RIYADH — Saudi Arabia has been elected as a member of the Intangible Cultural Heritage Committee under the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The Kingdom had previously been a member of both UNESCO's Executive Board as well as the World Heritage Committee. The member states of UNESCO elected the Kingdom as a member of the Intangible Cultural Heritage Committee for the first time during the 8th General Assembly of the States Parties to the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage being held in Paris. Princess Haifa Bint Abdul Aziz Al Muqrin, the Kingdom's Permanent Representative to UNESCO, headed Saudi Arabia's delegation to the meeting, which was attended by representatives of 178 countries. The Kingdom has now joined a select group of countries to serve a member of UNESCO's three basic. Commenting on the extraordinary feat, Minister of Culture Prince Badr Bin Abdullah Bin Farhan, who is also the chairman of the National Commission for Education, Science and Culture, congratulated the wise leadership and the Kingdom on this occasion, affirming that this achievement reflects the international community's confidence in the Kingdom's civilized humanitarian project which supports the local and international cultural projects. Prince Badr highlighted the great and unlimited support provided by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman in the field of culture, heritage and arts in the Kingdom. He said the Kingdom's membership in three basic committees at UNESCO reflects Saudi Arabia's growing global presence in the fields of science, culture and arts and highlights the comprehensive renaissance of the Saudi culture in light of the Kingdom Vision 2030. "The Kingdom enjoys an enormous stock of intangible cultural heritage in various villages, cities and regions. We will work in the Ministry of Culture through the Heritage Authority to preserve and develop this rich national heritage and support practitioners of it in all their specialties," Prince Badr said.
