Horse exhibition in London highlights rich Saudi heritage

Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) chief Prince Sultan bin Salman attended an exhibition on horses that traveled from the Kingdom to Ascot at the British Museum under the sponsorship of the Queen. Following the opening ceremony, Prince Sultan said SCTA’s participation in the “Horses from Saudi Arabia to Ascot Royal Races” exhibition followed directives from Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, who he said was the force behind preserving the country’s civilization and its history and heritage. “The king has directed us to take good care of the Kingdom’s national antiquities and to project them to the world so it can witness the deep-rooted historical civilization of Saudi Arabia and its people,” he said. Prince Sultan pointed out the SCTA was keen to participate in this exhibition to display some of the archeological discoveries in the British Museum, considered one of the important museums in the world. He explained that exhibits from the Kingdom consist of edifices of Arabian horses from the Stone Age in addition to other animals tamed by man to use for hunting. “There are also other stone works including arrow heads and equipment used in daily life beside pieces of wall paintings of horses during the pre-Islamic era collected from various parts of the Kingdom,” he said. Prince Sultan said the exhibition was an important step for showing some aspects of the Kingdom’s history and civilization. “The participation in this exhibition confirms the government’s keenness to show to the world part of the civilization that prevailed in the Kingdom and influenced by Islam,” he said. The SCTA chairman said participation in such exhibitions proves to the world community that Saudi Arabia is a land of deep-rooted civilizations and a crossroads for trade and economic exchange. Prince Sultan expressed thanks and appreciation to Minister of Education Prince Faisal bin Abdullah, chairman of the board of trustees of the Saudi Equestrian Fund, for organizing the exhibition that aimed to play an important role in projecting the Kingdom’s great civilization and confirming the ties between Saudi Arabia and Britain in various fields including horses. He also thanked Saudi ambassador to the UK Prince Muhammad bin Nawaf for the efforts the embassy exerted in organizing the event. Prince Sultan will be the main speaker in the symposium to be held today at the Stevenson Lecture Theatre in the British Museum under the title: “Measures to Promote the Civilization Dimension of Saudi Arabia.” He will talk about the Kingdom’s efforts to preserve its history and heritage. From/arabnews