The Ministry of Culture technically supervises 46 non-profit cultural organizations JEDDAH: The Saudi Ministry of Culture announced the launch of the first professional cultural association in the field of libraries, and the formation of its board of directors, headed by Dr. Mohammed bin Saleh Al-Tayyar. This comes as part of an initiative to establish professional cultural associations launched by the ministry with the support of the government’s Quality of Life Program, part of Saudi Vision 2030. The first professional association for libraries aims to raise awareness of the importance of this field, empower its professionals, support research and studies related to it, and contribute to building policies and standards that regulate the work of the library sector in accordance with the best local and international practices. The initiative aims to form 16 professional associations in 13 cultural sectors during 2021. These associations will form professional links for Saudi intellectuals and artists, and provide opportunities for professionals in these sectors to develop their skills, build their initiatives, develop awareness, create support mechanisms, and form an attractive social model for culture and the arts in the Kingdom to become more professional fields. FASTFACT The first professional association for libraries aims to raise awareness of the importance of this field, empower its professionals, support research and studies related to it. Last March, Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan, minister of culture, announced his ministry’s strategy for the nonprofit sector, which includes the distribution of non-profit cultural organizations across five levels: Civil institutions, professional associations, specialized associations, cooperative societies, and amateur clubs, in line with the system of associations and NGOs. The five levels respond to the different needs of practitioners, amateurs and those interested in various cultural sectors. The Ministry of Culture technically supervises 46 non-profit cultural organizations, distributed among institutions, NGOs and amateur clubs, in the fields of heritage, literature, film, visual arts, libraries, architecture, theater, performing arts, translation, fashion, and music.