RIYADH: The Heritage Commission signed a memorandum of understanding with the Japanese Motoko Katakura Foundation for Desert Culture in Riyadh on Sunday.
Jasser bin Sulaiman Al-Harbash, CEO of the Heritage Commission, and Hiroshi Nawata, chairman of the Motoko Katakura Foundation, agreed to collaborate in the cultural heritage sector.
The Japanese foundation is named after Motoko Katakura, an anthropologist who studied Bedouin communities in Saudi Arabia and the surrounding region.
The MoU seeks to enhance research on cultural heritage, covering both tangible and intangible aspects, such as traditions, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The Motoko Katakura Foundation will hold seminars about its work preserving the desert culture and the archeological sites of Al-Dafi Port and Mardouma in the area of Jubail, eastern Saudi Arabia.
The Heritage Commission will also benefit from the Japanese experience in research and documentation, involving local communities to preserve heritage and showcase the richness of Saudi desert culture, SPA added.
