Saudi Arabia’s public library coin collection reveals history of Islamic world

The King Abdulaziz Public Library’s coin collection falls within its strategy to preserve Arab and islamic heritage. (SPA)
The King Abdulaziz Public Library’s coin collection falls within its strategy to preserve Arab and islamic heritage. (SPA)
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Updated 03 September 2023
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Saudi Arabia’s public library coin collection reveals history of Islamic world

The King Abdulaziz Public Library’s coin collection falls within its strategy to preserve Arab and islamic heritage. (SPA)
  • The Islamic currency began its development at the beginning of the year 692 A.D. during the reign of the Umayyad Caliph Abd Al-Malik ibn Marwan
  • The King Abdulaziz Public Library’s coin collection covers all Islamic periods of the past 1,400 years

RIYADH: Historical coins from around the Arab and Islamic world are prominent artifacts that can reveal the religious, political, economic, social, and artistic events that occurred in the era they originated. The King Abdulaziz Public Library in Riyadh boasts a collection of more than 8,100 historical coins made of gold, silver and other metals.

The study of these coins is related to various areas of life as well as to the countries and places where they were minted. The coinage process took place in many Arab and Islamic nations and regions, including Makkah and Madinah, as well as the Islamic Caliphate’s locations, namely in Damascus, Baghdad, Cairo, Tunisia and Andalusia.

Initially, dinars were minted in the same way as Byzantine bronze coins — portraying the Roman ruler Heraclius with his two sons — at the mint in Alexandria. The Islamic currency began its development at the beginning of the year 692 A.D. during the reign of the Umayyad Caliph Abd Al-Malik ibn Marwan.

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The King Abdulaziz Public Library in Riyadh boasts a collection of more than 8,100 historical coins made of gold, silver and other metals.

The King Abdulaziz Public Library’s coin collection covers all Islamic periods of the past 1,400 years. The collection also has a wide geographical coverage which includes India and Central Asia in the East, Morocco and Andalusia in the West, the Caucasus in the North, and Yemen and Oman in the South.

According to some experts, the coins at the library are part of one of the most important and distinguished collections preserved in the Kingdom. The library possesses rare Arab and Islamic coins dating back to the Umayyad, Abbasid, Fatimid, Ayyubid, Atabeg, Seljuk and Mamluk eras, which were found in the Islamic Levant and Maghreb countries until the Ottoman era.

The first Arab Islamic dinar can be found at the library; it is distinguished by the fact that it is the first Arab Islamic coin to be minted, given that the coins used in the early Islamic era were minted in non-Islamic countries.

According to a report by Saudi Press Agency, the coin is engraved with the inscription of the Shahadah (Islamic testimony of faith), and the obverse shows “a pole on four stands topped with a small ball to the right and Iota Beta in Greek to the left, which refers to the number 12.” The reverse of the coin shows “an image of three persons, the Byzantine emperor and his two sons, wearing Arab traditional costumes which are different from the Byzantine costumes that appear on the Byzantine dinar.” It weighs 3.1 grams with a diameter of 18.3 millimeters.

Most of the Islamic coins at the library cannot be found anywhere else in the world. The library’s collection includes a Sasanian Arab dirham minted in Damascus in 695 A.D., and an Abbasid dirham minted in Basra in 758 A.D. during the reign of Caliph Abu Jaafar Al-Mansour. The term “slave” (originally written in Arabic “abed”) is engraved under the writings on the obverse of the Abbasid dirham coin, which distinguishes it from other coins minted during the reign of Caliph Al-Mansour as well as from those minted in Basra. It is noteworthy that the aforementioned term was never engraved on the coins minted earlier during the caliph’s reign.

The dirham is a valuable addition to the library’s collection, which also includes the Tulunid dinar minted in Palestine in 906 A.D. and the Makkah dinar minted in 1060 A.D., in addition to other coins belonging to the civilizations of the Arabian Peninsula.

The Arab and Islamic coins at the library fall within its cultural and knowledge strategy to preserve Arab and Islamic heritage using books, documents, photos, and artifacts in order to provide researchers and scholars with diverse historical material, and to highlight the valuable heritage of the Kingdom.

Coins are indexed and classified according to the scientific methods used in classifying international coin collections, and the library creates a database including all the basic data for each coin. The data is entered into an automated system available to the library’s researchers and specialists.

 


Rate of employment support rises to 50% covering 160 cultural professions: Saudi culture minister

Rate of employment support rises to 50% covering 160 cultural professions: Saudi culture minister
Updated 28 September 2023
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Rate of employment support rises to 50% covering 160 cultural professions: Saudi culture minister

Rate of employment support rises to 50% covering 160 cultural professions: Saudi culture minister
  • Ministry of Culture and the Human Resources Development Fund had earlier launched an initiative to enhance professional sustainability in the cultural sectors

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan said there has been a 20 percent increase in the rate of “employment support” for 160 cultural professions in 286 activities, the ministry announced on Wednesday.
Prince Badr said that the rate of employment support for these professions jumped from 30 percent to 50 percent, as part of an initiative that was implemented, in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture and the Human Resources Development Fund, also known as Hadaf, to enhance professional sustainability in the cultural sectors and achieve the goals of Saudi Vision 2030, which includes developing the Saudi contribution to arts and culture.
The supported cultural professions included a wide list of professions in the sectors of heritage, language, books and publishing, libraries, fashion arts, theater and performing arts, culinary arts, films, museums, visual arts, festivals and events, and architecture and design.
The list also features educational development tracks for the cultural sector and multimedia design including film director, art critic, art trainer, theater producer, theater director, poet, author, literary critic, literary editor, literary publisher, textile designer, fashion designer, archaeologist, chef, embroidery worker, fashion guide, goldsmith, fashion model, calligrapher, archaeologist, document and manuscript restoration technician, furniture designer, museum director, museum guide, art gallery director, visual artist, singer, band leader, vocal performance coach, and other basic cultural professions.
Supporting cultural professions comes within the common objectives of the cooperation agreement signed by the Ministry of Culture with Hadaf in June to unify efforts in developing human capital in culture and the arts and enhancing professional sustainability for practitioners, amateurs and entrepreneurs in various cultural fields.
The Ministry of Culture has previously launched a strategy for developing cultural capabilities, through which it works in an integrated manner with government agencies to enable the professional and sustainable development of arts and culture practitioners and entrepreneurs, raise the level of awareness of developing cultural capabilities, and create a positive image of artistic and cultural professions and talents.
This project comes as a continuation of the ministry’s efforts aimed at comprehensive national development and unifies the efforts made by various relevant parties.

 

 


Saudi ministers discuss expansion of economic ties with Bahrain, Slovenia

Saudi ministers discuss expansion of economic ties with Bahrain, Slovenia
Updated 28 September 2023
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Saudi ministers discuss expansion of economic ties with Bahrain, Slovenia

Saudi ministers discuss expansion of economic ties with Bahrain, Slovenia
  • Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Al-Khorayef met with his Bahrain's Abdullah Fakhro in Riyadh
  • Economy and Planning Faisal Alibrahim met with Slovenian officials in Ljubljana

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Al-Khorayef held a meeting on Wednesday with his Bahraini counterpart Abdullah Fakhro, and his accompanying delegation, at the ministry’s headquarters in Riyadh, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

During the meeting, Al-Khorayef emphasized the strong fraternal relations between the two countries and reiterated the Kingdom’s commitment to enhancing cooperation in various fields, including industrial and economic integration.
The discussions focused on the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030 and Bahrain’s Economic Vision 2030, with a particular emphasis on strengthening industrial cooperation, exploring mutually beneficial opportunities, and fostering the exchange of expertise and technologies between the private sectors of both countries.
The meeting also addressed strategies to increase trade volume and promote non-oil exports.
Saudi non-oil exports to Bahrain last year amounted to SR7 billion ($1.8 billion), while imports amounted to SR9.8 billion during the same year.
The Saudi Industrial Development Fund contributed to financing 13 industrial projects worth SR1.5 billion.
Meanwhile, Saudi Minister of Economy and Planning Faisal Alibrahim began an official visit to Slovenia, where he held meetings with senior government officials, including Minister of Economy, Tourism and Sport Matjaz Han, Minister of Finance Klemen Bostjancic, and President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Tibor Simonka.
On the sidelines of his visit, Alibrahim participated in the Slovenia-Saudi Business Roundtable Meeting that featured several presentations on investment opportunities in the Kingdom.
Speaking at the event, he said: “There is substantial untapped potential for collaboration between Saudi and Slovenian private sectors. This synergy can lead to innovative ventures, and investment opportunities that create mutually beneficial outcomes for businesses in both countries.”
He also added that this will drive innovation and foster progress.
The Slovenian side highlighted key investment opportunities in the Central European country as well as its successful business ventures in the Kingdom to date.
The roundtable meeting also included the signing of a memorandum of understanding to establish the Saudi-Slovenian Business Council to further enhance cooperation in the private sector between the two countries.
Alibrahim’s visit is part of the Kingdom’s efforts to build bridges and boost cooperation with the rest of the world, in line with Saudi Vision 2030.
Stronger multilateral cooperation and cross-border investments will unlock a thriving private sector that supports the Kingdom’s socio-economic development.


Saudi envoy holds talks in Ramallah with Palestinian PM and EU representative

Saudi envoy holds talks in Ramallah with Palestinian PM and EU representative
Updated 28 September 2023
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Saudi envoy holds talks in Ramallah with Palestinian PM and EU representative

Saudi envoy holds talks in Ramallah with Palestinian PM and EU representative
  • Ambassador Nayef Al-Sudairi reaffirmed the unwavering support of the Kingdom for Palestine in all international forums
  • The two-day official visit was his first since he was appointed Saudi Arabia’s non-resident ambassador to the state in August

RIYADH: Nayef Al-Sudairi, the Saudi non-resident ambassador to the State of Palestine, visited Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh at his office in Ramallah on Wednesday.

Shtayyeh warmly welcomed Al-Sudairi to Palestine and underlined his commitment to providing all necessary support for the envoy’s mission, which Shtayyeh said he expects to contribute significantly to the development of relations between the two sates, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The ambassador, who was on a two-day official visit to the West Bank that began on Tuesday, reaffirmed the unwavering support of the Kingdom for Palestine in international forums, and emphasized the strength of the relationship between the states and the potential for enhanced cooperation in a number of fields.

In a separate meeting, Al-Sudairi, who is also the Kingdom’s ambassador to Jordan, held talks with the EU’s representative in Palestine, Alexandre Stutzmann, to discuss the latest political developments relating to the Palestinian cause, along with other issues of common interest.

In addition, he held talks with Munib Al-Masri, the chairman of the board of directors of independent development organization Al-Quds Fund and Endowment, about ways to strengthen and develop relations.

The envoy, who was visiting the territory for the first time since he was appointed ambassador to Palestine in August, earlier presented his credentials to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.


Saudi trade delegation concludes 3-day visit to Singapore

Saudi trade delegation concludes 3-day visit to Singapore
Updated 28 September 2023
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Saudi trade delegation concludes 3-day visit to Singapore

Saudi trade delegation concludes 3-day visit to Singapore
  • The delegation consisted of representatives from 14 government agencies

RIYADH: A Saudi delegation, led by Minister of Commerce Majid Al-Qasabi, on Wednesday concluded a three-day visit to Singapore aimed at enhancing trade exchange and economic partnership between the two countries, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Al-Qasabi held a number of ministerial meetings, including with Minister for Education Chan Chun Sing; Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong; Minister for Manpower and Second Minister for Trade and Industry Tan See Leng; and Minister for Social and Family Development Masagos Zulkifli.

The delegation, which comprised 36 officials, also visited the Asia Competitiveness Institute and Tuas Port — the world’s largest fully automated port — where meetings were held with Singaporean companies which focused on enhancing cooperation in the services sector.

Members of the delegation also participated in the Saudi-Singapore Business Forum, which was co-organized by the Federation of Saudi Chambers and the Singapore Business Federation.

The delegation consisted of representatives from 14 government agencies.

Al-Qasabi also met female leaders during the visit who are currently participating in the Women Future Leaders Program for the Logistics Sector.

The program is presented by the Saudi Logistics Academy in collaboration with the Singapore Supply Chain and Logistics Academy.

The minister received a briefing on the training program and its anticipated outcomes.

Abdullah Al-Abdulkarim, the executive director of the Saudi Logistics Academy, said the program was a fully supported, cost-free initiative, sponsored by the National Industrial Development and Logistics Program, and its primary goal was to prepare and empower leaders within the logistics sector.


Saudi FM meets France’s special envoy for Lebanon, Nauru’s president

Saudi FM meets France’s special envoy for Lebanon, Nauru’s president
Updated 28 September 2023
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Saudi FM meets France’s special envoy for Lebanon, Nauru’s president

Saudi FM meets France’s special envoy for Lebanon, Nauru’s president

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan on Wednesday received Jean-Yves Le Drian, French President Emmanuel Macron’s special envoy for Lebanon, in Riyadh, the Kingdom’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

The parties reviewed bilateral relations and looked at ways to extend joint coordination in many fields.

They also discussed the latest developments in Lebanon, as well as in regional and international arenas, the Kingdom added in a statement.

Prince Faisal also met Nauru’s President Russ Kun in Riyadh to discuss ways of strengthening ties.

The minister conveyed greetings from King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the president, and their wishes for continued progress for the government and people of Nauru.

Bilateral relations and ways to strengthen and develop them in various fields were discussed, in addition to focusing on the most prominent developments on both the regional and international stage.

Prince Faisal held bilateral talks on Monday with Vince Henderson, the minister for foreign affairs, international business, trade and energy of the Commonwealth of Dominica.