SR9 million awarded to Saudi students with talent in cultural skills 

Minister of Education Yousef Al-Benyan, Hamed Fayez, deputy minister of culture, officials from the two ministries, and parents of winning students attended the ceremony. (@moe_gov_sa)
Minister of Education Yousef Al-Benyan, Hamed Fayez, deputy minister of culture, officials from the two ministries, and parents of winning students attended the ceremony. (@moe_gov_sa)
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Updated 07 July 2024
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SR9 million awarded to Saudi students with talent in cultural skills 

Minister of Education Yousef Al-Benyan and Hamed Fayez, deputy minister of culture attended the ceremony. (@moe_gov_sa)
  • The Cultural Skills Competition is a national contest launched by the Ministry of Culture in partnership with the Ministry of Education
  • Contest is aimed at motivating the younger generations to participate, create and excel in shaping the future of culture and the arts

RIYADH: The Saudi culture and education ministries recently honored pre-university general education students who were winners of the second edition of the Cultural Skills Competition held in Riyadh.

The winners received prizes worth a total of SR9 million ($2.4 million) while the organizers of the competition signed three agreements to support distinguished talents.

Minister of Education Yousef Al-Benyan, Hamed Fayez, deputy minister of culture, officials from the two ministries, Saudi cultural and art pioneers, and parents of the winning students attended the ceremony.

The Cultural Skills Competition is a national contest launched by the Ministry of Culture in partnership with the Ministry of Education, aimed at motivating the younger generations to participate, create and excel in shaping the future of culture and the arts.

The competition features 10 categories: drawing; Arabic calligraphy; filmmaking; photography; strumming; singing; short stories; manga; poetry; and theater. Those categories aim to discover and develop the skills of male and female students in cultural and artistic fields and to achieve the perfect investment of their energies.

Fayez affirmed the Ministry of Culture’s support for the cultural skills of students, noting that such competition contributes to a promising and prosperous future in the cultural sector.

“Education is the basis of our journey to build our cultural capacities. Our strategic partnerships with the Ministry of Education have culminated in many proud achievements, emphasizing the importance of supporting that partnership for greater prospects,” Fayez added.

The winner in each category was awarded SR100,000 ($26,659), while second place received SR75,000 and third was awarded SR50,000, in addition to honoring their parents with financial rewards totaling SR1.4 million.

 This year, the competition attracted an impressive turnout and broad interest from students, exceeding 400,000 participants in the various categories, according to Dr. Yousef Al-Hamoud, director-general of student activities at the Ministry of Education.

“Competition among students in such events helps them discover and refine their artistic and cultural skills,” Al-Hamoud said.

Al-Hamoud told Arab News that the success of the Cultural Skills Competition reflects the importance of joint work between the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Culture, which contributes to developing the cultural and artistic capacities of participants, achieving the goals of Saudi Vision 2030, and building a competitive citizen globally.

During the ceremony, three agreements were signed with strategic partners, to support outstanding talent. The first agreements were concluded with Manga Arabia Co., a company specialized in making creative content, and producing and publishing Arabic and Japanese storyboards. The company will serve as the training platform for manga category participants to learn and master this art and transform the passion of talented students into distinct artistic creations, according to a statement issued by the organizers of the Competition.

The second agreement was concluded with Anghami, a Saudi company working in digital music. It will produce mini-albums, each containing four songs, for the winners of the singing and strumming categories, in addition to holding a specialized training camp that focuses on refining their artistic capabilities.

The third agreement was concluded with MBC Media Solutions, which will host outstanding talents at the MBC Academy, include them in the upcoming skills database of MBC’s business, and provide them with opportunities to appear and shine in multiple fields.


Red Sea Fund opens registration for post-production grants

Red Sea Fund opens registration for post-production grants
Updated 07 August 2024
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Red Sea Fund opens registration for post-production grants

Red Sea Fund opens registration for post-production grants
  • Period for the fourth phase runs until Aug. 21

RIYADH: The Red Sea International Film Festival has opened registration for the fourth phase of the Red Sea Fund, which supports post-production film projects.

The registration period runs until Aug. 21, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.

The fund supports films needing final touches after filming. It seeks to attract works in the region from the documentary, fiction, animation, episodic, short, and feature film genres.

The fund accepts applications from directors of Arab and African origin, while the works are required to have a minimum duration of 60 minutes.

The Red Sea Fund has supported more than 250 films, initiated industry support programs, helped to celebrate women, and funded graduation films since its inception in 2021.

It also collaborates with international festivals and provides awards for exceptional projects.

Interested applicants who wish to register for the fourth phase should access redseafilmfest.com/en/red-sea-fund-2/.


118 colleges added to Saudi Cultural Scholarship Program

118 colleges added to Saudi Cultural Scholarship Program
Updated 07 August 2024
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118 colleges added to Saudi Cultural Scholarship Program

118 colleges added to Saudi Cultural Scholarship Program

RIYADH: The Ministry of Culture has expanded its Cultural Scholarship Program, adding 118 colleges to its list of accredited educational institutions, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.

The move aims to support national cadres, respond to the growing needs of the labor market and achieve the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 in relation to culture, the ministry said.

The additions take the number of institutions involved in the program to 278 in 15 countries, of which 58 are in the US, 40 in the UK and one in Russia.

Among the newcomers are the University of San Francisco, Arizona State University, University of Colorado Boulder, Royal Holloway, University of London, the University of Liverpool, Padova University in Italy and Lund University in Sweden.

The program offers students the chance to obtain scholarships in 13 cultural and artistic fields. The awards cover the cost of their tuition fees, living expenses, medical insurance and travel. Their academic development is also monitored and evaluated.


Who’s Who: Edward Byrne, new president of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology 

Who’s Who: Edward Byrne, new president of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology 
Updated 49 min 5 sec ago
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Who’s Who: Edward Byrne, new president of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology 

Who’s Who: Edward Byrne, new president of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology 
  • Byrne succeeds Tony Chan, who joined KAUST as president in 2018

Edward Byrne was appointed as the new president of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology on Wednesday, with the appointment effective from Sept. 1.

Byrne’s appointment marks a significant milestone for the university as it continues its transformative journey through the implementation of its Accelerating Impact Strategy.

Byrne succeeds Tony Chan who joined KAUST as president in 2018. Chan significantly enhanced KAUST’s alignment with Vision 2030, expanding its global research and academic influence.

Byrne said: “It is an honor to join an academic community at the forefront of translating research into economically productive innovations for the benefit of society across the Kingdom and the world.

“Drawing on my extensive career leading top-ranked global universities and visionary approaches to scientific discovery, I welcome the opportunity to lead an institution that is paving the way for future progress and is committed to making the discoveries that will power tomorrow.”

Byrne has been serving as the global chief medical officer of Ramsay Health Care Group since 2021, where he extended his leadership beyond academia into global healthcare governance and strategic advisory roles.

He is also vice chancellor’s distinguished fellow at The Australian National University and chairs various boards and think tanks.

He was the president and principal of King’s College London from 2014 to 2021, chairing King’s Health Partners and spearheading the university’s Vision 2029.

His efforts made significant contributions to society and positioned KCL at the forefront of the national agenda.

Byrne was the president and vice chancellor of Monash University in Melbourne from 2009 to 2014, where he demonstrated his capacity for innovation and impact by establishing a new campus in Suzhou, China, and fostering a major alliance with the University of Warwick.

He had previously left Australia for London in 2007 and held the positions of executive dean of the Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, head of the Medical School, and vice provost at University College London until 2009.

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Madinah governor cites King Salman Medical City’s for obtaining accreditation

Madinah governor cites King Salman Medical City’s for obtaining accreditation
Updated 07 August 2024
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Madinah governor cites King Salman Medical City’s for obtaining accreditation

Madinah governor cites King Salman Medical City’s for obtaining accreditation

MADINAH: Madinah Gov. Prince Salman bin Sultan received King Salman Medical City CEO Abdulrahman Al-Harbi in Madinah, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.
Prince Salman congratulated the staff of the medical institute for obtaining accreditation from the Saudi Central Board for Accreditation of Healthcare Institutions.
He hailed recent advances in the health sector and encouraged staff to continue improving integrated health services.


Saudi deputy FM meets with Palestine’s representative to UN on sidelines of OIC meeting

Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed Al-Khuraiji meets with the Permanent Representative of Palestine to the United Nations.
Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed Al-Khuraiji meets with the Permanent Representative of Palestine to the United Nations.
Updated 49 min 46 sec ago
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Saudi deputy FM meets with Palestine’s representative to UN on sidelines of OIC meeting

Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed Al-Khuraiji meets with the Permanent Representative of Palestine to the United Nations.
  • Al-Khuraiji condemned the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh at OIC meeting, saying it was a “flagrant violation of the sovereignty” of Iran

RIYADH: Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed Al-Khuraiji met with the Permanent Representative of Palestine to the United Nations Riyad Mansour on Wednesday.

During the meeting on the sidelines of an Organization of Islamic Cooperation summit in Jeddah, the two officials discussed the latest developments in the Palestinian crisis.

They also reviewed regional developments, Saudi Press Agency reported. 

Al-Khuraiji also met with Iran’s Acting Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani and Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Nuh Yilmaz, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, Gambian Foreign Minister Mamadou Tangara, and Abu Bakr Mohamed Hanafi.

At the OIC meeting, Al-Khuraiji condemned the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh, saying it was a “flagrant violation of the sovereignty of the Islamic Republic of Iran, its territorial integrity and national security, international law and the Charter of the United Nations and constitutes a threat to regional peace and security.”

The Yazidi nightmare
Ten years after the genocide, their torment continues
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