RIYADH – Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Culture announced on Thursday the launch of grants aimed at boosting knowledge production and research focusing on the founding of the first Saudi state. The grants titled "the 1139 Research Grants for the Foundation Day" will be given to qualified researchers and historians for their unique research work. The Ministry said the application for grants may be submitted starting from Friday, July 1, until mid-August. Researchers can mail their research papers, with a word count of between 10,000 and 12,000, to [email protected]. The ministry has allocated an amount of SR20,000 for each grant. An additional grant, amounting to SR10,000, will also be given to the researcher if his research paper is accepted in a refereed journal or an approved encyclopedia. The "1139 Foundation Day Research Grants" covers four areas: research and studies about the time period between 1139 AH and 1233 AH; research and critical studies on historical sources and documents that dealt with that phase; research and studies on the role of the Foundation Day concept in strengthening the Saudi national identity, in addition to the research dating the establishment of the first Saudi state. The ministry will distribute the grant every year and that is in cooperation with King Abdulaziz Foundation for Research and Archives (Darah). The grant is meant to support research and studies pertaining to the establishment of the first Saudi state by Imam Muhammad Bin Saud in 1139 AH /1727 AD, focusing the entire political, social, environmental and economic aspects. The research grants target scientists and researchers from all institutions such as universities and research centers specialized in social sciences and humanities. The scope of the grant in its first year of 2022 will focus on the social, political and cultural history of the first Saudi state, through a variety of topics, most notably culture in the era of the first Saudi state, urbanization in Najd cities, Diriyah before its founding, and the social, educational and entertainment life in the era of the first Saudi state, in addition to poetry, hunting and environmental life in Wadi Hanifa. The ministry has set a number of terms and conditions for applying for grants, the most important of which are the following: The applicant must have a master's or doctorate degree, or credited to have a previous solid research record, and the research should be desk work, as the grants for the current year do not include fieldwork, in addition to adherence to the date of submission. No application will be considered after the end of the deadline. The researcher should submit a research abstract in 800 words, as well as the justification for choosing a topic, the methodology, the most important sources that will be relied on, as well as the duration of the research with the expected start and end dates, provided that it is within a time range not exceeding nine months. Foundation Day, February 22nd, is an official public holiday in Saudi Arabia each year. This celebration was approved in January 2022 with a royal decree issued by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman. The day is an annual national occasion that aims to introduce the establishment of the first Saudi state with its capital Diriyah by Imam Muhammad Bin Saud in 1139 AH. He established a state that united Saudis and gave them stability and security, and spread education, culture, and science. Through awarding these grants, the Ministry of Culture aims to intensify the knowledge production related to this important historical era in the life of Saudi Arabia, as well as to highlight the historical, civilizational and cultural depth of the Saudi state, which dates back to three centuries.
