RIYADH: The Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) will hold a forum on May 7 for the owners of private museums at King Abdul Aziz Historical Center in Riyadh. Prince Sultan Bin Salman Bin Abdul Aziz, president of the SCTA, will launch the event which is being organized in cooperation with the Faculty of Tourism and Antiquities of King Saud University. The forum is being held to mark International Museum Day. Dr. Ali Al-Ghabban, vice president of the SCTA, said officials from relevant bodies were invited, including from the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs, Credit Bank, King Abdul Aziz Public Library, and King Abdul Aziz Darat, as well as more than 150 owners of private museums. The meeting is aimed at supporting the owners and allowing them to exchange expertise and experiences. It is also to help them preserve antiquities and find better ways to exhibit them. The SCTA will also brief them on its plans regarding private museums. The forum, which will be organized every two years, is to express the SCTA's appreciation for the important role played by private museums in caring for the national heritage, Al-Ghabban said. He said the SCTA currently provides temporary licenses for private museums until the passing of the new Antiquities and Museums Act. He said the SCTA has started working on establishing five regional museums, in Abha, Al-Baha, Hail, Tabuk and Dammam. Studies and designs have been completed and the projects have been awarded to a number of national companies. It has also established a museum in Qasim, one in the Northern Frontier region, one in Makkah and one in Madina.
