RIYADH: China’s Sinopec, one of the world’s largest energy and chemical companies, has gifted 2,000 books on Chinese culture to the King Fahd National Library in Riyadh.
The donation was marked on Wednesday at a ceremony attended by senior officials from both countries, including the Chinese ambassador to Saudi Arabia.
Chinese envoy Chen Weiking inaugurated a Chinese book corner in the library in the presence of Dr. Mansour bin Abdullah Al-Zamil, Secretary of the Library.
As part of its mission, “to offer a window onto China for Saudi citizens, provide reference books for students, beneficiaries and graduates, and provide support for Chinese teaching in the kingdom,” according to a press release. This section was established by Sinopec.
The Chinese envoy praised the “historic” bilateral ties between Saudi Arabia and China, as well as the promotion of cultural exchanges between the two countries.
Al-Zameel said the opening of the Chinese books corner in the library is a “positive gesture” for Saudi-Chinese cultural cooperation.
He said the Chinese books received by the library “are of scientific value that will benefit beneficiaries and researchers, and help to enrich the library with reference books,” noting that the library’s technical departments catalog and classify books. For researchers who are ready.
Fahad Alarjani, Executive Board Member and Head of the Entrepreneurship Committee at the Saudi Chinese Business Council. (supplied)
“We want to increase cultural exchange, transfer and cultural exchange between the two countries,” he said.
The rest of the Chinese books will be released in installments, with the first batch containing books addressing economic, geographical and humanitarian topics in Arabic, English and Chinese. A series of books in Arabic and English will also be provided by Chinese President Xi Jinping.
In a speech, Weaking praised the legacy of the King Fahd Library and its “cultural, cognitive and scientific achievements”, praising the efforts of the late Saudi King Fahd bin Abdulaziz to support the relationship between the “two great countries”.
Weiking said the effort by Sinopec by opening a branch of the King Abdulaziz National Library in China as its first branch in Asia follows “what initiatives have been taken by the state in this regard”.
The King Abdulaziz Library opened a branch at Peking University in Beijing, China, to “inform the Chinese people of Saudi culture”.
The library is housed in a six-storey building located near the main entrance of the university on an area of 13,000 square metres.
Li Shihong, former Chief Representative of Sinopec Middle East Office. (supplied)
King Salman attended the opening ceremony of the branch in March 2017.
“We consider Chinese Books Corner to be a cultural collaboration that includes various books of scientific value that will benefit beneficiaries and researchers, as well as help to enrich the national library with reference books, as the technical departments associated with the library have cataloged, classified and made them suitable for researchers,” Al-Zamil said.
He lauded China’s cultural heritage, saying, “We want to encourage cultural contact, transfer and exchange of culture between the two countries, which has “a major beginning on the civilizations of the whole world.”
Li Zihong, former chief representative of Sinopec’s Middle East Office, said that the company has always attached great importance to cross-cultural exchanges within Chinese foreign cooperation projects, and actively fulfills its overseas social responsibilities.
“Through cooperation with the King Fahd National Library, we are building a bridge to foster cross-cultural exchanges and cooperation, and to foster cultural exchange between China and Saudi Arabia, and to enhance the friendship between the two peoples.” Hope to build,” he said.
In the past 22 years of operation and development in Saudi Arabia, Sinopec has formed an integrated industry chain service system of oil and gas exploration as well as development and technology research.
Fahd Alarjani, executive board member and head of the Entrepreneurship Committee at the Saudi Chinese Business Council, said cultural activities promote community development and create important markets for investors as well as entrepreneurs.
He said that events improve understanding of markets and skills in the economic development ecosystem. “The development of specific Saudi-Chinese trade relations requires unparalleled exchange.”
Alarjani, a Ph.D. The scholar of sustainable entrepreneurship at China’s Xi’an Jiaotong University said the cultural sector is “one of the most important” in the future of knowledge-based economic exchange between Saudi Arabia and China.
He said, “This is evidenced by the launch of several unique initiatives by both the countries in the last five years that focus on the knowledge-based economic aspect to inspire young entrepreneurs to engage in innovative cultural and arts experiences. “
“Such initiatives will build integration with other sectors, including tourism, and enhance the diversity of bilateral economic exchanges,” he said.