Salman.. a nation’s memory – Ibrahim Al-Tasan’s tweet
Tweet by Ibrahim Al-Tasan
In the corridors of the Riyadh International Book Fair, which concluded its activities recently, the moment of the launch of “Salman’s” book was an event that exceeds documentation itself, as it turned into a national scene that combines memory with greatness, and re-presents the leader in the features of the image, the history of the action, and the depth of the impact.
The book, which came in 464 pages distributed over 432 rare historical photographs, was not just an archival work, but rather a visual study of the history of the Kingdom through the career of its leader. It summarized the features of King Salman as a statesman who lived through the details of administration and leadership for decades. The book was like a chronological panorama that recounts the stages of Saudi transformation from the heart of the document and the image, in harmony between individual memory and collective awareness. The work was distinguished by its artistic accuracy and sober documentation, as the images were arranged according to a narrative vision that simulates the stages of the modern state, from the Emirate of Riyadh to the era of vision, so that the pages become a mirror of the nation’s journey with Salman, the man, the king, and the leader.
The inauguration hall at Princess Noura University seemed like a laboratory for national memory, when princes, intellectuals, and those interested in national heritage gathered for an evening that reformulated the relationship between culture and leadership.
The attendance was not only celebratory, but rather more like a reflection session on the Kingdom’s journey from founding to leadership. In the faces that followed the visual presentation of the book, there was astonishment mixed with pride, as every picture of King Salman told the story of a building, and every scene documented a moment of vision that created a modern homeland that balances authenticity and ambition.
The occasion also witnessed the honoring of those who contributed to sponsoring this great cultural work, indicating that the partnership between the cultural and economic sectors has become a major contributor to preserving the national heritage.
Major national institutions have come together to support a knowledge project that draws the features of a leader, in a symbolic indication that the nation with all its sectors is united when talking about King Salman, and when the goal is to preserve the Saudi memory and present it to the world as an open, living, and continuous memory.
Salman’s book succeeded in restoring the document’s beauty, its meaning to the image, and its place in the present. Through it, the Heritage Foundation demonstrated that national culture is not just an archive of the past, but rather an investment in the future.
Thus, days after the event had passed, its impact remained present as one of the defining moments in national cultural memory. The book, the idea, and the leader came together in one night. All of them were woven with threads of loyalty and knowledge to tell the world that a nation that is proud of its heritage must flourish in its future.
