The Director General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Audrey Azoulay, said that Saudi Arabia’s policy of openness has met the aspirations of the organization, especially in focusing on the human dimension of globalization. In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, Azoulay said that Saudi Arabia had been an important partner of UNESCO for a long time, as the two sides were working together on the dissemination of the culture of peace and dialogue between religions and the promotion of the Arabic language and sports. The UNESCO director general noted that the organization was working on a program to restore many Arab heritage sites, which have been affected by wars and destruction, especially in Iraq and Syria, expressing her desire to work on a partnership with Saudi Arabia in this regard. She stressed that the Kingdom was currently witnessing a new phase of openness, driven by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense. “Here I would like to mention in particular the important steps that have been taken in the field of women’s rights, particularly in higher education,” Azoulay said, underlining the Saudi quest to achieve gender equality. “This issue is dear to my heart and I hope to continue to work on it within the framework of UNESCO,” she stated. The UN official highlighted that the path chosen by Saudi Arabia corresponded, in its major priorities, to UNESCO’s aspirations, specifically focusing on the human dimension in globalization. Azoulay underlined the importance of the launching of the Saudi NEOM project, which she said was a cultural and sports space based on the latest technology. She also valued the project to reopen cinemas in Riyadh and other Saudi cities. On the Kingdom’s heritage and culture, the UNESCO director general said: “Saudi Arabia is rich in many great cultural sites. In this context, UNESCO has a role to play in supporting Saudi Arabia’s efforts to preserve and introduce this heritage within the framework of the Sustainable Development Plan.” Azoulay touched on cooperation with the Kingdom at the regional level, mainly in the field of promoting education of Syrian refugees in Lebanon. “We are working with Saudi Arabia to provide quality education to displaced Syrians in Lebanon and to promote a culture of peace and dialogue within the framework of an international program,” she said. Emphasizing the importance of the Arabic language, Azoulay remarked that since 2012, the UNESCO annually celebrates the International Day of the Arabic Language, which falls on December 18. She noted in this regard that the international organization was seeking to advance the linguistic research and the development of Arabic dictionaries, by including new technologies, in addition to teaching the language and translating the works of the different intellectual schools.