RIYADH, 4 November — King Abdulaziz Foundation for Research and Archives (KAFRA), the apex cultural body of the Kingdom, has undertaken two major projects to compile a comprehensive encyclopedia of modern Arabic literature and prepare high-quality atlases for Saudi institutions.
The encyclopedia will be prepared in cooperation with the Cairo-based American University. “The encyclopedia project, which is the first of its kind to be launched in the Middle East, follows a recent agreement between KAFRA and the American University,” said Dr. Fahd ibn Abdullah Al-Semmari, KAFRA secretary-general. A recent meeting of senior university faculty members and educators of the Kingdom decided to prepare this monumental work, he said. The encyclopedia will benefit Arabic literature and help enrich the literary life of Saudi Arabia and other Arabic-speaking countries.
KAFRA is also working to produce new atlases for Saudi academic institutions and organizations in cooperation with government agencies, said Semmari, while referring to the directive of Riyadh Governor Prince Salman in this regard. Prince Salman is the chairman of KAFRA.
In the production of atlases, Semmari said that the foundation will work closely with a number of government agencies including the Ministries of Defense and Aviation, Interior, Planning, Higher Education, Finance and National Economy and Petroleum & Mineral Resources. The project is already being discussed by an inter-ministerial panel.
KAFRA has executed several similar educational and cultural projects in the past, especially on the occasion of the Kingdom’s centennial celebrations. It is credited with the publication of a Who’s Who Atlas of prominent Saudi personalities, a historical atlas of the Kingdom, a collection of historical documents from inside and outside the Kingdom besides charting out the route followed by the late King Abdulaziz while marching to Riyadh. It has also published a number of books on Saudi Arabia.
KAFRA also boasts a national museum and a memorial hall dedicated to the late King Abdulaziz.
