RIYADH: The Saudi Culinary Arts Authority has announced a new plan to develop the Kingdom’s growing culinary sector. The strategy is supervised by the authority’s board of directors and headed by Saudi Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan. It includes measures to ensure that the authority’s efforts are in line with other Saudi cultural projects, as well as with the outputs of the culinary art sector in the Kingdom. Within the new plan, there are five key pillars for progress, which cover all the authority’s work. These include identifying and preserving the origins and heritage of cooking, promoting traditional novels and stories, providing world-class dining experiences for local residents and visitors and developing and promoting the culinary profession in the Kingdom. As part of the pillars, the authority will implement 12 practical programs, which will include record development, recognition and conservation, culinary heritage preservation, story development, a visual and audio culinary library, local sector promotion and menu standardization, international exchange and promotion, food tourism, a Saudi culinary arts pilot course, new regional food festivals and a culinary careers program.