The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is participating in the 221st session of the UNESCO Executive Council, which began on April 7, 2025, in Paris. The Saudi delegation, along with the Saudi National Commission for Education, Culture, and Science, and other relevant national bodies, will be present until April 17, 2025.
Leading the Saudi delegation is Dr. Abdulilah bin Ali Al-Takhis, the Kingdom’s permanent representative to UNESCO. Dr. Al-Takhis addressed the Council alongside other member states, the Executive Council President, the UNESCO General Conference President, and the UNESCO Director-General. He highlighted the long-standing relationship between Saudi Arabia and UNESCO, emphasizing Saudi Arabia’s early adoption of the UN Charter in 1945. He commended the ongoing cooperation between the Kingdom and UNESCO, particularly through the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning, which organized the 6th International Conference on Learning Cities under the patronage of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, focusing on “Learning Cities at the Forefront of Climate Action”.
Dr. Al-Takhis also highlighted Saudi Arabia’s key role in protecting cultural heritage through the Saudi Fund for Support, Protection, and Promotion of Culture and Heritage at UNESCO. The Kingdom is set to launch two digital platforms in collaboration with UNESCO in the first half of the year: the Virtual Museum of Stolen Artifacts and the Digital Heritage Platform.
Saudi Arabia reaffirmed its commitment to supporting UNESCO projects and programs that align with the organization’s priorities and benefit member states in achieving their developmental goals.
It is worth noting that the UNESCO Executive Council, of which Saudi Arabia is a member, is one of the organization’s three principal bodies, along with the General Conference and the Secretariat. Consisting of 58 member states elected by the General Conference for a four-year term, the Executive Council evaluates UNESCO’s performance, programs, and budget under the oversight of the General Conference.
