Osaka: The Cultural Development Fund concluded its participation in the Kingdom’s pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka. This event aimed to showcase Saudi Arabia’s authentic cultural identity and its progress under Saudi Vision 2030. The participation sought to attract global investment to the Saudi cultural sector, stimulate innovation in cultural entrepreneurship, and highlight the Kingdom’s efforts toward achieving sustainable development.

According to Saudi Press Agency, the fund’s participation featured 11 cultural activities that drew more than 9,000 visitors from around the world. These included five dialogue sessions emphasizing the strengths of the Saudi cultural sector, four networking meetings connecting investors and entrepreneurs to explore cooperation opportunities, and several live workshops showcasing seven traditional handicrafts. These activities underscored the economic and artistic value of Saudi crafts. They supported the fund’s efforts to enhance the global presence of local artisans, in line with the objectives of the Year of Handicrafts 2025.

In a major milestone, the fund signed an agreement with Naqsh Culture Group and Japan’s Culture Convenience Club (CCC) to open the first branch of the Japanese TSUTAYA Library in the Kingdom. The new cultural destination will serve as a hub for creativity, knowledge, and the arts, while contributing to the economic and social growth of Saudi Arabia’s library and cultural sectors.

The fund’s active participation at Expo Osaka reflects its role as a center of excellence and financial empowerment for the cultural ecosystem in the Kingdom. It also aligns with its mission to stimulate global investment, enhance the presence of Saudi culture on the international stage, and increase the sector’s contribution to the national economy and quality of life, in line with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.