Nat'l Library hosts event on Portuguese presence in Gulf, Arabian Peninsula

KUWAIT, March 8 (KUNA) -- The National Library of Kuwait hosts on Monday a symposium on the "Portuguese Presence in the Arabian Gulf and the Arabian Peninsula".
The event documents a major epoch in the history of the region, member of the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters (NCCAL) Faisal Al-Zamel said at a press conference.
It will serve as a start to reach sources of documents and data on the region's history, he added, pointing to Kuwait's keenness on organizing leading cultural events.
Al-Zamel appreciated efforts by Minister of Information and Minister of State for Youth Affairs Sheikh Salman Sabah Salem Al-Humoud Al-Sabah backing cultural mobility in the country.
The gathering will offer plenty of details on the Portuguese presence in the region, professor of history at the Kuwait University Saud Al-Asfour. He added that the issue is hardly addressed, unlike the British and the Ottoman presence.
He said there is a huge archive on the history of the region "but we do not have these documents. Others do, like the Ottoman, Indian, Russian and French archives." Al-Asfour underlined the importance of conserving documents for future generations.
Specialists and researchers from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, Portugal, Turkey and the Netherlands are taking part in the three-day event that comprises morning and evening sessions. (end) mdm.nfa.msa