On June 29, the China-Arab Cultural and Tourism Cooperation Research Center (CACTCRC) signed an agreement for a joint executive program with Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Culture in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

In line with the China-Saudi Arabia Year of Culture, the agreement aims to strengthen collaboration in cultural preservation, academic research, and other fields, fostering deeper people-to-people and intellectual exchanges between the two countries.

At the invitation of the Saudi Ministry of Culture, Cheng Wei, a member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Beijing International Studies University (BISU) Committee and vice-president of the university, led a delegation to Saudi Arabia.

Cheng, representing both the university and the research center, signed the agreement with Ms. Maha Abdullah Alsenan, deputy minister for Research and Cultural Heritage Affairs at the Saudi Ministry of Culture. 

Cheng Wei and Maha Abdullah Alsenan sign an agreement for a joint executive program.  

Under the five-year agreement, the two nations will establish a structured cooperation mechanism to jointly conduct research projects and systematically catalog cultural materials related to each other in their national archives, providing robust academic support for historical studies and cultural dissemination. Additionally, the Saudi Ministry of Culture will collaborate with the Chinese side to organize joint conferences and facilitate mutual visits and exchanges for cultural researchers from both countries.

As a key event under the China-Saudi Arabia Year of Culture, the signing ceremony reinforces bilateral cooperation in cultural heritage preservation, academic and policy research, and deeper people-to-people engagement.

During the event, both parties explored potential collaborations in research and cultural initiatives.

Alsenan expressed hopes for long-term, substantive, and practical cooperation with the CACTCRC based on this agreement.

The Saudi Ministry of Culture emphasized the significance of this partnership, promptly highlighting the event on its official website, drawing significant public attention.

Established in August 2023, the CACTCRC is jointly supported by China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Beijing Municipal Government, with BISU serving as its host institution. Its role is to implement the eight major cooperation initiatives outlined at the first China-Arab States Summit, promoting in-depth cultural exchanges through academic collaboration, talent development, training programs, joint research, and industrial cooperation.

The signing of the agreement is expected to further help support Beijing's development as an international exchange hub, expand the scope and depth of China-Arab cultural ties, and accelerate the building of a China-Arab community with a shared future.

The event was organized with strong support and guidance from the Bureau of International Exchange and Cooperation of China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism.