Saudi Arabia’s Cabinet has approved the establishment of the Royal Institute of Anthropology and Cultural Studies, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
The Saudi Culture Minister, Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan, welcomed the decision, extending his appreciation to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and the Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Salman, for supporting the cultural sector.
On this occasion, Prince Badr noted that the Royal Institute of Anthropology and Cultural Studies will act as a “trusted narrator” of Saudi Arabia’s cultural heritage and a “beacon of inspiration” in the study of the human sciences.
The Saudi Culture Minister also praised the decision as a major stride in developing the cultural sector, serving as a scientific platform for documenting the Kingdom’s heritage and raising cultural awareness through anthropological research and cultural studies.
Moreover, the Institute will foster cultural exchange for global enrichment and provide meaningful and effective cultural insights, Prince Badr said.
The Institute focuses on advancing both theoretical and applied research in the fields of anthropology and cultural studies. Its primary focus involves the comprehensive study of Saudi Arabia’s local communities, encompassing their lifestyles, symbolic frameworks, and social evolutions, as well as the diverse ways through which cultural identity is expressed.
Furthermore, it is tasked with the documentation of both tangible and intangible heritage, as well as observing and analyzing knowledge, social practices, and value systems. This allows it to build a robust scientific understanding of culture, as a vital component of the lived human experience.
Given its millennia-old history and civilization, Saudi Arabia possesses a profound importance within the global landscape of anthropological and cultural research. It also boasts an extensive cultural, social, and regional diversity that offers a fertile ground for study and analysis.
