Objectives and Cultural Development Plan

Joint cultural action is based on the objectives set out in the GCC Cultural Development Plan that was adopted by the Supreme Council at its 8th session (Riyadh, 1987) and the cultural strategy which was adopted by the Supreme Council at its 29th session (Muscat, Dec. 2008) in lieu of the said plan. The strategic plan entailed several objectives that can be summed up as follows:

Enriching the citizen's personality and building his capacities and awareness to cope with the human development
Developing the infrastructures, given that culture is a crucial element of the nation's solidarity and civilization and developing cultural output
Saturation with and preservation of the Arab-Islamic civilization identity, strengthening the national Islamic content and confronting the cultural spoliation attempts
Enhancing cultural unity among Member States and fostering the cultural role of women and the civil community institutions with a view to achieving the general objectives of the strategy

The strategy included a set of oriented principles that focus on the role of the Arab Islamic culture in the cultural planning for the communities of the GCC States, the cultural development dimension, the importance of cultural participation and conceiving heritage as a spirit and inspiration, not merely inanimate texts. The principles also stressed the role of classical Arabic, the importance of coping with the age and the need for developing dialogue with the other cultures with a view to enhancing human values.

The strategy stipulated several requirements and methods to achieve it within the general strategic objectives of the comprehensive development; mainly updating the laws and enactment of legislation necessary for enhancing the use of the Arabic language and providing the financial support to ensure success of the strategy and development of the infrastructures of the cultural production represented in constructing public libraries, theatres, cinemas, museums, publishing houses, cultural research centers and attention to the Intra-GCC cultural tourism.

Pursuant to the mechanisms of the strategy, the General Cultural Committee in April 2009, discussed the activation of this strategy in accordance with a ten-year timeframe, and this will be achieved through coordination with several relevant committees such as the Committee of Book Fairs, the Committee of Intellectual Property and Copyrights, the committee of antiquities and museums, the committee of tourist cooperation, the executive tourist committee and other permanent or interim committees that follow up relevant resolutions, discuss ideas and initiatives and make recommendations to the Ministerial Committee.

Areas of Joint Action in the Field of Culture

I. Cultural activities

Several joint activities are periodically organized at the GCC States covering creative arts and Arab calligraphy, general culture, literary creation and criticism, child's culture, administrative training the field of activation of the cultural work, theatre activities through the permanent committee of private teams, songs and other activities. The General Cultural Committee, composed of the Directors of the Cultural Departments at the GCC States and the Director of the Culture Department at the Secretariat, schedules and supervises these activities.

II. Antiquities, Museums and Folklore

The committee of the deputy ministers in charge of antiquities and museums proposes and organizes the joint activities and programs, such as:

The issuance of a periodical bulletin about antiquities and museums at the GCC States
Preparation of guides (directories) for museums and specialists at the GCC States
Participation in the survey and exploration works
Formation of joint teams for survey and exploration and training activities
Organizing a periodic joint exhibition for antiquities
Organizing forums, training courses and workshops
Utilization from the international organizations and centers concerned with the training of the staff and specialists involved in antiquities and museums
Exchanging visits of the staff and specialists involved in antiquities and museums at the GCC States
Preparation of reference laws and regulations in the field of museums and antiquities

III. Laws and Legislation

Achievements in the field of laws and legislation related to cultural cooperation among the GCC States are the following:

Adoption of the Common Copyright Law as a reference law
Adoption of the common agreement between the GCC States and the organizations involved in the field of antiquities exploration as a reference agreement
Preparation of a model law for antiquities at the GCC States
Coordination among the GCC States with a view to adopting a common position towards accession to the international agreement on protection of cultural heritage submersed in waters, adopted by the UNISCO General Assembly as well as accession to the International Council of Museums
Adoption of the common model for cooperation between the GCC States and the foreign organizations in the field of antiquities (1987); the model incorporated 28 items dealing with the collective relationship with the foreign organizations involved in the exploration of antiquities. The model is for mere reference
Issuing the " Reference Antiquities Law"

IV. General Activities

Efforts are currently being made for organizing and developing various activities (see the attached list at the end of this section), such as:

Organizing the Book Fairs at the GCC States in coordination with Member States to ensure convenience and success thereof
Organizing official and private participations in the Book Fairs organized within the GCC States as well as coordinating the collective participation of the GCC States in the external fairs
Examining the adoption of the joint action formula in the field of electronic culture and e-publishing
The Directory of the GCC Men of Letters and Authors
Organizing an annual cultural festival for the GCC States ( the idea is under study)
Honoring GCC men of letters , authors ,artists and specialists in museums and antiquities
Organizing external forums and like events

V. Common Publications

The Directory of Men of Letters and Authors
Directory of Antiquities and Museums,
Directory of the Experts in Antiquities and Museums
Semi-annual periodical on antiquities and museums
The " Reference Antiquities Law"

List of Common Cultural Activities

Folklore Forum

1st session, Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain, 15-17 November 1993
2nd session, Doha, State of Qatar, 20-22 October 1998
3rd session, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, 24-26 December 2001

Poetry Forum

1st session, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, 10-15 October 1992
2nd session, Doha, State of Qatar, 22-24 November 1993
3rd session, Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain, 25-28 October 1997
4th session, Kuwait, 21-23 November 1998
5th session, Abu Dhabi, UAE, 24-26 April 2000
6th session, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 26-30 October 2002
7th session, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, 18-21 April 2004

Drama Festival

1st session, Kuwait, 26 March-2 April 1988
2nd session, Doha, State of Qatar, 22-28 January 1990
3rd session, Abu Dhabi, UAE, 5-15 April 1993
4th session, Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain, 20-27 May 1995
5th session, Kuwait, 27 March-4 April 1997
6th session, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, 10-17 May 1999
7th session, Doha, State of Qatar, 1-8 October 2001
8th session, Abu Dhabi, UAE, 21-28 September 2003
9th session , Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain, 4-11 November 2006
10th session, Kuwait, 31/03-08/04/2009

Cultural Activators Course

1st session, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 23/2/-3/3/ 1410 AH.
2nd session, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 5-11/5/ 1413 AH.
3rd session, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 21-30/6 /1414 AH.
4th session, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 13-24/10/1419 AH.
5th session, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 1-16/8/ 1421 AH.
6th session, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 15-19/04/ 1430 AH

Children's Drawing Exhibition

1st Exhibition, Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain, 21-31 December 1991
2nd Exhibition, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 11-17 December 1993
3rd Exhibition, Abu Dhabi, UAE, 10-16 November 1996
On 29th October 1997, this activity was consolidated into the activities of the Child's Cultural Week.

The Periodic Exhibition of Creative Arts and Arabic Calligraphy

1st Exhibition of Creative arts, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 1 April 1989
2nd Exhibition of Creative arts, Doha, State of Qatar, 1-7/2/ 1991
1st Exhibition of Arabic calligraphy, Kuwait, 21 April 1992
2nd t Exhibition of Arabic calligraphy, Manama, Bahrain, 3/10/ 1994
3rd Exhibition of Creative arts, Sharjah, UAE, 14-19/11/ 1994
4th Exhibition of Creative arts, Kuwait, State of Kuwait, 4-13 December 1996
3rd Exhibition of Arabic calligraphy, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, 21-26 September 1996
5th Exhibition of Creative arts and Arabic Calligraphy, Doha, State of Qatar, 16-22 November 1999
6th Exhibition of Creative arts and Arabic Calligraphy, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, 16-25 June 2001
7th Exhibition of Creative arts and Arabic Calligraphy, Kuwait, State of Kuwait, 17-26 December 2003
8th Exhibition of Creative arts and Arabic Calligraphy, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, January 1st 2006
Literary Forum

1st Session “ Short Story”, Kuwait, 16-18 January 1989
2nd Session “ Radio and TV Drama”, Abu Dhabi, UAE, 16-20 December 1991
3rd Session “ Poetry”, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, 6-8 August 1994
4th Session “ Literary Criticism”, Kuwait, 12-14 December 1995

The Child’s Education Forum

1st session, Doha, State of Qatar, 4-7 March 1989

Intellectual Forum

1st session “ The Role of Culture in Development”, Abu Dhabi, UAE, 4-8 February 1990
2nd session “Culture and Information”, Kuwait, 11-13 December 1994
3rd session “ Copyrights and Adjacent Rights”, Abu Dhabi, UAE, 1-3 November 1999
4th session “ The Internet as Culture”, Manama, Bahrain, 14-15 March 2006

First External Cultural Week

Organized in Beijing, People Republic of China, 13-17 October 1997

Song Festival

Organized at Abu Dhabi, UAE in November 2005.

The External Exhibition of Creative arts

Organized at Rome, Italy, 1996

E-Culture Forum

Organized at Abu Dhabi, UAE in April 2005

Tourist Identity Forum

Organized at UAE in February 2005

Joint Periodic Exhibition for Museums

The first exhibition was organized at Fujairah, UAE (20/11-20/12/2006)
The second exhibition was organized at Riyadh, KSA (24/01-24/03/2009)

Honoring Innovators

The first ceremony was organized at Sharjah, UAE (23/10/2007)

Honoring Museums and Antiquities Staff

The first ceremony was organized at Riyadh, KSA in 2207
The second ceremony was organized at Doha, Qatar in 2208