Saudi Gazette report
RIYADH — Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Culture and Saudia Airlines celebrated “Arabic Calligraphy Year” on Wednesday by having its logo painted on two 787 Dreamliner aircraft, one of which took off from Riyadh to London and the other flew from Jeddah to Dubai.
Before the two airplanes took off for London and Dubai, several activities were held inside at the King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, which included hosting calligraphers at the VIP and Al-Fursan lounges as well as the passenger boarding area to write passengers’ names on their boarding passes, in Arabic calligraphy, to keep them as souvenirs.
The activities also included musical shows at the two airports to celebrate this occasion. Informational booklets and Arabic calligraphy coloring books were also distributed to passengers at the boarding area, VIP lounge and Al-Fursan lounge, in addition to playing a video about Arabic calligraphy and its designs on-screen monitors onboard the two aircraft.
Jahez Company, the strategic partner of the “Arabic Calligraphy Year” initiative for 2021, and Ittihad Raseel Company also offered 600 souvenirs bearing the initiative’s logo to the passengers of the two Saudi Airlines flights.
The souvenirs include stickers, gifts in kind adorned with Arabic calligraphy’s identity, and informational content reflecting the rich Saudi culture.
The celebration comes as part of the “Arabic Calligraphy Year” initiative launched by the Ministry of Culture in 2020 as part of the initiatives of the Quality of Life Program, one of the Saudi Vision 2030 programs, and extended for an additional year, in order to enrich 2021 with initiatives and projects confirming the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s keenness to support and embrace the art of Arabic calligraphy.
The initiative aims to highlight Arabic calligraphy as stand-alone art, spread the culture of its use among institutions and individuals, and unify the efforts of sectors and individual initiatives intending to serve it.
