On behalf of His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz, Governor of Riyadh Region honored the winners of the National Cultural Awards initiative at the closing ceremony organized by the Ministry of Culture on Monday evening, held at the Culture Palace in the Diplomatic Quarter in Riyadh. The ceremony was attended by Vice Minister of Culture Hamed bin Mohammed Fayez, ministry and cultural commissions' leaders, as well as intellectuals, writers and media professionals. In a speech delivered on behalf of Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan, Minister of Culture, Hamed bin Mohammed Fayez said: "The cultural sector with all its affiliates is proud of HRH the Crown Prince's patronage for this occasion, which is part of the unlimited support for the nation's culture, and evidence of the wise leadership's interest in intellectuals all over the Kingdom". He pointed out that "culture, with its civilizational, social and developmental value, has now been given its rightful place thanks to Saudi Arabia's inspiring and ambitious Vision 2030". "It has restored culture as a fundamental pillar in building society and a basis for the national identity, besides being a manifestation of pride in the history and civilization of the Kingdom", he added. In his speech during the ceremony, Fayez indicated that the National Cultural Awards initiative will contribute to cultural development through supporting intellectuals and honoring their distinctive cultural achievements. "These awards, with their moral and materialistic value, come in recognition of the outstanding efforts made by local creatives in various cultural fields", he said. Fayez also emphasized the importance of "devoting the principle of honoring those who deserve it, as well as appreciating the pioneers and youth who built our culture, hoping to give motivation to all creatives in the Kingdom, and to contribute in achieving the developmental goals in cultural fields and creative industries". The speech was followed by award distribution ceremony, where Sheikh Muhammad bin Nasser Al-Aboudi won the "Cultural Personality of the Year" award, in appreciation of his rich literary career that covered multiple fields , and was received on his behalf by his son Khalid bin Muhammad Al-Aboudi. Film director Shahad Ameen won the "Youth National Culture" award, in recognition of her accomplishments in the filmmaking industry, from her inception as an assistant director until she became one of the most renowned filmmakers in the Kingdom. The 12 remaining cultural awards were granted afterward; the first prize of the Culinary Arts Award was given to Rakan Al-Arifi, while ZADK Culinary Academy won second place, and Noura Al-Badran came third. As for the Fashion Award, the international company "Lomar" won first place, Yousef Akbar came second, and Arwa Al-Ammari came in third. In the Visual Arts Award, artist Lulwah Al-Homoud won first place, Dana Awartani second place, and Ahmed Angawi as third place. The Film Award first place was taken by Shahd Ameen, whereas the second and third place awards were withheld for not meeting the requirements. In the National Heritage Award, Abdulaziz Abdullah Al-Dakhil won first place, Dr. Hisham Ali Mortada came in second, and Our Heritage Corporate for Social Responsibility took third place. In the Music Award, Zeina Emad won first place, while Akram Al Matar won second, and Reem Fahd Al-Tamimi came third. In the Theater and Performing Arts Award, first place was Sami Al-Jamaan, second went to Yasser Yahya Madkhali, and the third place was withheld because the presented works did not meet the requirements. The first prize of the Literature Award went to Novelist Abdulaziz Saleh Al-Saqabi, the second prize to novelist Maqbul Moussa Al-Alawi, and the third prize to novelist Amal Saleh Al-Harbi. In the Translation Award, Abdullah Mohammed Idris took the first place, Sultan Al-Mujaiwel second, while Bander Mohammed Al-Harbi came in third. As for the Publishing Award, Obeikan for Publishing and Translation won first place, Kady and Ramadi for Publishing and Distribution won second, and Dar Athar for Publishing and Distribution won third. The National Cultural Awards Committee withheld the three awards in the Architecture and Design Award category, as the submissions did not meet its requirements. In the Cultural Institutions Award, the Saudi Heritage Preservation Society "We are Our Heritage" won in the non-profit cultural institutions' track, and the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) won in the track of large and emerging cultural institutions from the private sector, and the online application "Ketaby Lak" won in the track of cultural and social responsibility programs from the private sector. The ceremony concludes the work of the first session of the National Cultural Awards initiative launched by the Ministry of Culture in June 2020 within the initiatives of the Quality of Life Program, one of the Saudi Vision 2030 programs, with the aim of celebrating the cultural achievements of intellectuals and institutions in various cultural sectors. Holding this initiative stems from the ministry's belief in the importance of honoring and appreciation to advance local cultural production, and create a competitive cultural environment that contributes to enriching cultural content.
