HRH Prince Sultan bin Salman, the GCTA secretary general, and Mr. Henry Lowarit, the general manager of Louvre Museum, signed an agreement to organize an exhibition for Saudi antiquities at the Museum in Paris during the summer of 2010. That was according to the directions of the custodian of the Two Holy Mosques based on a suggestion proposed by the former French President, Jacques Chirac during the opening of the Islamic Arts Exhibition.
HRH Prince Sultan said, “I hope that organizing the Exhibition will define the national antiquities since the Kingdom is rich in civilization inheritance.” HRH confirmed that now is the time to show this inheritance to the world since this country has unique civilization and historical potentials. HRH pointed out that the launch of Saudi heritage exhibits will begin at the Louvre Museum and move on to other important museums such as Metropolitan Museum in New York, the German Museum in Berlin, and the British Museum. HRH was pleased to activate a cooperation between the Kingdom and France in the civilization field and implement the items of cultural and art cooperation agreement. HRH praised the attention being paid by the Louvre to the Exhibition since the most essential halls were chosen.
HRH stated that common committees will start preparations for the Exhibition and accompanied cultural and heritage events through coordination with the Foreign Ministry, Ministry of Information, and other related bodies. Mr. Lowarit was pleased to visit the Kingdom reflecting the strong relation and cooperation between the GCTA and Louvre Museum.
Mr. Lowarit said, “This country has heritage and great cultures that emphasize their deep civilization. Yet, these fortunes are not known in France and the world.” He stressed the importance of familiarizing the Louvre Museum visitors from all countries with the Kingdom’s heritage and leading role in the Islamic civilization. Mr. Lowarit indicated that partnership with the Kingdom expanded to include the most important Louvre project which is the development of Islamic antiquities exhibits in the Louvre Museum.
