Saudi orchestra joins G20 musicians in India

The Ministry of Culture, represented by the conductor of the Saudi National Orchestra and Choir, recently participated in the “Sur Vasudha” G20 performance at the Trade Facilitation Center and Crafts Museum in Varanasi, India.

The current event, held under the presidency of India, featured musicians from the G20 member states and guest countries.

The event takes place alongside the G20 culture ministers’ meeting, and the Saudi Ministry of Culture participated with the G20 member states and guest countries to celebrate the music and cultural heritage of these nations.

The musicians performed melodies from their respective countries and brought their musical instruments to promote integration and cultural diversity, highlighting India’s G20 presidency motto of “One Earth, One Family, One Future.”

The orchestra performed two songs. The first song, “World is One Family,” was played and sung by India’s music band and choir in the country’s language. This was followed by each artist performing in their respective mother tongues.

The second song, “One Earth, One Family, One Future,” was performed by all participants in both India’s language and English, coming together to showcase unity and collaboration.

The participation of the Saudi Ministry of Culture reflects its commitment to promoting international cultural exchange, one of its strategic goals under Saudi Vision 2030. This vision includes Saudi Arabia’s contribution to the arts and culture.

Saudi Assistant Culture Minister Rakan bin Ibrahim Al-Tawq represented the Kingdom at the G20 culture ministers’ meeting. He expressed Saudi Arabia’s pride in hosting the inaugural gathering of G20 culture ministers during its presidency in 2020.

He also emphasized the achievements and projects undertaken by the Saudi Culture Ministry in connection with its G20 presidency. He highlighted the ministry’s support for initiatives and endeavors aimed at enriching both local and international cultural landscapes.

Al-Tawq also reaffirmed the Kingdom’s dedication and backing for the G20’s priority list for bolstering the cultural sector. He stressed Saudi Arabia’s commitment to ensuring access to culture and the preservation of cultural heritage for all.

During his visit, Al-Tawq held talks with the Indian Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture Meenakshi Lekhi.

Discussions touched on the enhancement of cultural exchange and training programs between the Kingdom and India across various cultural domains, including film, culinary arts, visual arts exhibitions, artist residencies and intangible cultural heritage and preserving historical sites.

The Saudi minister also held talks with Brazilian Minister of Culture Margareth Menezes on the sidelines of the meeting.

Al-Touq congratulated the Brazilian minister for her country’s assumption of the G20 presidency 2024, underlying the importance of upholding the cultural agenda within the G20 to highlight the global creative cultural landscape and foster the exchange of expertise and information among member states.

During the meeting, the two sides also discussed ways to implement the memorandum of understanding for cultural cooperation between the two countries signed in 2019. They also looked at opportunities to strengthen collaboration across diverse cultural domains.