DOHA: The Shura Council has held its regular weekly session, chaired by Shura Council Speaker HE Hassan bin Abdullah Al Ghanim.The session hosted Minister of Culture HE Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Hamad Al Thani along with several specialists from the Ministry of Culture (MoC), to present the key axes of the Ministry's 2024-30 strategy and its efforts to enhance the cultural scene and preserve the national identity.
At the beginning of the session, held at the Tamim bin Hamad Hall at the Council's premises, Shura Council Secretary-General Nayef bin Mohammed Al Mahmoud read the agenda, and the minutes of the previous session were approved.
At the beginning of the session, the Shura Council Speaker and the members praised the MoC's efforts in enhancing the national cultural scene, protecting the Qatari heritage, and achieving Qatar National Vision 2030.
In this context, Al Ghanim stressed the MoC's key role in boosting the national identity through initiatives that instill national values in society and in the hearts of the youths, and develop cultural creativity, pointing to the Ministry's important approaches to combat contemporary cultural challenges.
Following a documentary on the Ministry's key 2024 achievements and its initiatives aimed at enhancing the cultural scene in the country, the Minister of Culture gave a comprehensive presentation on the axes of the Ministry's strategy, which seeks to achieve a balance between modernity and preserving heritage, by developing comprehensive policies aimed at expanding the scope of cultural activities, diversifying their content and increasing their impact, to meet the needs of various segments of society, and enhancing awareness of cultural and national values.
He explained that the Ministry seeks to develop qualitative programs that contribute to reviving the cultural heritage by organizing national festivals and events, in addition to launching innovative initiatives that highlight traditional and contemporary arts to enhance cultural belonging.
He also pointed out the Ministry's interest in establishing partnerships with international institutions to support cultural exchange, stressing that these efforts enhance Qatar's position as a center for culture, thought and creativity at the regional and global levels.
He stressed that the Ministry attaches special importance to empowering young people and encouraging them to engage in cultural activities through motivational programs and creative workshops that contribute to developing their capabilities and highlighting their talents.
The minister also stressed the importance of building effective partnerships with educational institutions and cultural centers to achieve integration between national efforts, noting that these partnerships contribute to spreading the culture of dialogue and understanding, and enhancing interaction with the local and international community.
In a related context, he pointed out that the Ministry is working to develop Darb Al Saai to become a permanent venue for cultural and heritage activities, with the aim of enhancing the presence of Qatari culture in the minds of the youth, stressing that the Ministry continues to support cultural centers as important platforms to enhance community participation and develop talents.
With regard to monitoring media materials, he noted that the Ministry has made efforts to provide an appropriate climate to ensure freedom of expression and the right of citizens to access and disseminate information, in a manner that does not conflict with Qatari principles and values.
In his speech, the Minister also addressed the Ministry's efforts to enhance cooperation with national and international institutions, to achieve integration in cultural and media activities, and keep pace with global changes.
In his speech about the key challenges facing the Ministry, the Minister of Culture explained that the cultural scene faces challenges that require concerted national efforts to achieve the desired goals, indicating that the primary challenges are balancing cultural heritage and national identity with technological developments and modernity, and enhancing intellectual protection for society as culture is a national security.
He pointed out that enhancing community participation in cultural activities requires the development of innovative platforms that meet the interests of different segments of society.
He pointed out that investing in culture represents a challenge that requires strengthening partnerships with the private sector and motivating relevant parties to support cultural initiatives.
He said that the Ministry is working to overcome these challenges by developing flexible strategic plans, developing cultural infrastructure, and expanding cooperation with national, regional and international institutions, stressing the importance of building sustainable cultural programs that ensure continued cultural growth and enhance Qatar's position as a leading cultural destination and a soft power regionally and globally.
The members of the Shura Council, praised the efforts made by the MoC in implementing its strategic plans, and stressed the importance of providing more programs that enhance youth engagement in cultural work.
The Council members touched on the lack of diverse cultural events, where they stressed in this regard the need to increase the number of cultural events that meet the interests of different segments of society, with a focus on diversity in the cultural content provided.
The Council members also pointed to the need to increase support and attention to young national talents, and the importance of providing more support for them in the cultural and artistic fields, by creating platforms that allow them to display their works and communicate with the public.
Theypointed to the lack of cultural activities and programs in external areas, and called for expanding their scope to include all regions in the country to ensure that culture reaches all members of society.
The Council members also pointed to the need to update educational curricula, where they stressed the importance of integrating cultural materials into educational curricula in innovative ways, to enhance cultural awareness among the younger generations.
The discussions also touched on the weak promotion of cultural heritage, as members expressed their concern about the lack of initiatives that highlight Qatari heritage in attractive ways, which leads to a weak connection to the national identity.
The Shura Council members called for the need to benefit from the observations they made during the session, and work to develop cultural policies in line with the aspirations of society, and stressed the importance of enhancing communication between the concerned parties and the public to ensure the achievement of the desired goals.
In response to the Council members' comments and questions, Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Hamad Al-Thani stressed the Ministry's keenness to develop various programs and activities that include all segments and regions, by highlighting cultural heritage in modern ways, which enhances national identity and enshrines cultural values ??among the younger generations.
He noted the importance of concerted efforts between various parties to achieve the common goals aimed at enhancing the national cultural scene and meeting the aspirations of society.
The Minister also valued the comments of the Council members, stressing that they will be taken into consideration within the Ministry's future initiatives, expressing his thanks and appreciation to the Council for its interest and keenness to support the Ministry's efforts.
