The Saudi Cultural Years List
Since 2020, the Ministry of Culture in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has annually celebrated an element of Saudi cultural heritage by designating each year with a specific cultural name. This aims to focus attention on its value and cultural significance by enhancing its presence in qualitative projects and events. Here is a list of the cultural years in Saudi Arabia:
Year of arabic calligraphy 2020
Saudi Arabia chose 2020 as the year to celebrate Arabic calligraphy due to its importance and connection to the Arabic language, boasting a history and aesthetics in its design, details, and forms that highlight the richness of Arab culture. The celebration was extended into 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Year of saudi coffee 2022
The year 2022 was named "The Year of Saudi Coffee", recognizing its association with Saudi cultural heritage, marked by customs and traditions, values of generosity and hospitality, as well as its human, artistic, and aesthetic presence in songs, poems, and paintings. It has become a major cultural element of Saudi popular heritage, and a cultural symbol for Saudi Arabia through its cultivation, preparation, and serving methods.
Year of arabic poetry 2023
Arabic poetry has held a cultural place as an important component of Arab civilization, continuing to lead literary gatherings. To reinforce this civilizational component, Saudi Arabia has taken interest in making it an integral part of everyday cultural life in Saudi and Arab contexts.
Year of camels 2024
Saudi Arabia cherishes the cultural and civilizational value of camels, choosing 2024 as a year to celebrate and highlight their significance in Saudi society's heritage, deeply rooted in the history of the Arabian Peninsula.
Year of handicrafts 2025
The year 2025 was named the Year of Handicrafts to reinforce the significance of handicrafts as an authentic cultural heritage, promoting their practice, preservation, acquisition, and documentation of their stories, and maintaining their presence in contemporary life.
Year of artificial intelligence 2026
The Council of Ministers designated 2026 as the Year of artificial intelligence, reflecting Saudi Arabia’s commitment to harnessing artificial intelligence in service of humanity, while also highlighting its capabilities and expertise in the fields of data and artificial intelligence.