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Saudi Arabia’s Uruq Bani Ma'arid Reserve Joins UNESCO World Heritage List

The decision to add the reserve to the list was taken during the extended 45th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee held in Riyadh between September 10 and 25. SPA
The decision to add the reserve to the list was taken during the extended 45th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee held in Riyadh between September 10 and 25. SPA
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Saudi Arabia’s Uruq Bani Ma'arid Reserve Joins UNESCO World Heritage List

The decision to add the reserve to the list was taken during the extended 45th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee held in Riyadh between September 10 and 25. SPA
The decision to add the reserve to the list was taken during the extended 45th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee held in Riyadh between September 10 and 25. SPA

The Uruq Bani Ma'arid Reserve in Saudi Arabia has been added to the UNESCO World Heritage List, Saudi Minister of Culture Prince Bader bin Abdullah bin Farhan Al Saud said.

Prince Bader is also Chairman of the National Commission for Education, Culture and Science, and Chairman of the Heritage Commission.

The decision to add the reserve to the list was taken during the extended 45th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee held in Riyadh between September 10 and 25.

This marks the Kingdom’s first UNESCO Natural Heritage Site on the list.

The minister congratulated Saudi Arabia’s leadership and emphasized commitment to the conservation of natural heritage and the sustainable development of natural heritage.

The commitment highlights the importance of natural heritage and its strategic importance to Saudi Vision 2030, he said.

“The inscription of the Reserve on the UNESCO World Heritage List as the first Natural Heritage Site in the Kingdom contributes to highlighting the importance of natural heritage on a global scale and reflects the outstanding value of the Reserve,” Prince Bader said.

Situated along the western edge of ar-Rub al-Khali (The Empty Quarter), Uruq Bani Ma'arid Reserve occupies an area of over 12,750 km2 and is the only major sand desert in tropical Asia and the largest continuous sand sea on Earth.

With a world-class panorama of the sands of the Empty Quarter and some of the world’s largest complex linear dunes, Uruq Bani Ma'arid Reserve embodies outstanding universal value. It is an exceptional showcase of the environmental and biological evolution of flora and fauna in Saudi Arabia and provides vital natural habitats for the survival of more than 120 indigenous plant species, as well as endangered animals living in harsh environments, including gazelles and the only free-ranging herd of Arabian Oryx in the world.

Uruq Bani Ma'arid Reserve fulfills the World Heritage standards as a sand desert that embodies outstanding universal value and forms a unique and diverse landscape. The reserve contains a range of extensive natural habitats vital to the survival of key species and includes five sub-groups of the Kingdom's national ecosystems, which is vital to maintaining the site's biodiversity.

The inscription of the Uruq Bani Ma'arid Reserve adds to the six other Saudi UNESCO sites, which are Al-Ahsa Oasis, Al-Hijr Archaeological Site, At-Turaif District in ad-Dir'iyah, Ḥimā Cultural Area, Historic Jeddah, and Rock Art in the Hail Region.

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Southern California Wildfires Claim Will Rogers Ranch, Other Landmarks

The devastation of the Palisades Fire is seen in the early morning in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Friday, Jan. 10, 2025. (AP)
The devastation of the Palisades Fire is seen in the early morning in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Friday, Jan. 10, 2025. (AP)
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Southern California Wildfires Claim Will Rogers Ranch, Other Landmarks

The devastation of the Palisades Fire is seen in the early morning in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Friday, Jan. 10, 2025. (AP)
The devastation of the Palisades Fire is seen in the early morning in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Friday, Jan. 10, 2025. (AP)

Raging wildfires that continue to burn a path of destruction through Southern California claimed the Will Rogers ranch along with a number of other local landmarks in what is already the most damaging fire in Los Angeles history.

Some monuments remain unscathed, such as the famous Hollywood sign that looms above the city in the Santa Monica mountains, and the Getty Villa, a museum named for billionaire oilman J. Paul Getty that houses a collection of artifacts and antiquities.

However, the Will Rogers ranch, home to the one-time vaudeville performer who rose to fame as a syndicated newspaper columnist, "cowboy philosopher," radio personality and movie star, was gutted on Tuesday by the Palisades Fire.

State parks employees were able to remove some of the cultural and historical artifacts from the Rogers home, though the 31-room ranch house and stables are gone. All that remains are two chimneys.

It is unclear whether touchstones from Rogers' life, such as a light fixture made from a wagon wheel and a stuffed calf that a friend gave him so he could rope on rainy day, were recovered.

"When you were there, you could really feel the guy’s presence," said Ben Yagoda, author of "Will Rogers: A Biography," who became overcome with emotion while discussing the loss. "It was kept exactly how they had it. It’s just such a lovely location and it’s very, very peaceful."

Another casualty of the fire was the Topanga Ranch Motel once owned by publisher William Randolph Hearst.

In Altadena, the Eaton Fire claimed the Bunny Museum, the quirky home to more than 46,000 rabbit-themed objects that owners Candace Frazee and Steve Lubanski collected over four decades. The museum, which earned a Guinness world record for amassing the most bunny-related items, was leveled by fire on Wednesday, despite attempts by Lubanski to save it.

"The museum was the last building to burn around us as Steve so valiantly hosed the building down all night long, but when the building next door went down, it spread to the museum," the owners wrote on Instagram.

The Reel Inn, a seafood shack on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, was heavily damaged by the Palisades Fire. The restaurant known for its kitschy decor of faux sea creatures and twinkling lights was a local favorite, according to one review from Travel + Leisure.

"We are heartbroken and unsure what will be left," owners Teddy and Andy Leonard wrote on Instagram. "Hopefully, the state parks will let us rebuild when the dust settles."

The Queen Anne Victorian-style mansion Rand McNally co-founder Andrew McNally built in the late 1800s in Altadena was among the homes destroyed on Wednesday, according to video of the fire captured by ABC News.

"We aren't just losing homes -- we're losing history, culture, and pieces of our shared history," wrote Eric B. on the social media platform X.