· The Ministry aimed to make culture an essential part of everyday life in Saudi Arabia, enriching the individual’s lifestyle and enhancing quality of life.

· I believe it is important to preserve literary clubs and support them through the Ministry of Culture so that they remain centers of cultural enlightenment.

Knowledge Affairs – Special

In a reading follow-up of the cultural scene and its literary activities, and in continuation of what Knowledge Affairs has presented regarding the presence of classical platforms between creators and audiences, alongside the emergence of new cultural centers such as literary associations and cultural cafés, short-story writer and author Nasser Mohammed Al-Adili wrote the following contribution:

At the outset of my discussion of the cultural scene in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, I would like to point out that the establishment of the Saudi Ministry of Culture in 2018 came as part of the effort to realize Saudi Vision 2030, transform culture into a way of life, strengthen national identity, and contribute to economic growth through developing the cultural sector, supporting creators, and launching specialized bodies for the arts, literature, and heritage, in addition to organizing international and local events to promote cultural exchange.

Among the Ministry’s most prominent responsibilities is the establishment of specialized cultural bodies covering the fields of heritage, literature and translation, visual arts, theater, music, culinary arts, and film, in order to strengthen and support cultural activity.

The Ministry also aimed to make culture an essential part of everyday life in Saudi Arabia, enriching the individual’s lifestyle and enhancing quality of life.

There is no doubt that the Ministry of Culture’s new initiatives, such as the Literary Partner and cultural cafés, have helped open new avenues for disseminating and diversifying culture across the Kingdom’s regions and cities. However, Saudi Arabia’s established cultural institutions, such as literary clubs and cultural associations, remain highly important. Literary clubs in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are among the most prominent cultural institutions that have played a major role in disseminating and developing literary and intellectual culture in the Kingdom. They represent spaces for freedom of literary and artistic expression and contribute to strengthening national cultural identity. They also serve as platforms for embracing writers and intellectuals across various fields, as well as evaluating, publishing, and printing literary and cultural works.

Literary clubs differ from and distinguish themselves from cultural cafés because they play an important role in disseminating culture and promoting literary and artistic awareness within society. By supporting writers and creators, encouraging cultural dialogue, and organizing events and activities, these clubs contribute to strengthening Saudi cultural identity and broadening individuals’ horizons of critical thought. Literary clubs are among the fundamental pillars that contribute to building a vibrant and strong cultural society capable of engaging with the intellectual and cultural challenges of the modern era.

There are numerous examples of the past successes of literary clubs in Riyadh, Taif, Jeddah, the Eastern Province, Abha, Jazan, Hail, the Northern Borders, and elsewhere. These clubs achieved notable success through their cultural platforms, cultural discussions, and distinguished publications.

Cultural cafés remain modern cultural channels that provide limited cultural services, whereas cultural clubs and cultural associations are centers of culture and cultural awareness. They are distinguished from cultural cafés by their history, their sufficient spaces for accommodating large numbers of intellectuals, and their artistic and cultural characteristics, including documenting occasions and publishing and printing literary books such as poetry collections, short-story collections, novels, critical works, and others. They also provide dedicated spaces for all categories of intellectuals, as well as sufficient time for cultural occasions. The most important advantages of literary clubs can be summarized as follows:

•  **Strengthening cultural identity**

•  Disseminating literary and intellectual culture

•  Supporting Saudi writers and creators

•  Developing community culture

•  Contributing to the development of cultural tourism

I believe it is important to preserve literary clubs and support them through the Ministry of Culture so that they remain centers of cultural enlightenment. Cooperation between literary clubs and cultural associations, on the one hand, and the Literary Partner and cultural cafés, on the other, can be developed, so that events are held at cultural clubs while cafés support them by providing coffee, tea, and other services. Such integration would serve the interests of participants and partners alike.

There is no doubt that His Highness the Minister of Culture and his team of cultural leaders and young professionals are keen to evaluate the experience of the Literary Partner and cultural cafés and develop their services in the interests of intellectuals and culture in the Kingdom.