Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Abdullah said that there has been an increase of 20 percent in the rate of employment support for 160 cultural professions in 286 activities.

Prince Badr said that the rate of employment support for these professions jumped from 30 percent to 50 percent. “This initiative was introduced, in cooperation between the Ministry of Culture and the Human Resources Development Fund (HADAF) under the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, to enhance professional sustainability in the cultural sectors,” he said.

The supported cultural professions included a wide range of professions in the sectors of heritage, language, books and publishing, libraries, fashion arts, theater and performing arts, culinary arts, films, museums, visual arts, cultural festivals and events, and architecture and design arts.

The list of professions included professions in educational development tracks for the cultural sector and multimedia design, including: film director, art critic, arts trainer, theater producer, theater director, poet, author, literary critic, literary editor, literary publisher, textile designer, fashion designer, archaeologist, chef, embroidery worker, fashion guide, goldsmith, fashion model, calligrapher, archaeologist, document and manuscript restoration technician, furniture designer, museum director, museum guide, art gallery director, visual artist, singer, band leader, vocal performance coach, and other basic cultural professions.

Supporting cultural professions is part of the common targets of the cooperation agreement that the Ministry of Culture signed with HADAF last June in order to unify efforts in developing human capital in culture and the arts and enhancing professional sustainability for practitioners, amateurs and entrepreneurs in various cultural fields.

The Ministry of Culture seeks to enhance the nationalization of the sector, supply it with qualified and trained cadres, achieve job sustainability, and contribute to building an economic system based on the participation of sons and daughters of the nation in various fields and activities of the labor market.