Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — Minister of Culture Prince Bader bin Abdullah and Minister of Education Yousef Al-Benyan attended the inaugural ceremony of the Afaq Academy for Arts and Culture in Riyadh on Wednesday. The event coincided with the closing ceremony of the Cultural Skills Competition, held at the academy’s headquarters in Riyadh, and attended by a number of cultural and educational leaders.

The ceremony, organized by the Ministry of Culture and Ministry of Education, celebrated the creativity of students who participated in the third edition of the national competition, launched by both ministries to identify and nurture talented students across all levels of public education.

The establishment of the Afaq Academy for Arts and Culture marks a pioneering step at the national and regional levels. As the first of its kind in the Kingdom, the academy serves as a comprehensive model for cultivating artistic and cultural talents among public school students. It integrates academic curricula with specialized artistic and cultural programs to enhance students’ skills in visual, musical, and performing arts, providing them with an innovative learning experience that unites knowledge and creativity.

The academy’s first phase has been launched in Riyadh for boys and in Jeddah for girls, targeting students in the fourth grade of elementary school and the first year of middle school. It will gradually expand to include all levels of public education and all regions of the Kingdom in the coming years.

Equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, theaters, and specialized studios, the academy provides a modern and balanced educational environment designed to inspire creativity and excellence.

During the closing ceremony of the Cultural Skills Competition, winners were announced across multiple categories, including theater, singing, digital art, instrumental music, handicrafts, photography, short story, film, and manga. The ceremony concluded with the announcement of the opening of registration for the competition’s fourth edition.