Kuwaiti information minister opens 21st Qurain Cultural Festival

Minister of Information and Minister of State for Youth Affairs Sheikh Salman Al-Sabah opened on Monday the 21st Qurain Cultural Festival by honoring the recipients of the state orders of merit.
Addressing the opening ceremony, he said the festival has become an impressing cultural platform that gathers notable intelligentsia and creative artists from various literary, artistic, social and humanitarian fields.
Sheikh Salman, also President of the National Council for Culture, Art and Letters (NCCAL), was speaking on behalf of His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, the sponsor of the festival.
"It's a good omen that the festival takes place while Kuwait is preparing for the national celebrations marking the 54th Independence Day, the 24th Liberation Day and the ninth anniversary of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah's assumption of office," he said.
"Kuwait continues contributing to the development humanities as seen in the period between 2001 when Kuwait City was selected as capital of Arab culture, and 2014 when the UN named His Highness the Amir as humanitarian leader and Kuwait as humanitarian center.
"The cultural achievements made by Kuwait during this period are indicative of deep belief of the Kuwaiti leaders and people in role of cultural enlightenment in the promotion of such values as tolerance and good for all humanity," he pointed out.
He reaffirmed the commitment of the country to opening new horizons for culture and arts through new projects such as the modernization of the National Museum and the National Library and opening of Al-Salmiya Theater and Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah Cultural Center.
Sheikh Salman commended the celebrities who were awarded the state orders in recognition for their outstanding contributions to the cultural movement of the country.
The laureates of the 2014 state awards include Ibrahim Al-Shatti, Ahmad Al-Saleh, Suleiman Al-Khulaifi, Mai Al-Saad, Yusuf Al-Hashash, Abdullah Al-Turkmani, Abdullah Al-Aber, Waleed Sarab, Anwar Abdullah, Dr. Fatma Al-Melhem, Dr. Nawaf Al-Jahma, Dr. Mohammad Al-Baker, Dr. Su'ad Al-Shabo and Dr. Ahmad Al-Hassan
The ceremony culminated into concert performances, led by maestro Fahad Al-Haddad and featuring lyric poems of martyr Fayq Abduljalil.
The Qurain festival continues until January 24.