As World Heritage Day falls on April 18, Saudi Arabia celebrates the qualitative transformations it has achieved in the heritage and antiquities sector since the launch of its national strategy for culture, which falls within Vision 2030.
Over the past years, Saudi Arabia has made tremendous efforts to preserve its diverse cultural heritage.
These treasures are evident through traditional costumes that reflect the national identity and the rich cultural heritage, and handicrafts that constituted a source of livelihood and guaranteed a decent life for members of society in the past.
Moreover, excavation projects have uncovered valuable discoveries in various Saudi archaeological sites, and shed light on the Kingdom’s cultural wealth and its importance as a bridge linking the thriving cultural experience on its land.
Seven sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List
The story of heritage and antiquities in Saudi Arabia is full of diversity, and blends authenticity with modernity.
Recently, the Kingdom presented a model of its rich cultural experience to the world, when seven Saudi sites were put on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Those include: Al-Hijr Archaeological Site, Al-Turaif District in ad-Diriyah, Historic Jeddah, the Gate to Makkah, Rock Art in the Hail, Al-Ahsa Oasis, an Evolving Cultural Landscape, Ḥima Cultural Area and the Harrat Uwayrid Reserve.
Through individual and collective efforts, Saudi Arabia registered a number of elements on the UNESCO lists of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Those include falconry, Arabic calligraphy, traditional weaving of Al-Sadu, Al-Qatt Al-Asiri (female traditional interior wall decoration in Asir), Almezmar (drumming and dancing with sticks), Arabic coffee (a symbol of generosity), Majlis (a cultural and social space) and Alardah Alnajdiyah (dance, drumming and poetry in Saudi Arabia).
These achievements reflect the scale of the Saudi effort in the heritage sector, as shown by the increase in the number of archaeological sites to 8,917 across the Kingdom, in addition to around 3,646 urban heritage sites, and more than 5,393 craftsmen registered with the National Register of Handicrafts.
Riyadh hosted the work of the 45th expanded session of the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO last September, in the presence of about 3,000 guests from 21 countries. The event shed light on the rich and diverse Saudi heritage sites and the important archaeological discoveries that received global attention.
