Al-Ansari discusses cultural diversity at the Amman Book Fair

Dr. Issa Al-Ansari, former Assistant Secretary-General for the Culture Sector at the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters and professor at Kuwait University, participated in a seminar titled “Cultural Management Between the Particularities of Creativity and the Pluralism of Society,” held as part of the cultural program for the 25th edition of the Amman International Book Fair. The event featured former Jordanian Minister of Culture Dr. Sabri Arba’at and was moderated by Hazza Al-Barari, former Secretary-General of the Jordanian Ministry of Culture.

The seminar, hosted in the conference hall at the Jordanian Center for International Exhibitions at Mecca Mall in the Jordanian capital, Amman, addressed issues of cultural management and the challenges facing cultural industries and their engagement.

Al-Ansari outlined the Kuwaiti experience in cultural diversity and pluralism, noting that it was shaped by three main historical factors. The first was the traditional maritime voyages of Kuwaitis to India, Africa, and Aden in search of livelihood, which facilitated contact with diverse cultures and peoples. The second factor involved Kuwait’s attraction of teachers and Arab cultural elites from Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, and Egypt, who contributed to enriching the cultural landscape, giving rise to early developments in theater, literature, and other artistic forms. The third factor was the early Kuwaiti study missions to several Arab countries, which helped broaden horizons for cultural and intellectual exchange.

He clarified that these historical factors helped create a cultural environment that later saw the establishment of the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters, the launch of Al-Arabi magazine in 1958, and the publication of prominent cultural and intellectual series, including “Alam al-Fikr” (World of Thought) and “Alam al-Ma’rifa” (World of Knowledge), as well as translation projects from global languages. These efforts represented a significant Kuwaiti cultural contribution to enriching the Arabic library and strengthening the presence of knowledge across the Arab world.