RIYADH: Eleven new Saudi cultural authorities responsible for developing sectors such as films, fashion, music, heritage and the arts are to be set up in the Kingdom. Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan Al-Saud on Tuesday thanked King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the Cabinet’s approval to establish the bodies which will each have their own financial and administrative independence. Under the new structure, Prince Badr will preside over their boards of directors, with the authorities covering the areas of literature, publishing and translation, fashion, film, heritage, architecture and design, visual arts, museums, theater and performing arts, libraries, music, and culinary arts. As well as organizing and developing the cultural sub-sectors, the new authorities will work to support and encourage individuals and organizations operating within them, while setting new quality and efficiency standards to help meet ministry goals as part of the Saudi Vision 2030 reform plan. For instance, the authority responsible for theater and performing arts will be charged with promoting and advancing the theatrical field, its financing and investment, and adoption of vocational training programs and specialized certifications. Part of the job of the literature, publishing and translation authority will involve supporting authors, preserving copyrights, and developing creative environments and training and investment opportunities. Work to establish a professional industry for musical arts, provide licenses, and establish a database for the music sector in the Kingdom, will be looked after by the music authority. Officials will also develop libraries in the Kingdom and build stimulating environments for reading, while those dealing with culinary arts will undertake tasks including categorizing restaurants, food and chefs, setting mechanisms, controls and requirements, registering, recording and publishing Saudi and international food and recipes, promoting Saudi food locally and internationally, and encouraging research and development in the sector. A strategy for the fashion sector will be drawn up by its relevant authority, which will also set new industry standards and stage conferences, exhibitions, events and competitions, while investment in the Kingdom’s museums will become a major focus too. Through the Film Commission, the Ministry of Culture will work to develop the Saudi movie sector and production environment, and stimulate, support and empower filmmaking talent in the country. The authority dealing with heritage will take responsibility for supporting efforts to raise awareness of, develop and protect national heritage. Another specialist cultural area for attention will be architecture and design, while visual arts has been singled out for the building of educational programs, provision of scholarships and other relevant projects. Each of the new cultural authorities will be given specific timeframes in which to achieve targets set in the ministry’s own vision document. The ministry will take on a supervisory role over the 11 authorities and monitor their commitment to the three key vision goals of promoting culture to become a lifestyle, contributing to economic growth, and enhancing the Kingdom’s position internationally.