RIYADH, 3 March 2005 — Minister of Culture and Information Iyad Madani says it is time the Kingdom’s relations with the East acquired a cultural dimension in order to promote better understanding with that region.

He was speaking at the inauguration of an Arab-German cultural exhibition at the King Faisal Center for Islamic Research and Studies on Tuesday night.

Madani said his ministry has traditionally acted as a catalyst enabling people to realize their potential in a cultural context and providing avenues for their cultural expression, both within the Kingdom and abroad.

“I think the ministry should not be limiting itself to the same traditional menus. I think we should not just look Westward but also Eastward... for creating deeper understanding with countries such as India, China and Japan as well as those in Southeast Asia.”

Asked how his ministry could help promote cultural ties with the East, he said this could be done by supporting any private sector initiative. Cultural expressions stem from firm convictions which are better served through private efforts. “We are ready to provide the tools, channels and environment for such an event,” he observed.

“East looking East is a definite priority. There is a whole world there...regional powers that are becoming international powers politically and economically. The countries in this region bring their own cultural traditions and civilizations. We need to do more work to communicate with them in order to promote better understanding with them.” He did not rule out the possibility of holding single-country exhibitions in those countries among other options that could also be considered.

Asked about the best means of interaction with those countries, the minister said it could be at different levels. “Of course our embassies in that region are active. But we can also provide the tools and data that will help the organizers of seminars and conferences in doing their job. We could also count on the cooperation of organizations like the King Faisal Foundation in promoting cultural relations. The media also has a role to play in enabling the Kingdom to reach out to those countries through various platforms.”

In reply to a question on his recent switchover from the Ministry of Haj to that of Culture and Information, Madani said it was a rich experience in that he could interact with people from various countries and cultural backgrounds. The Haj Ministry also had a cultural dimension to it. So the two jobs are not entirely different.

Speaking on Saudi-German cultural relations, Dr. Saad Al-Rashid, assistant deputy minister of antiquities, said there is close cooperation between the two countries in the field of archaeology and history. “We are also seeking their cooperation in conducting archaeological surveys and excavations. We have signed a five-year cooperation agreement with the Institute of Archaeology in Germany to conduct a joint excavation in one of the largest sites in the northern part of Saudi Arabia.”

He added that the team consists of leading German scientists and scholars as well as their Saudi counterparts. “Such cooperation is very important for us as it enables our experts to contact scientific institutions in Germany for higher academic studies and also to develop their skills in the archaeological field.”

Speaking on behalf of the German Embassy, Thomas Schneider said five leading Orientalists from Germany would interact with experts from Saudi Arabia during the cultural event. This would enable them to identify the common ground at the scientific level.

He said the cultural exhibition would be followed by an educational mission from Germany that will arrive here within 10 days after participating in an educational fair in Jeddah.