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British Science Museum Group has announced plans to establish a “museum hub” in Riyadh, which will allow the organization’s stakeholders and curators to “work closely with museum professionals, researchers and educators in Saudi Arabia”. , the statement said. A spokesperson for the group said: “The agreement to work towards the creation of a museum hub was only signed late last week, so no launch date or final commercial terms have been set yet.”
The agreement was signed by Rakan Artuk, Undersecretary of Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Culture, and Ian Blatchford, CEO and Director of the Science Museum Group. “This partnership builds on the cultural memorandum signed by both countries. [former] DCMS Secretary of State [Nadine Dorries] We will partner with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2022,” the group’s statement added.
In February 2022, the UK government signed a memorandum of understanding with the state of Saudi Arabia, aimed at strengthening cultural ties between the two countries. Nadine Dorries, Britain’s culture secretary at the time, attended the signing ceremony for the Diriyah Biennale in the Jax district on the outskirts of Riyadh.
The new science museum home is Saudi Arabia’s latest attempt to rebrand itself as a cultural destination. The country, considered isolationist and ultra-conservative just a decade ago, also has a worrying record on human rights.
Mr Blatchford said in a statement: “Some of the countries we work in are not democracies and their human rights frameworks fall far below the standards we hold dear. Therefore, we are very cautious in our decisions regarding international partnerships.
“For the Science Museum Group, internationalism is second nature because of the power of cultural engagement and because cooperation between different nations is always essential to address global challenges. Our view is that there is great potential for science museum groups to support positive change and reform by building engagement with science among the population and growing a strong and sustainable museum sector in Saudi Arabia. Contribute to the people of
The Science Museum Group is made up of the Science Museums in London. National Railway Museum, York. Traveling in Shildon. the National Science and Media Museum in Bradford and the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester.
The UK project complements a number of cultural initiatives in Saudi Arabia being developed by the French government and leading French arts institutions. Last March, for example, Paris’ Center Pompidou signed a deal to develop a contemporary art museum in Saudi Arabia’s fast-growing AlUla region.
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