Malaysia, Saudi Arabia to deepen cultural cooperation, says Tourism minister

Tiong (right) shakes hands with Badr Abdullah Farhan Al Saud during their bilateral meeting to strengthen cultural cooperation. Photo credit: MOTAC

By DayakDaily Team

KUCHING, April 16: Malaysia is looking to deepen its cultural and tourism ties with Saudi Arabia following a bilateral meeting aimed at strengthening cooperation in heritage, arts and cultural exchange.

Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Dato Seri Tiong King Sing said relations between countries are not built solely on diplomacy, but also through culture, which serves as a strategic asset in fostering closer ties and mutual understanding among people.

“Culture is a bridge that connects nations and strengthens people-to-people relations,” he said in a Facebook post after meeting his Saudi counterpart, Badr Abdullah Farhan Al Saud, today.

Tiong said the bilateral discussion opened up important opportunities to enhance Malaysia-Saudi Arabia cultural cooperation in a more structured and focused manner.

Among the key areas discussed were efforts to expand cultural exchange programmes, collaborations in publishing and literature, and partnerships in the development of cultural institutions. Both sides also explored support for participation in international platforms related to heritage and culture.

He added that there is strong potential to organise joint initiatives such as cultural weeks and artistic exchange programmes to showcase the unique cultural identities of both nations to a wider audience.

At the same time, Tiong emphasised that Malaysia is placing strong emphasis on cultural tourism, leveraging arts, heritage and traditions as key tourism products to attract both domestic and international visitors.

“We also discussed the importance of strengthening existing cooperation frameworks and refining several initiatives currently being developed to ensure long-term benefits for both countries,” he said.

Tiong expressed confidence that closer and sustained collaboration in culture and tourism would not only reinforce bilateral relations but also create new opportunities to promote cultural strengths as a driver of mutual understanding and shared development. — DayakDaily