A panel of creative experts, on Thursday, came together to discuss the role of creative industries in facilitating cultural transformation.

One of the biggest and the most visited pavilions of the Expo 2020 Dubai—the Saudi pavilion comes together to host the first session of the ‘Saudi Salon’.

A panel of creative experts, on Thursday, came together to discuss the role of creative industries in facilitating cultural transformation, which took place at the Palm Garden inside the Kingdom’s pavilion.

Bringing together people from the creative industry, the discussion was by Yasser Al-Saqqaf, with participants Robert Frith from the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra), Francesca Hegyi from the Edinburgh International Festival, Sarah Al-Omran, deputy director of Art Jameel, Nora Al-Dabal from the Royal Commission for AlUla Governorate and Robert Bock, and a representative of the MDLBEAST festival in the Kingdom.

The session began with a discussion on the role creative industries played in changing societies. Frith shared how Ithra has managed to have a positive impact on Saudi society since its inauguration in 2016 and has also succeeded in adapting to changes around it.

“We are all aware of the deep history that AlUla holds and the different civilizations and cultures it has witnessed throughout history. I believe that the qualitative leap that this historical site is currently witnessing shows the impact of the creative industries and their ability to change society,” shared Nora Al-Dabal.

She also noted the importance of partnerships in creative industries. “Such partnerships are important, as they work to stimulate cooperation on one hand and the other, contribute to deepening the effects that creative industries have on society,” she added.

“We cannot deny that the Kingdom has witnessed, in recent years, a qualitative leap in the cultural sector, which allowed the creative industries to develop faster and stronger,” shared Robert Bock, adding, “This created new platforms and partnerships allowing creative talents to reach out to the community and introduce themselves to it.”