After a successful collaboration between 15 Arab countries, led by Saudi Arabia and under the supervision of the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization, Arabic Calligraphy: Knowledge, Skills, and Practices have been officially added to UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

 

Arabic Calligraphy has played a pivotal role in the advancement of the Arabic language throughout history. For centuries, it has contributed to the transfer and spread of Arab culture, customs, and religious values, in the process instilling a sense of pride and belonging among Arabs.

 

Calligraphy remains extremely popular and continues to be used by artists and designers across a broad range of media, including paintings, sculptures, and even graffiti, or “calligraffiti” as it is known.

 

Visitors to the Kingdom can see early forms of Arabic text in the ancient inscriptions preserved at historic locations such as the UNESCO World Heritage Sites at AlUla, and Bir Hima near Najran.