JEDDAH: The King Khalid Foundation has opened applications for the fourth round of its Green Grant, aimed at empowering nonprofit organizations across Saudi Arabia.

Applications for the grant are open until Aug. 9, with funding available for projects that equip low-income individuals with vocational and technical skills for green sectors, improving livelihoods through sustainable jobs.

The initiative is aligned with Vision 2030’s goals of economic diversification and green investment, and enables nonprofits to drive sustainable development, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday.

Eligible projects include organic farming, ecotourism, recycling, energy efficiency, renewable energy, reforestation, and wildlife protection.

The grant fosters job creation and income opportunities, while preserving the environment and reducing ecological impact, the SPA added.

Launched in 2022 by Princess Nouf bint Mohammed, CEO of the foundation, the program has since expanded nationwide, offering workshops on the green economy and emerging environmental careers.

This cycle accepts proposals only from nonprofit organizations; individual applications are not eligible. Grant amounts vary by project scale and feasibility.

Successful applicants will join workshops from Aug. 18–24, with final recipients announced in October 2025. For guidelines, applications, and more details, visit kkf.org.sa/greengrants.

RIYADH: The Intangible Heritage Association held a workshop to encourage better preservation of cultural heritage in the digital age and urged young people to become the nation’s future storytellers.

Held at the Al-Abo Sarrah Palaces, northwest of Abha, the capital of Asir Province, the event, titled “Asir … We Are the Living Heritage,” was attended by experts and enthusiasts from the fields of culture and the arts.

Othman Al-Seeni, the association’s chairman, described the workshop as part of a broader national effort to safeguard intangible heritage across the Kingdom, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

“We are gathering the opinions and ideas of researchers and enthusiasts, whether on customs, traditions, handicrafts or performing arts, and using them in initiatives to document and preserve this heritage as a vital part of Saudi culture,” he said.

The attendees discussed various issues, including how to engage young people in cultural issues through social media. One concern was how misinformation about folk tales, customs and traditional narratives was being spread online.

The workshop’s conclusion was that heritage endures not through documentation alone but through active, daily practice. Young Saudis should be seen as future storytellers, not just passive recipients, they said.

The organizers also warned against fully automated documentation, recommending “cultural verification” protocols when using AI tools. Digital heritage efforts must retain human oversight from experts to ensure their authenticity, they said.

The association has already completed phase one of a comprehensive heritage inventory with the Heritage Commission, cataloging more than 10,000 cultural elements across six regions, and a second phase is planned.