Cairo: Egypt and the United Arab Emirates signed a memorandum of understanding to deepen cooperation in culture, arts, and creative industries. The agreement was signed in Cairo by Egyptian Minister of Culture Ahmed Fouad Hannu and UAE Minister of Culture Sheikh Salem bin Khalid Al Qassimi, aiming to strengthen cultural exchange and collaboration between the two nations.

According to State Information Service Egypt, the deal intends to ‘use culture as a bridge for communication and understanding,’ reflecting both governments’ commitment to supporting creative industries, preserving heritage, and empowering young talent. Under the memorandum, the two countries will expand cooperation in heritage preservation, visual and performing arts, publishing, translation, and libraries, as well as in training programmes and joint cultural events.

The pact encourages ministerial and expert-level exchange visits and knowledge sharing in creative industries and cultural policymaking. The two sides are also advocating for joint initiatives within international cultural organisations including UNESCO, ALECSO, and ISESCO. They aim to support the exchange of writers, artists, and intellectuals through joint initiatives and festivals.

The agreement promotes workshops, seminars, and joint research focused on heritage protection, visual arts such as painting and sculpture, and traditional crafts. Additionally, it involves exchanging bibliographic and audio-visual materials related to cultural heritage.