Saudi Arabia starts national database in ongoing efforts to develop arts and culture

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Culture has started a database to inform its work of designing strategic cultural projects.

The database will be built in stages through an e-platform, state news agency SPA reported on Wednesday (September 2).

The first stage is to build a data inventory of arts and culture workers that would also open a line of communication between the ministry and industry stakeholders.

“The Ministry lays effective communication with the employees of the Saudi cultural sector as a basis for designing its strategic projects, based on its belief in the importance of enhancing the effectiveness of the cultural community and enabling it to play its important roles to serve the Saudi culture and to achieve one of the main pillars of Saudi Vision 2030, which is building a vibrant society,” said SPA.

The target sectors are music, books and publishing, literature, theatre and the performing arts, fashion, visual arts, museums, libraries, architecture and design arts, heritage, language and translation, films, and culinary arts.

There has been a surge in arts and culture activities in Saudi Arabia in the last few years. This week, the sixth Saudi Film Festival opened, albeit online due to ongoing pandemic social distancing restrictions.

In July, the Ministry of Culture moved forward with several policy-making initiatives, including the formation of boards of directors for several committees including film, theatre and the performing arts, and visual arts.

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