Celebration of the 20th anniversary of the 2003 Convention for the safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
The Ministry of Culture represented by the Heritage Commission in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage over three days in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The celebration will shine a light on the Kingdom’s diligent efforts in safeguarding its Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH), and the importance of cultural diversity that supports the national vision for sustainability in the culture sector.
The celebration is prepared and organized with the local communities of practitioners across the Kingdom. Accompanying activities will include exhibitions, workshops, and live performances from all the regions. These activities aim to encourage visitors to engage with the traditions and the practitioners who practice these elements.
Furthermore, non-governmental organizations specialized in intangible cultural heritage will present their efforts, experiences, and responsibilities towards the local practicing communities.
These organizations are a result of the Ministry of Culture’s goal in empowering specialized NGOs in the ICH field.
Event activities:
Exhibitions
- Inscribed ICH elements: Presenting the environment, history, and traditions of each inscribed element in the representative list.
- Mud building: Discovering the skills and knowledge associated with the element. Practitioners will invite the audience to be part of the building experience.
- Traditional falconry: Reflecting the heritage and history of the practice in the Arabian Peninsula, this will raise awareness of its national value and encourage its transmission.
- Traditional culinary arts: Displaying distinctive dishes and recipes from each region of the Kingdom, with the opportunity to allow the audience to experience traditional cooking.
- Traditional games: Raising awareness of the social value of traditional sports and games and encouraging their transmission from generation to generation.
Educational Workshops
- Traditional handcraft workshops for children.
- Traditional mud-building workshops for adults.
Live traditional performances
- Saudi traditional music.
- Oral traditions and expression.