RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan met with his Japanese counterpart Toshiko Abe on Friday, Nov. 22. The two discussed various ways to enhance cultural cooperation between the two countries, according to a report by the Saudi Press Agency.
Prince Badr met with Abe as part of his official visit to Japan to attend the “Marvels of Saudi Orchestra” show in Tokyo, which took place on Thursday.
The Saudi minister noted that the Kingdom’s upcoming participation at Expo 2025 in Osaka highlights the strong relations between the two countries, and wished Japan success in hosting the event.
In their meeting, the ministers addressed the importance of “strengthening cultural relations between the Kingdom and Japan,” the SPA reported, and of “enhancing existing cooperation between the Saudi Literature, Publishing, and Translation Commission and the Japanese to train Saudi students in the art of creating manga comics.”
Prince Badr and his Japanese counterpart signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at “enhancing cooperation and cultural exchange between the two countries through the exchange of knowledge in systems and regulations related to cultural affairs, in the field of animation, and projects related to preserving heritage of all kinds, in addition to digital preservation technologies for heritage, and developing artistic residency programs between the two countries.”
The MoU is part of the Ministry of Culture’s efforts to enhance international cultural exchange, one of the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.