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RIYADH: The Ministry of Culture has announced the selection of 20 research proposals under the Saudi-Chinese cultural relations research grant, launched as part of the Saudi-Chinese Cultural Year 2025.

The grant, developed in cooperation with the China-Arab Cultural and Tourism Cooperation Research Center, supports rigorous academic studies exploring cultural ties between ������Ƶ and China.

The scientific committee overseeing the program selected the final 20 proposals from among multiple submissions from individual scholars and research groups from across the globe.

The selected researchers include seven from ������Ƶ, seven from China, and six from other international institutions, reflecting a diversity of perspectives and methodologies.

The selected studies will be presented in academic symposiums in Riyadh and Beijing, providing a platform for scholarly dialogue and exchange.

The chosen research proposals address five thematic areas outlined by the grant: history and cultural heritage, visual and performing arts, literature and translation, cultural economy and creative industries, and the role of digital platforms in contemporary cultural exchange.

The studies highlight the long-standing connections between ������Ƶ and China while contributing new insights into evolving cultural interactions.

In parallel with the grant, the ministry is preparing a reciprocal research fellowship program to expand opportunities for knowledge exchange.

Through this initiative, Chinese scholars will be hosted at the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies in Riyadh, while Saudi scholars will participate in research activities at Beijing University.

This exchange strengthens institutional partnerships and furthers academic collaboration between the two nations.

The Ministry of Culture launched the research grant to encourage the production of high-quality academic studies to enrich the field of Saudi-Chinese cultural relations and foster broader understanding.

The initiative demonstrates the ministry’s commitment to advancing international cultural exchange and academic cooperation.

JOHANNESBURG: ������Ƶ has called for greater international cooperation to strengthen global food security and ensure access to safe, healthy and affordable food for all.

The Kingdom’s minister of environment, water and agriculture, Abdulrahman Al-Fadley, highlighted the growing pressures on food systems and the ongoing effects of hunger and malnutrition on millions worldwide, despite sufficient global production.

His comments came during a speech at the fourth meeting of the G20 Food Security Working Group in South Africa. He stressed the need for comprehensive measures to achieve food security, including stronger governance, coordination and strategic planning, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Friday.

The minister emphasized the significance of support for local food systems, improving access to food, enhanced transparency through data sharing, and the development of early-warning systems that can help predict and respond to risks.

He also underlined the importance of efforts to maintain reliable food reserves, stabilize markets, reduce food loss and waste, encourage responsible investment in agriculture, promote balanced consumption, and reinforce a fair and transparent global trade system in line with World Trade Organization rules.

Al-Fadley noted that ������Ƶ has prioritized food security through the establishment of a dedicated authority to oversee the sector, the creation of an integrated early-warning system that is the first of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa, and the introduction of national policies and initiatives that have helped to reduce food loss and waste by 16 percent over the past five years.

He also highlighted efforts by Saudi aid agency KSrelief, which has launched more than 1,000 food aid programs across 82 countries.