Saudi Ministry of Culture launches grant to encourage research on Saudi-Chinese cultural relations

Image showing the Saudi and Chinese flags. (Shutterstock)
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Updated 01 June 2025
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Saudi Ministry of Culture launches grant to encourage research on Saudi-Chinese cultural relations

  • New initiative is designed to support academic research that strengthens mutual understanding and encourages scholarly collaboration between Kingdom and China

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Culture has announced the launch of the Saudi-Chinese Cultural Relations Research Grant.

The new initiative is designed to support academic research that strengthens mutual understanding and encourages scholarly collaboration between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the People’s Republic of China.

The grant invites researchers to submit proposals that explore the historical, artistic, linguistic and cultural connections between the two countries, especially as political and economic ties between them continue to expand.

The initiative reflects the ministry’s broader efforts to foster knowledge sharing and intercultural dialogue through academic research.

Applicants are encouraged to address themes including history and cultural heritage, performing and visual arts, literature and translation, cultural economy and creative industries, and the role of digital platforms in contemporary cultural exchange.

Selected research will be published in peer-reviewed academic journals and will contribute to the enrichment of the field of Saudi-Chinese cultural studies.

Eligible applicants must hold a master’s or doctoral degree, or demonstrate a record of scholarly publications. Proposals must be original and submitted through the official grant portal.

The grant cycle will include proposal evaluation, peer-reviewed feedback, and final publication, with the submission deadline on July 15, 2025.

Results will be announced in August 2025, and each grant will cover a one-year research period.

 


Saudi Hajj Ministry suspends Umrah firm, overseas agent over contract violations

Updated 29 December 2025
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Saudi Hajj Ministry suspends Umrah firm, overseas agent over contract violations

  • Company failed to provide accommodation for a number of Umrah pilgrims, despite these services being documented in the contractual programs, ministry says

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Hajj and Umrah on Sunday announced the suspension of an Umrah company and its overseas agent for failing to provide accommodation services for pilgrims in line with approved contractual programs.

In a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency, the ministry said the company’s failure constitutes a clear violation of regulations governing services for Umrah pilgrims and visitors to the Two Holy Mosques.

It noted that a number of pilgrims arrived in the Kingdom without secured accommodation, despite these services being documented in the contractual programs.

This prompted immediate regulatory action against the company and its overseas agent under the established legal frameworks, the ministry said. 

Pilgrims circumambulate the Holy Kaaba at the Grand Mosque in Makkah in this photo taken earlier this month. (SPA)

"The measures are intended to safeguard the rights of affected pilgrims, prevent a recurrence of such violations, and ensure the continued enhancement of service quality," it added.

Last June, the ministry suspended seven Umrah companies due to deficiencies in providing transport services to pilgrims.

In an earlier report quoting the Hajj Ministry and the General Authority for the Care of the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques, SPA said more than 1.7 million Muslims from all over the world arrived in the Kingdom to perform Umrah during Jumada Al Akhira alone.

Also referred to as Jumada Al Thani, Jumada Al Akhira is the sixth month of the Islamic calendar. For Hijri year 1447, this sixth month ended on December 20, 2025 in the Gregorian calendar.