Saudi minister of culture inaugurated the 45th extended session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee

The 45th extended session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee was opened on Sunday in Riyadh by Prince Badr bin Abdullah, the Saudi minister of culture. He emphasised the Kingdom's conviction in the value of legacy as a cultural asset and a human and knowledge heritage during his opening comments.

The Saudi Arabian government's collaboration with UNESCO on heritage and antiquities programmes, as well as its support for the protection of world heritage sites through the adoption of a capacity-building strategy for people engaged in the sector for the next 10 years, were highlighted by the minister. Prince Badr applauded UNESCO's and all other international organisations' efforts to preserve the world's natural and cultural heritage, as well as the establishment of development organisations that support research, education, and other fields in order to further the sustainable development goals.

As the current head of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, Saudi Arabia will host the event this year from September 10 to 25 in Riyadh. On the fringes of the occasion, the minister had a separate meeting with Audrey Azoulay, Director General of UNESCO. During the discussion, it was addressed how Saudi Arabia and UNESCO should work together to safeguard and preserve the world's cultural and natural resources and how the Kingdom could assist such efforts. Prince Badr also looked through the UNESCO initiatives that the Kingdom has contributed funding to in order to promote the preservation and development of culture and heritage. He reaffirmed Saudi Arabia's ongoing support for the initiatives and plans put out by the group.