Sird Cultural Center

Wednesday, July 22, 2026

Al Jazeera - Wael Al-Otaibi:

In an era of accelerating transformations, preserving heritage is no longer just a restoration of the past, but becomes a cultural act that redefines memory for new generations. From this standpoint, the Sird Cultural Center continues to present the 'Asil' program, one of Beyondfit's programs, in its fifth edition, through an interactive experience that seeks to transfer Saudi values from heritage stories to the space of practice and living.

Saudi Economy

The program is held in two stages; the first from July 26 to 29, 2026, and the second from August 2 to 5, 2026, at the Sird Cultural Center at King Saud University, targeting youth aged 6 to 16, in a four-day experience combining knowledge, practice, and play, giving participants the opportunity to get close to the details of Saudi identity as a lived life, not information that is taught.

'Asil' carries a telling title: 'From the South... Toward the Horizon'; indicating that heritage, no matter from a specific geography, remains capable of reaching a wider horizon when presented to new generations in a contemporary language and interactive tools. The program does not merely display elements of heritage, but places participants at the heart of the experience; to learn about the values of hospitality, council etiquette, national protocols, Saudi crafts, Saudi coffee and the science of dates, and other components that shape the features of the authentic Saudi character.

The experience expands to include an introduction to Saudi attire and the Najdi ardah, the features of the Saudi house and the concept of 'Sabea Jar' (seventh neighbor), along with evoking holidays and national occasions, and experiences of 'Future Falconer' and 'House and Poem', in a program that combines material heritage with social values and oral memory, and re-presents them in a style close to the world of youth and their interests.

The essence of 'Asil' is based on the idea that identity is not inherited by words alone, but built through experience; when a child learns council etiquette, practices hospitality traditions, gets to know crafts, listens to poetry, and sees details of the Saudi house, they are not receiving a lesson in heritage so much as discovering a part of themselves and their collective memory.

Through this experience, the Sird Cultural Center affirms its role as a space that goes beyond preserving the story to reproducing it, turning culture into a living practice capable of reaching new generations. Heritage, in 'Asil', does not stand behind museum glass, nor remains captive to memory; rather, it moves in the workshop, the council, the poem, the attire, the coffee, and the craft, becoming part of the child's day and consciousness.

And between the south from which the title originates and the horizon towards which it heads, 'Asil' presents its vision of heritage as a foundation for the future; the more children know their origin, the greater their ability to go towards their new horizons with confidence and pride. This is the idea that the program summarizes in its essence: that the building of the modern Saudi personality is inseparable from its roots, and that the future does not cancel heritage, but gives it a new language to remain alive.

The organization of the program is part of the Sird Cultural Center's efforts to support cultural awareness among youth and enhance their connection to national identity through programs that combine knowledge, fun, and experience, at a time when cultural institutions are moving towards innovating new spaces that make culture part of the daily life of future generations. This formulation made the two events an extension of one program instead of repeating details, and highlighted the Sird Cultural Center as a cultural actor, not just a venue for hosting activities.