He said Prince Sultan bin Salman, chairman of the SCTA, had taken personal interest to carry out excavations in various parts of the Kingdom to dig out rare antiques that speak volumes of the country’s history and heritage.

Speaking about the story behind the Louvre exhibition, the ambassador said the idea came following the visit of former French President Jacques Chirac to Riyadh where he visited the National Museum with Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah. “At that time the idea of holding a Saudi heritage exhibition in Paris was proposed and both President Chirac and King Abdullah enthusiastically welcomed it,” Al-Asheikh said, adding that work on the exhibition started in 2006.

The ambassador emphasized the importance of cultural exchanges to strengthen bilateral ties. “Relations between countries are not based on politics and economy alone. The cultural, human and educational factors are also important. They give a new dimension to diplomatic relations, not only between the two countries, but also between the two peoples. The human, historic and cultural relations could be stronger than political ones.”

He said the exhibition is a good opportunity for the French people to know of culture and civilization in Saudi Arabia. The museum’s management expects 10 million people to visit. “But Saudi Arabia believes that the number of visitors will be more than that because it is the first overseas exhibition about Saudi culture and civilization,” he said.