Doha, April 18 (QNA) - The Years of Culture (YoC) initiative on Monday announced the partnerships with celebrated Qatari entrepreneur and athlete Ali bin Towar Al Kuwari who will serve as Ambassador for one of the year's premier programs CultuRide.

The appointment was announced at a signing ceremony at the 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum in the presence of HE Minister of State and President of Qatar National Library (QNL) Dr. Hamad bin Abdulaziz Al Kuwari, Qatar Museums CEO Ahmed Al Namla, and Qatar Cycling Federation President Dr. Mohammed bin Jeham Al Kuwari.

This partnership includes two documentaries exploring the traditions Qatar and Indonesia share, as part of the Qatar-Indonesia 2023 Year of Culture, in addition to the CultuRide cycling tour in a number of cultural sites in Indonesia, which will take place in June and will gather professional athletes and cycling enthusiasts in Yogyakarta, Indonesia for a cultural tour of important historical sites.

CultuRide Ambassador Ali bin Towar Al Kuwari expressed his pleasure with this partnership and said: "I am honored to have this opportunity to experience Indonesia through our shared love and appreciation of sport, especially cycling. Years of Culture is a powerful platform to explore the beauty of different places and people, which I will explore through the CultuRide program and new documentaries being developed by my team."

In an exclusive statement to Qatar News Agency (QNA), he added that they are in the process of preparing a complete file for the implementation of this plan, and highlighting some important issues with the work team, in order to discover the traditions and customs of peoples. He pointed out that Indonesia has a history dating back to about 12,000 years and has more than 600 religions and languages, 17,000 islands, stunning nature and environmental diversity.

He continued, "We will try to shed light on the Islamic heritage, and the Arab merchants and tribes that were present in Indonesia."

For his part, HE Dr. Hamad bin Abdulaziz Al Kuwari said that the Years of Culture initiative achieved great success, and that the Qatar-Indonesia 2023 Year of Culture will be very important, as the State of Qatar has historical relations with this country.

In an exclusive statement to QNA, HE said that Qatar National Library seeks to sign agreements with all libraries in the countries of the world, and that these agreements reflect themselves and the impact of QNL on others, noting that Indonesia is an Islamic country that cares about the Arabic language and Arab culture and is very keen on rapprochement with the Arab heritage. Therefore, this year of culture will have a very important impact, HE added.

HE Minister of State and QNL President pointed out that the presence of the youths in the Years of Culture initiative is important and this did not exist in the past, in addition to sports, which play a significant role in shedding light on Arab culture and issues through its positive messages, given that sport is not isolated from the culture.

Qatar Museums CEO Ahmed Al Namla expressed his pleasure for choosing the Qatari athlete Ali bin Towar Al Kuwari as an ambassador for the Years of Culture initiative.

"The Years of Culture initiative encourages us to have common cultural practices," pointing out that Qatar and Indonesia share a lot in terms of religious heritage, and it is important to experience the wonderful cultural diversity in Indonesia. He also noted the importance of the role of sport in building and preserving cultures, promoting diversity and encouraging development, looking forwards to see the stories that Ali bin Towar Al Kuwari will reveal during this year.

In the same context, Qatar Cycling Federation President Dr. Mohammed bin Jeham Al Kuwari expressed his great happiness to participate in this initiative which underlines the importance of the role of sport in building and preserving cultures and promoting diversity.

The CultuRide tour will launch from Fort Vastenburg, an 18th-century Dutch fort located in Gladak, Surakarta, Central Java, a major regional landmark in Indonesia.

Throughout the two-day tour, participants will travel through and learn about several cultural destinations surrounding Solo and Yogyakarta.

The participants will learn about the historical significance of different destinations and take part in cultural experiences, including craft workshops and traditional cooking practices.

Qatar-Indonesia 2023 Year of Culture is an extension of the Years of Culture initiative launched by HE Qatar Museums Chairperson Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad Al-Thani in 2012. It is an annual bilateral exchange that deepens understanding between Qatar, a partner country and its people through a year of cultural programs.

Indonesia is the first country in Southeast Asia to participate in the Years of Culture initiative, which affirms the extent of the historical connection between the two countries, and the growing cooperation in many sectors. (QNA)