— Minister of Information and Culture, and Minister of State for Youth Affairs Abdulrahman Al-Mutairi said Sunday Qurain Cultural Festival materialized Kuwait’s vision and genuine culture.

Over its past 27 editions, the festival reflected Kuwait’s strong belief in its cultural message and in effective contribution to communication and coexistence among peoples with different cultures, he said.

Al-Mutairi, also president of the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters (NCCAL), made the comments while inaugurating the 28th edition of Qurain Cultural Festival on behalf of His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.

The festival is being held at Abdulhusain Abdulredha Theatre in Salmiya this evening.

“The festival has enriched the artistic and cultural movement in Kuwait and contributed to the enlightenment in the Arab world,” Al-Mutairi pointed out.

“This year’s festival, one of the major cultural events in the Arab region, takes place just a few days after Kuwait celebrated its 62nd Independence Day and 32nd Liberation Day, thus adding to our national pride,” he went on.

Regarding the agenda of the festival, he said it includes, inter alia, symposia, theatrical performances, literary events, and displays of audio-visual arts, which contribute to the cultural and socio-economic development.

On NCCAL, the sponsor of the annual festival, the minister said it launched a cultural strategy (2023-2028) for fostering, enlightenment, innovative thinking, creative talents and reaching out to intelligentsia across the Arab world.

For his part, NCCAL Acting Secretary-General Dr. Mohammad Al-Jassar said the 11-day festival features a host of cultural, literary, artistic, scientific and heritage events.

The festival will honor three celebrities, namely Ahmad Al-Sharqawi – a Kuwaiti poet, Dr. Saleh Al-Ojairi – late Kuwaiti astronomer and meteorologist, and Prince Badr bin Abdul Muhsin bin Abdulaziz Al Saud – a Saudi poet.

Al-Jassar noted that Prince Bader Al Saud has been chosen as personality of this year’s festival in commemoration of his contributions to the modern Arabic poetry.

“The agenda of the festival, including a symposium themed “national cultural projects – reading the reality and foreseeing the future,” will culminate in honoring the winners of the state order of merit and incentive order on March 15,” he added.

Source: Kuwait News Agency