KUWAIT: Kuwait is participating in the 14th Gulf Theater Festival, which is being held in the Saudi capital Riyadh from September 10 to 17, with the play (Ghusat Abour), written by Taghreed Al-Dawood, directed by Mohammad Al-Ansari, and presented by the Kuwaiti Theater Troupe. Assistant Secretary for the Arts Sector at the National Council for Culture, Arts, and Letters (NCCAL) Musaed Al-Zamel told KUNA on Sunday that the festival is considered one of the most important theater festivals in the Gulf region due to its importance in expanding cultural exchange and developing artists’ capabilities.

The festival contributes to the development of the theater movement and strengthens the artistic and cultural ties. Al-Zamel expressed his happiness with the return of the festival after an eight-year hiatus, as it had been suspended since 2016, wishing all participating theater groups success. He stressed that Kuwait is keen to present distinguished performances in Arab and international festivals, noting that the council supports the Kuwaiti theater movement by providing all capabilities that qualify theater and artistic groups to compete in festivals.

Assistant Secretary of the Arts Sector at the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters, Musaed Al-Zamel

Al-Zamel said an exhibition will be held to discuss the history of the Kuwaiti theater movement, and Kuwaiti artist Mohammed Jaber, known as (Al-Eidrousi, will be honored. The festival’s activities include theatrical performances, artistic and cultural events, seminars, and workshops. He pointed out that Kuwait will organize a celebration on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the Permanent Committee of the Gulf Theater Festival, followed by the Kuwait Local Festival next December. For his part, Director of the Theater Department at the National Council, Faleh Al-Mutairi, confirmed that the Permanent Committee has been making efforts to set the festival’s activities and events for more than a year in order to confirm the pioneering role of theater groups in the Gulf.

Al-Mutairi pointed out that the Permanent Committee for Civil Theater Groups was formed under the directives of the Ministers of Culture and Arts in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries (GCC) and is responsible for organizing the activities of the festival, which is organized every two years in one of the Gulf countries. The first session was held in Kuwait in 1988. He stated that this session is being held for the first time in Saudi Arabia, expressing his thanks for the efforts of the Kingdom in organizing activities and events in a way that enhances the Gulf theater movement. — KUNA