RIYADH — Saudi Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Abdullah has honored winners of National Cultural Awards at a cultural event held in Riyadh on Saturday. Eminent Saudi writer Abu Abdulrahman Al-Zahiri has won the Cultural Personality of the Year Award while the Saudi Research and Media Group was crowned with the Cultural Institutions Award in recognition of its efforts in serving culture, journalism and Arabic content for more than 50 years. Several creative persons and institutions were honored in recognition of their outstanding contributions during the third edition of the National Cultural Awards initiative, which was launched in 2020 to celebrate Saudi achievements in the fields of creativity and productions in various branches of culture. Speaking on the occasion, Minister of Culture Prince Badr congratulated all the award winners. "The initiative comes within the framework of the Saudi Vision 2030, which aims to increase the contribution of the cultural sector to the Saudi public scene. The event can be described as a cultural wedding where we are happy to honor the creative writers and artists, in the heart of our beloved capital, and under the auspices of Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman," he said. While appreciating the remarkable contributions of the winners, the minister called on them to continue their commendable efforts, wishing everyone a future full of contributions in arts and culture. Prince Badr presented the Cultural Personality of the Year Award to Abu Abdulrahman Al-Zahiri, who made outstanding contributions as a theologian, jurist, historian, poet, critic, author and geographer. He was honored in recognition of his brilliant literary and cultural career, and his intellectual and research productions that enriched the Arab library with many titles in various fields such as language, literature, philosophy, art, Shariah sciences, and history. Prominent businessman Abdulrahman bin Mahfouz won the award in the category of businessmen and businesswomen supporting cultural activity. The International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage in Conflict Zones (Alef) foundation bagged the International Cultural Excellence Award. As for the Culture for Youth award, it was won by Lubna Al-Khamis, and in the nonprofit sector, the award went to the Abdulrahman Al-Sudairy Cultural Center. At the level of the cultural institutions, the award went to the Saudi Research and Media Group, and it was received by Saleh Al-Duwais, chief operating officer of the group. The group was named for the award in appreciation of its efforts in creative production on visual, audio and print platforms, and the successes of about 30 platforms included in the group that were able to shine in the skies of media and culture, in a way influencing the region and the world. As many as 14 winners in various other categories were given away with the prizes. These included the Literature Award, won by poet Muhammad Ibrahim Yaqoub; Publishing Award: Adab Publishing and Distribution House; Translation Award: Maha Al-Faleh; Fashion Award: Charmaleena Jewellery; National Heritage Award: historian Dr. Abdullah Al-Masry; Culinary Arts Award: Bateel Company Limited; Visual Arts Award: artist Manal Al-Dhawayan; Theater and Performing Arts Award: the Riyadh Band; Music Award: artist Abdul Rahman Muhammad; Film Award: artist Ibrahim Al-Hassawi; and Architecture and Design Arts Award: Kholoud Attar. The ceremony also saw artistic performances led by Amir Abdel Majeed that featured musical compositions and visual performances, and added an artistic character to the occasion. The ceremony marked the conclusion of the activities of the third session of the National Cultural Awards initiative launched by the Ministry of Culture to celebrate the achievements, contributions and cultural productions of Saudi intellectuals in various realms of cultural activity in the Kingdom. It also appreciated the contributions of businessmen and women, and the contributions of individuals and international cultural institutions in advancing cultural production, creating a competitive cultural atmosphere that contributes to enriching cultural content, motivating creative artists, and encouraging supporters, in a way that enhances the efforts of the Ministry of Culture to advance the cultural sector and develop its contribution to the domestic product, and achieve the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 in its cultural aspects
