KUN0025 4 GEN 0299 KUWAIT /KUNA-APT1 CUL-SAUDI-MAKKAH-CELEBRATION Saudi Arabia celebrates Makkah as Muslims' cultural capital RIYADH, Sept 18 (KUNA) -- Saudi Arabia celebrates on Sunday chosing the holy city of Makkah as the cultural capital of the Muslim World in 2005 by launching a program that includes various cultural activities. Inaugurated by the Amir of Makkah Prince Abdulmajeed bin Abdulaziz, the celebration will witness the participation of more than 70 public and private institutions as well as Saudi embassies abroad. President of the Makkah-based Ummul Qura University Dr. Nasser Al-Saleh, also the Secretary General of the higher committee to supervise the celebration, said today in a statement that the committee prepared more than 500 activities for this occasion, which would bring together prominent thinkers from all around the Muslim world. The celebration, he said, would start today with a three-day scientific lecture organized by Ummul Qura University. In this lecture, around 300 studies on Makkah's cultural role through history would be presented by scholars from around the globe, he added. The one-year celebration program would also include an international book fair, art exhibitions, lectures and poetry reading, said Al-Saleh. Ummul Qura University, noted Al-Saleh, has formed several sub-committees to organize individual activities, which would witness the participation of 800 women via the university's closed television circuit. He also noted that a website for this event would be launched soon to provide schedules and information about the event, as well as photography galleries dedicated to Makkah. Makkah was chosen as Muslims' cultural capital for 2005 by The Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) last January.(end) ay.rb KUNA 181100 Sep 05NNNN