, director of the south and central Asia Hudson Institute think tank, said gender gaps, institutional and knowledge deficits were among vital issues that the region had to tackle.
“The Arab region must develop its own vision and the only way to do so is by overcoming its many deficits,” he told Arab News at the FIKR17 conference, being staged in Saudi Arabia for the first time.
Haqqani was among a gathering of international and political relations experts taking part in a discussion session titled, “Today’s world ... Tomorrow’s world: The transformations, challenges and visions.”
Other participants in the seminar, held in Dhahran, included Naoki Tanaka, president of the Center for International Public Policy Studies, and Frederic Charillon, professor in international relations at ESSEC Business School.
“The region has a huge deficit in terms of knowledge,” Haqqani said. “There are about 400 million people whose language is Arabic but there are fewer books written in Arabic every year than (those) written every year in Greek, which is the language of 11 or 12 million people.
“Also, fewer books are translated from other languages into Arabic every year than are translated into Danish, which is the language of only 5 million people in Denmark.”
The former Pakistani ambassador to the US added that gender gap was also one of the deficits faced by the Arab world. “Half the society is women. A society that is excluding women will be behind any society that is including women.”
Institutional deficit, or the lack of functioning institutions, he said, was another challenge, particularly for the poorer Arab countries.
“The global trade in goods and services has only five percent of input from the Arab world, whereas China has 15 percent and India has 13 percent,” Haqqani added. “There’s no reason why the Arab world cannot improve its productivity … when you have the economic means and the intellectual means you will be able to have your own vision.”
Haqqani noted that societies were living in what he described as a “revolutionary state” where interconnectedness did not necessarily mean connection. “Everybody can communicate with one another, but everybody does not necessarily understand each other.”
Decision-makers and influencers played a vital role when it came to directing societies. According to Haqqani, their power was in helping consumers to process overwhelming information and analyze it logically, and in trying to maintain society’s stability.
“It is important to try and keep the equilibrium to keep societies stable as soon as possible, instead of allowing too much dispersal of views and ideas,” he said, while pointing out that although social media connected people, it also allowed them to disrupt. “One wrong idea can go and travel very fast. Fake news can travel very fast, so influencers and decision-makers have to assert themselves in a way in which societies find their equilibrium again.”
Earlier in the same conference, Dr. Henry Awit, director of the Arab Thought Foundation, stressed that the unity of the Arab world was vital in order to shape a new vision.
Awit told Arab News that Dhahran’s King Abdul Aziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) was a world-renowned cultural center which sponsored innovation, adopted a modernist approach and embraced creativity.
He noted that the conference was “about outlining a new Arab vision, and we are today in the Kingdom that started the vision that invites to develop, invites to improve and invites to renew.”
The aim of the Arab Thought Foundation, he added, was “to spread knowledge and serve Arab societies and their development, hence we are open to everything that contributes to our purpose and aim.”
Arab world must tackle ‘deficits’ to create own vision: International experts
Arab world must tackle ‘deficits’ to create own vision: International experts
- Dr. Henry Awit, director of the Arab Thought Foundation, stressed that the unity of the Arab world was vital in order to shape a new vision
- He added that Dhahran’s King Abdul Aziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) was a world-renowned cultural center which sponsored innovation, adopted a modernist approach and embraced creativity
Project to save Historic Jeddah buildings completed thanks to SR50m from Saudi crown prince
- The work on the ‘architecturally important’ structures was carried out as part of the Ministry of Culture’s Historic Jeddah restoration program
- Many buildings and sites in the district are being restored to help preserve and illustrate the history of the Hajj since the dawn of Islam
RIYADH: Several historic buildings in Jeddah that were on the verge of collapse have been saved thanks to a Ministry of Culture project personally funded by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Thursday.
The ministry said the work on the “architecturally important” structures was carried out as part of its Historic Jeddah restoration program. The funding for the project included a personal donation of SR50 million ($13.3 million) from the crown prince, officials said.
The Historic Jeddah district contains more than 600 buildings, including 36 mosques, as well as five marketplace sites, ancient squares, and other locations of historical importance, such as the Waterfront, that were vital stopping-off points for Muslim pilgrims in days gone by. Many are being restored and renovated to help preserve and illustrate the history of the Hajj since the dawn of Islam.
Based on directives from the crown prince, the restoration work was carried out by five specialist companies based in Saudi Arabia, officials said, under the supervision of technicians experienced in the preservation of historic buildings. Special care was taken to maintain the unique design and distinctive urban characteristics of the district, they added.
Some of the buildings that were saved, which belong to Jeddah families, have archaeological features dating back as far as 500 years.
Saudi Arabia to be guest of honor at Beijing Book Fair
BEIJING: The Saudi Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission and the China National Publications Import and Export Group Corporation have signed a contract to host Saudi Arabia as the guest of honor at the Beijing International Book Fair, to be held this year between June 19 and 23 in the Chinese capital.
The signing ceremony was attended by Saudi Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan, Literature, Publishing, and Translation Commission CEO Dr. Mohammed Hasan Alwan, and officials from the Chinese side.
Saudi participation in the fair is astep toward strengthening cultural exchange, boosting cooperation in literature, culture, and the arts, and promoting dialogue and boosting friendship and cooperation between the two countries.
Several other Saudi entities will participate in the fair to highlight the heritage, knowledge, and cultural diversity of the Kingdom through a diverse cultural program, including seminars, dialogue sessions, workshops, and artistic performances.
The Kingdom was the guest of honor at the New Delhi International Book Fair, held between Feb. 10 and 18; and will be the guest of honor, after Beijing, at the Seoul International Book Fair, from June 26 to 30, 2024.
Saudi Green Initiative in Makkah aims to promote sustainable development, afforestation
RIYADH: The State Properties General Authority has provided the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, and the Alahyaa Centers Association with seedlings produced at its agricultural nursery in Makkah.
The contribution is part of the authority’s efforts to support sustainable development and afforestation while upgrading the vegetation cover, and took place on Saudi Green Initiative Day on March 27.
Schemes include building and operating an agricultural nursery and equipping it with the newest systems to enhance production capacity and create an enabling environment for plant growth.
The project has led to the creation of 110,000 square meters of green spaces within the authority’s government compounds in Makkah, in addition to the distribution of plants, large trees and shrubs to more than 40 government entities.
The authority said that the nursery’s annual production includes 1.2 million plants that bloom in winter and in summer; 200,000 perennials and vines; 20,000 outdoor trees; 30,000 shrubs; and 5,000 indoor plants.
Saudi, Azerbaijani ministers discussed climate action cooperation
Saudi Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman met in Jeddah Mukhtar Babayev, Azerbaijan’s minister of ecology and natural resources, and also president of the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN’s Framework Convention on Climate Change.
The COP29 Conference takes place in November in Baku, Azerbaijan.
The two ministers discussed opportunities for cooperation in the field of climate action. They also spoke about working together to achieve the goals and principles of the UN’s Framework Convention on Climate Change, and the Paris Agreement.
The parties also looked at the Kingdom’s efforts and initiatives to address the effects of climate change.
Saudi Arabia announces cultural cooperation award with China
- The Prince Mohammed bin Salman Award for Cultural Cooperation culminate in an annual ceremony honoring the two countries’ shared cultural talent
RIYADH: The Saudi Ministry of Culture announced on Thursday the launch of the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Award for Cultural Cooperation between Saudi Arabia and China, at the King Abdulaziz Public Library branch in Beijing, Saudi Press Agency reported.
This award aims to acknowledge the efforts of researchers, artists and translators from both countries, offering grants to support their continuing work. It is designed to spur enhanced collaboration and shared creative efforts.
The award includes several categories — cultural research and studies, artistic and creative works, translations, and a cultural personality of the year from each country, recognizing significant contributions to culture.
Additional categories target young researchers, creators and translators, encouraging youth engagement in cross-cultural communication. An annual ceremony will highlight the cultural achievements and award winners.
The award will promote creative cooperation and cultural dialogue between Saudi Arabia and China by highlighting the two countries’ achievements in the academic, cultural, media, literary and artistic communities.
It will culminate in an annual ceremony honoring the two countries’ shared cultural talent and announcing the winners in each category.
Saudi Culture Minister Prince Bader bin Abdullah said that the award was a critical component in bridging cultural divides and strengthening ties between China and Saudi Arabia through the arts, literature and academic research.
Individuals from Saudi Arabia and China, as well as government, private and non-profit institutions, may submit nominations. They can be submitted by filling out the nomination form, which will be posted on the award website.
On the same day, the Saudi Film Commission, a government body under the culture ministry, signed a framework memorandum of understanding with China’s Bona Film Group to explore collaborative opportunities in movie distribution, exhibition and talent development.
Bona Film Group, founded in 1999, has emerged as one of China’s leading movie distribution and production companies.
The signing ceremony in Beijing was attended by Prince Badr, Film Commission CEO Abdullah Al-Eyaf, and Bona Film Group CFO Qi Zhi.
The MoU outlines key areas of cooperation, such as investment in the film industry, the possibility of establishing a joint film fund dedicated to cinematic endeavors, and collaboration on Saudi film distribution in China. It also looks into talent development opportunities for Saudi filmmakers through Bona Film Group productions and Chinese film education institutions.
In accordance with this agreement, the Film Commission intends to develop the movie industry, improve local production and showcase Saudi productions. The commission also promotes investment, content production, talent development and regulatory frameworks.
The historic agreement reflects the commission’s commitment to fostering global partnerships and leveraging cultural exchanges as a key component of Saudi Vision 2030 objectives.