Riyadh, September 27, 2023, The Ministry of Culture, in collaboration with the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), has introduced the Islamic World Cultural Index Project. Assistant Minister of Culture Rakan Al-Touq and ICESCO Director-General Dr. Salim Al-Malik formally launched the project by signing the Executive Program during the 12th Conference of Ministers of Culture in the Islamic World, held in Doha. This groundbreaking initiative aims to evaluate and document the cultural achievements, performance, and positions of participating countries within the Islamic world. Data will be made available through periodic reports published on ICESCO's official digital platform every three years. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has undertaken to fund the inaugural phase of the project. This venture aligns with Saudi Arabia's prior accomplishments in producing the annual cultural status report, a publication initiated by the Saudi Ministry of Culture in 2019 to monitor and analyze developments and indicators within the cultural sector. Moreover, the project aspires to promote cultural governance and policy assessment, encourage extensive discussions among cultural stakeholders across Arab and Islamic countries, and foster active participation in global cultural endeavors. The Executive Program, a part of the previously established memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Culture and ICESCO for cultural collaboration, encompasses four principal pillars for cultural indicators: culture for economic development, culture for environment, climate, and resilience, culture for social development, and culture for openness and diversity. This multifaceted initiative embodies the Kingdom's commitment to advancing cultural projects, enabling cultural development, and sharing valuable cultural insights within the Arab and Islamic cultural landscape.
