Riyadh | 29 Muharram 1447 AH – July 24, 2025

Under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan, Minister of Culture, the Ministry of Culture has concluded the “Cultural Innovation Challenge (Policython)” at the Fairmont Hotel in Riyadh, at a ceremony honouring the winning teams and participants who contributed innovative solutions for designing cultural policy, attended by government leaders, international experts, policymakers and figures from the cultural scene.

“Policython” — toward innovative cultural policy. The interactive challenge aims to enable national talent to develop flexible, effective cultural policies that support the sustainable growth of the cultural sector, in line with Saudi Vision 2030's goal of making culture a pillar of national transformation.

Deputy Minister for Cultural Strategies and Policy Al-Bara Al-Awhali said the challenge reflects the ministry's trust in young people and its direction toward involving the community in shaping policy, praising the depth of the ideas presented, which spanned cultural tourism, national seasons, holidays and more.

Language as a tool for innovation. Professor Lera Boroditsky of the University of California spoke about the role of language in shaping cultural perception, describing it as a tool for building concepts rather than merely a means of communication, and calling for language diversity to be harnessed to shape a more conscious and innovative cultural future.

At a Glance

  • 1st place: Team “Siwa” — Cultural Tourism track
  • 2nd place: Team “Min Al-Faizin” — Seasons and Holidays track
  • 3rd place: Team “Al-Khuzama” — Cultural Tourism track

The closing ceremony featured musical and visual performances reflecting participants' journey through the challenge, which launched last May and included specialized workshops and interactive sessions supervised by local and international experts.

“Policython” is one of the Ministry of Culture's leading participatory policy-design initiatives, aiming to cement a culture of innovation, build a flexible cultural policy system responsive to the changes of the times, and directly involve beneficiaries in shaping the Kingdom's cultural future.