The preparatory meeting of the General Cultural Committee of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) States was held in Doha under the presidency of the State of Qatar. This meeting was a precursor to the upcoming meetings of the Undersecretaries of the Ministries of Culture and the Ministers of Culture of the GCC countries. The Director of the Department of Culture and Arts at the Ministry of Culture, Abdulrahman Abdullah Al Dulaimi, chaired the meeting and emphasized the importance of enhancing joint cultural cooperation among the GCC countries.
Al Dulaimi highlighted the significance of conducting joint cultural work under the umbrella of the GCC Secretariat General, which has had a significant impact on the cultural life in member states. He mentioned that the state of culture in the Gulf is grounded in commonalities and Islamic and Arab identities, which facilitate the implementation of the meeting’s outcomes. The meeting coincided with the 5th Gulf narration forum in Doha, showcasing the GCC’s important cultural activities.
Director Ohood Al Haif from the Secretariat General of the GCC stressed the importance of enhancing joint cultural cooperation through the meeting’s agenda. The General Cultural Committee discussed various items regarding supporting joint cultural cooperation, assessing past achievements such as the Gulf Cultural Strategy (2020-2030), and holding joint cultural activities. Al Dulaimi also highlighted the efforts of GCC Ministries of Culture in developing the Bulletin of culture statistics and promoting the Arabic language through the GCC Center for Translation and Arabization.
In an interview with Qatar News Agency (QNA) after the meeting, Al Dulaimi mentioned that the agenda of the General Cultural Committee would be presented to the Undersecretaries of the Ministries of Culture in their meeting the following day and later approved by the Ministers of Culture. He expressed the State of Qatar’s commitment to enhancing joint GCC cultural work and accepting all the Committee’s recommendations. Qatar places great importance on strengthening cultural cooperation due to the shared history, geography, and culture of the GCC countries.
Overall, the preparatory meeting of the General Cultural Committee highlighted the importance of enhancing joint cultural cooperation among GCC countries. The meeting discussed various topics including the Gulf Cultural Strategy, joint cultural activities, and cooperation among the culture and tourism sectors in member states. The State of Qatar expressed its commitment to implementing the outcomes of the meeting and emphasized the shared cultural identities of the Gulf region, which facilitate collaboration in the cultural sphere. The upcoming meetings of the Undersecretaries and Ministers of Culture are expected to further strengthen cultural ties among GCC countries.
