With a bold vision to showcase Saudi Arabia’s majestic heritage, the Kingdom has designated the past four years as prestigious celebrations to crystalize the cultural symbols of the Saudi civilization.
Since 2020, Saudi Arabia has embarked on various wild initiatives to revolutionize the meanings of traditional symbols and reintroduce these national foundations in a captivating way.
Leaders-MENA Magazine reviews some of the Kingdom’s unparalleled initiatives to redefine its cultural heritage ahead of the Saudi National Day on 23 Sept 2024.
Year of Arabic Calligraphy 2021
Launched by Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Culture in 2020, the initiative aimed at celebrating the beauty of the Arabic Calligraphy and showcasing the aesthetic value of its details.
Extended for an additional year until 2021, the event shed light on the Arabic language as an art not just a great language. Therefore, the event perfectly mirrored the creativity of the Arabic language and how it defines Saudi Arabia’s identity.
Year of Saudi Coffee 2022
Saudi Arabia has a long history of coffee consumption due to the Saudi culture that considers coffee as an expression of hospitality and welcome.
In 2021, the Saudi Ministry of Culture designated 2022 as “The Year of Saudi Coffee,” celebrating an integral part of the Kingdom’s social traditions.
The Saudi authorities have recently given special support to coffee bean farms in Jazan to foster the coffee production and support the farmers.
“We are immensely proud of having a diverse, ancient culture, rooted in the depths of this blessed earth from the beginning of history to the present day. Saudi coffee is an important element of our rich culture, not only because it is a delicious beverage that accompanies us in all moments of our lives, but also because it conveys deep meanings of generosity, hospitality, cultural diversity, and the specificity of the unique Saudi culture.” Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan Al Saud, the Minister of Culture said.
Year of Arabic Poetry 2023
Saudi Arabia has designated 2023 as the “Year of Arabic Poetry,” to celebrate the most fundamental component of the Arab culture. The initiative aims at reviving the rich history of Arabic poetry, recognizing its pivotal role in human civilization, and boosting the Kingdom’s status in preserving the cultural heritage of the Arab world.
Year of the Camel 2024
Camels were a primary means of transportation across vast distances offering a good company to combat the isolation of long journeys. This long companionship has inspired poets and writers to document the camel’s unwavering loyalty to humans through tales, poems and proverbs. Today the camels remain one of the basic elements of Saudi Arabia’s history and civilization.
At the end of 2023, the Saudi Cabinet officially named the year 2024 ‘the Year of the Camel’, celebrating the unique cultural value of camels in the Arabian Peninsula from the dawn of history up to the present day.
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