Building the Saudi of tomorrow, today
What does it mean to be Saudi in 2020? This is a seemingly simple question, yet one with easily as many answers as there are Saudi citizens. Further complicating matters is the fact that today’s Saudi Arabia is not the Saudi of five years ago, let alone the Saudi our parents grew up in.
There is a palpable sense of excitement as the Kingdom opens up to the rest of the world, sharing our rich culture far beyond our borders. But as the country embraces the next stage in its development, does it risk losing its unique national identity?
It’s no secret that the Kingdom’s post-oil economic transformation brings with it social and cultural changes we need to adapt to on a national level. Just as there are parts of our society focused on the threat globalization poses to our unique culture, others are optimistic about its undeniable advantages. This is a question we often ask and are looking for ways to tackle it on a national level.
To this end, I am proud to be part of an organization created as a creative and cultural destination perfectly positioned to drive and participate in conversations such as these. Our mandate involves igniting cultural curiosity, exploring knowledge and inspiring creativity, and it’s a task we don’t take lightly. “Saudi at heart, multicultural by nature” has been our motto from the start, and the manifestation of this ideal means we’re continually looking inward even as we look outwards.
For Saudi Arabia’s 90th National Day, we would like Saudis to think about what makes them Saudi, how the perception of a Saudi identity has evolved and how it is likely to look in the future. The campaign we launched to celebrate this year’s national day, Ana Mohafeth, which translates to I’m Conservative, is intended to spark conversations around preservation and modernity, and to add to discussions about our shared national character.
This isn’t a conversation we can have in isolation. So, on behalf of my colleagues and I, we invite you to join the discussion. Ask your friends and family how they feel about this cultural evolution and how the Kingdom can and should participate in the international arena. Then continue the dialogue online, where a whole community is sharing their ideas and opinions under the hashtag #AnaMohafeth.
I, for one, am confident in the resilience of our heritage. I believe it is possible to preserve what is uniquely Saudi while contributing to the broader international dialogue. Because cultural exchange is a two-way street, and we have as much to learn from the world as the world has to learn from us.
Happy National Day.
Written by:
Rania Biltagi, head of Communication and Partnerships at King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra).
