Saudi Arabia: Italy and Saudi Arabia on Friday signed a memorandum of understanding to foster cooperation in the sectors of archaeology, conservation, restoration and protection of cultural heritage, film and literature.

The MoU was signed by Saudi Culture Minister Prince Bader bin Abdullah bin Farhan and his Italian counterpart Gennaro Sangiuliano at a ceremony in Venice that was attended remotely by Arab News.

The MoU will enable the two countries to work together to protect their heritage in accordance with UNESCO conventions.

It will also facilitate the exchange of information, expertise and best practices between their cultural institutions and experts.

The MoU reaffirms both countries’ commitment to support each other in sharing their respective cultures with the world, building on their shared vision of culture as a source of dialogue and understanding between nations.

Under the MoU, Saudi Arabia and Italy will launch joint strategic projects in various cultural fields, strengthening the role of culture within the G20 framework.

One of the projects that will benefit from this cooperation is the ongoing development of AlUla. A city of archaeological importance that is home to Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is being transformed into a global cultural destination.

“This announcement underscores the longstanding and strong cultural relationship between Saudi Arabia and Italy,” said Prince Bader.

“We look forward to enhancing our collaboration across shared projects to establish and enrich cultural dialogue.”

Sangiuliano recalled the “excellent” bilateral cooperation “in several areas including museums, archaeology and music.”

He added: “This MoU also creates for Italy opportunities to bring to Saudi Arabia its recognized skills and good practices in cultural heritage management as well as in other cultural sectors.”