AL-BAHA — Badr Al-Zahrani, CEO of the Cultural Development Fund, emphasized that the fund will raise social welfare indices related to the Quality of Life program. This will be done by increasing the local art and culture content that in turn will contribute to the gross domestic product (GDP) by approximately SR4.6 billion annually and create more than 70,000 job opportunities for young Saudis by 2030. Speaking to Okaz/Saudi Gazette, Al-Zahrani said that the Quality of Life program will consolidate the Kingdom’s position among the leading countries in the field of culture and arts worldwide. “The fund’s initiative is to achieve the aspirations of the wise leadership, and the objectives of the national strategy for culture emanating from the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 and the development of the culture sector by motivating agencies working in the cultural field to contribute and invest in it as one of the most important sectors supporting the nation’s economies.” Al-Zahrani noted that the fund is one of the ministry’s initiatives in the Quality of Life program that aims to support private sector establishments, civil institutions, and associations working in various cultural fields. It’s objectives also include supporting practitioners in various cultural fields by providing development programs that meet the needs of the cultural sectors, in addition to providing non-financial advisory services to all entities and individuals working in the cultural sector. Al-Zahrani noted the support of Minister of Culture Prince Badr Bin Abdullah Bin Farhan, and his specific attention to culture in all its diverse realms. He also drew attention to the minister’s extra keenness in the case of the fund since he launched an initiative until it saw the light by a decision of the Council of Ministers on Tuesday, describing it as the first cultural gain for the year 2021. Al-Zahrani said that the Cultural Development Fund intends to have effective strategic partnerships with several bodies in the governmental, private and non-profit sectors, to achieve sustainable development and enhance the positive impact on the cultural sector and its practitioners to serve the interests of the state’s economy and the public.