RIYADH: The Culinary Arts Commission is showcasing Saudi gastronomic heritage at the Kingdom’s pavilion at the Kuala Lumpur International Book Fair through publications highlighting culinary arts as part of the Kingdom’s cultural identity.
Among the featured works is “Sufra: Saudi Feast,” published under the Our Culinary Legacy initiative, which documents culinary traditions across the Kingdom’s 13 regions.
The book received two Gourmand Awards in 2024, in the Best Hospitality and Best Arab Cuisine Cookbook categories, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The Saudi pavilion, participating as guest of honor, also features “Buraidah,” which explores the culinary and cultural heritage of the Qassim region and traces the city’s journey to becoming a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy.
It is the first city in the Gulf and the second in the Arab world to join the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in this field, SPA added.
The King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language is also showcasing its projects and initiatives at the fair in support of the Arabic language and its global presence.
The pavilion allows visitors to explore the academy’s programs for teaching Arabic to non-native speakers, its language qualification initiatives, and its efforts to develop Arabic digital content and computational language processing.
Key initiatives on display include the Riyadh Dictionary, which documents contemporary Arabic vocabulary; the Linguistic Immersion Program, aimed at developing learners’ Arabic skills; the Hamza academic test, which measures language proficiency using modern scientific standards; and the Ahlan Wa Sahlan platform, designed to teach Arabic to non-native speakers through interactive content.
Meanwhile, the Saudi Arabian Translation Association and the Malaysian Translators Association signed a memorandum of understanding at the fair.
It aims to enhance cooperation in translation and publishing, promote cultural and knowledge exchange, and support scientific and academic initiatives of mutual interest.
The MoU also seeks to facilitate the exchange of expertise and specialized consultations, helping advance the translation sector and strengthen its international cultural presence.
The deal represents an important step toward building sustainable professional and cultural partnerships that support civilizational dialogue between Saudi Arabia and Malaysia, and to open the door to joint projects that expand the exchange of literature and knowledge between the two languages.
The Kingdom’s broader cultural and intellectual presence at the fair is being led by the Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission. The book fair is being held at the World Trade Center in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, until June 7.
The Saudi pavilion is witnessing strong attendance from visitors, officials, cultural figures and media professionals, with wide interest in its cultural content highlighting the diversity of the Saudi cultural scene.
Accompanying events have also drawn good attendance, particularly cultural seminars featuring Saudi specialists discussing literature, translation, cultural exchange and Saudi-Malaysian relations, alongside interactive corners introducing visitors to Saudi arts and heritage.
