Ministry Of Culture Partakes In Saudi Exhibition For UN International Year Of The Camelids 2024

EE News Desk Jul 04, 2024

The event celebrated the role of camels as an icon of Saudi cultural heritage

The Ministry of Culture participates in the Saudi Exhibition for the United Nation’s International Year of the Camelids 2024, organised by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in collaboration with The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Plurinational State of Bolivia and the UN Office in Geneva. Following World Camel Day on 22 June, the week-long event ran from 25 to June, 2024 in Geneva, Switzerland.

The Ministry of Culture takes part in the Saudi Exhibition along with more than 13 government and private Saudi entities, celebrating the unique cultural and historical significance of camels, highlighting the unique relationship between Saudis and camels, and showcasing camel products manufactured locally – such as leather, medical and cosmetic products.

For centuries, camels have lived alongside Saudi people as companions, as a means of transportation, and even as a source of inspiration for literature and art. Recognising the immense cultural value of camels and the important role they continue to play in the lives of Saudi people every day, The Kingdom designated 2024 ‘The Year of the Camel’. The Ministry of Culture has made a commitment to revive the presence of the camel as a national icon for Saudi Arabia and to strengthen the deep historic ties between Saudi society and the camel.

By taking part in the exhibition, the Ministry of Culture also raises awareness of the recently announced Camel Studies Grant, which was created in partnership with the Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture. The grant strives to advance important academic research in the field of camel studies and drive the development of new ideas, methodologies and technologies relating to the industry. The Camel Studies Grant will fund 10 new research projects across a broad range of interdisciplinary subjects, which will be published in peer-reviewed scientific journals.