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Saudi Arabia Registers 'Cultural Landscape of Al-Faw Archaeological Area' on UNESCO World Heritage List

The Kingdom successfully inscribed the Cultural Landscape of Al-Faw Archaeological Area in the Riyadh Region on the UNESCO World Heritage List. SPA
The Kingdom successfully inscribed the Cultural Landscape of Al-Faw Archaeological Area in the Riyadh Region on the UNESCO World Heritage List. SPA
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Saudi Arabia Registers 'Cultural Landscape of Al-Faw Archaeological Area' on UNESCO World Heritage List

The Kingdom successfully inscribed the Cultural Landscape of Al-Faw Archaeological Area in the Riyadh Region on the UNESCO World Heritage List. SPA
The Kingdom successfully inscribed the Cultural Landscape of Al-Faw Archaeological Area in the Riyadh Region on the UNESCO World Heritage List. SPA

The Saudi Minister of Culture, Chairman of the Heritage Commission, and Chairman of the National Committee for Education, Culture, and Science, Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan, has announced that the Kingdom successfully inscribed the Cultural Landscape of Al-Faw Archaeological Area in the Riyadh Region on the UNESCO World Heritage List as a cultural site of outstanding universal value to humanity.

The announcement was made during the 46th session of the World Heritage Committee held in New Delhi, India, from July 22 to 31.

The Al-Faw Archaeological Area is located in Wadi Al-Dawasir Governorate, south of the Riyadh Region. It spans a protected area of 50 square kilometers, surrounded by a buffer zone covering 275 square kilometers. The site lies at the intersection of Rub' al-Khali (Empty Quarter) desert and the terrain of the Tuwaiq Mountain, forming a narrow corridor known as "Al-Faw."

Prince Badr said that the inscription of the Cultural Landscape of Al-Faw reflects the strong support and attention given to Saudi heritage by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister.

He explained that the registration of cultural heritage elements, both tangible and intangible, with UNESCO is a testimony to the deep historical roots of the Kingdom and its pioneering role in serving the shared global human heritage under the framework of Saudi Vision 2030, which emphasizes the importance of celebrating the national identity, with tangible and intangible cultural heritage being one of its major components.

"The Kingdom recognizes the importance of heritage, its preservation, and its promotion worldwide in order to establish a solid foundation for the present, chart a roadmap for future endeavors, and support the Heritage Commission in developing national heritage assets," the Prince said.

With the registration of the Cultural Landscape of Al-Faw Archaeological Area, the List of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Saudi Arabia includes: Al-Ahsa Oasis, an Evolving Cultural Landscape (2018), At-Turaif District in ad-Diriyah (2010), Hegra Archaeological Site (2008), Ḥima Cultural Area (2021), Historic Jeddah (2014), and the Rock Art in the Hail Region (2015).

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Culture

Louvre Exhibition to Showcase 300 Rarely Displayed Photos

Visitors walk in the Apollo Gallery (Galerie d'Apollon), where French crown jewels were stolen in 2025 in a heist, on the day of its reopening to the public at the Louvre Museum in Paris, France, July 22, 2026. (Reuters)
Visitors walk in the Apollo Gallery (Galerie d'Apollon), where French crown jewels were stolen in 2025 in a heist, on the day of its reopening to the public at the Louvre Museum in Paris, France, July 22, 2026. (Reuters)
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Louvre Exhibition to Showcase 300 Rarely Displayed Photos

Visitors walk in the Apollo Gallery (Galerie d'Apollon), where French crown jewels were stolen in 2025 in a heist, on the day of its reopening to the public at the Louvre Museum in Paris, France, July 22, 2026. (Reuters)
Visitors walk in the Apollo Gallery (Galerie d'Apollon), where French crown jewels were stolen in 2025 in a heist, on the day of its reopening to the public at the Louvre Museum in Paris, France, July 22, 2026. (Reuters)

The Louvre in Paris is showcasing 300 rarely displayed photographs in an exhibition entitled “Louvre Photo” running from November 4 to May 3, 2027.

The images feature artworks, exhibition galleries, visitors both famous and anonymous, museum workers, hidden nooks and restricted corridors.

From the very first photograph of the Paris museum, taken by Louis Jacques Daguerre in 1839, to contemporary Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, “Louvre Photo” spans different eras, presenting “an endless array of images of this place, which is a world unto itself,” according to the museum’s director Christophe Leribault.

The exhibition, which opens Wednesday, flits between glittering highlights, such as The Beatles visiting the Louvre and Sophia Loren photographed posing in front of Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa. and historic moments, such as a photo documenting German prisoners gathered in the Louvre courtyard on August 25, 1944, during the historic Liberation of Paris. Another shows Queen Elizabeth II and French President François Mitterrand during their visit to the iconic Salle des Caryatides in 1992.

The exhibition also offers a glimpse of a radiology laboratory located in the museum’s attic, the excavations of the gallery of the Venus de Milo in the 1880s, the damage sustained by the museum during the Paris Commune of 1871, and the demolition of the Grand Gallery in 1865.

Also on display are postcards addressed to Pablo Picasso that feature reproductions of famous works from the Louvre.

The exhibition will show a selection of photos taken by visitors, reflecting the hundreds of thousands of photos and selfies of the Louvre, which welcomes around 9 million visitors each year.

Culture

Saudi Arabia, Algeria Stress Importance of Cultural Cooperation

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune receives Saudi Minister of Culture Prince Bader bin Abdullah bin Farhan at the presidential palace on Tuesday. (SPA)
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune receives Saudi Minister of Culture Prince Bader bin Abdullah bin Farhan at the presidential palace on Tuesday. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia, Algeria Stress Importance of Cultural Cooperation

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune receives Saudi Minister of Culture Prince Bader bin Abdullah bin Farhan at the presidential palace on Tuesday. (SPA)
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune receives Saudi Minister of Culture Prince Bader bin Abdullah bin Farhan at the presidential palace on Tuesday. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia and Algeria underlined the depth of their bilateral relations, stressing the importance of joint cultural cooperation and joint positions to serve mutual interests within regional and international organizations.

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune received Saudi Minister of Culture Prince Bader bin Abdullah bin Farhan at the presidential palace on Tuesday. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the minister's visit to the Algiers International Book Fair 2026, where the Kingdom is participating as the guest of honor.

The selection of the Kingdom as the exhibition's guest of honor, which runs until Saturday, reflects the strong fraternal ties between the two countries. It further highlights the rapid momentum within the Saudi cultural sector, which continues to boost the global presence of Saudi culture and showcase its civilization's heritage.

President of the Algerian Council of the Nation Azzouz Nasri and President of the National People's Assembly Khalida Boufdech inaugurated the Saudi pavilion last week.

Minister of Culture Prince Bader bin Abdullah bin Farhan visits the Saudi pavilion on Tuesday. (SPA)

An extensive Saudi cultural and literary delegation, encompassing several national authorities and prominent cultural entities, is participating in the exhibition. The pavilion showcases Saudi Arabia's creative diversity and cultural identity through an integrated cultural program, featuring seminars and poetry evenings with a select group of Saudi writers.

Prince Bader visited the pavilion with his Algerian counterpart Malika Bendouda on Tuesday.

They had held a meeting in Algiers that highlighted the strong cultural ties between their countries and the importance of expanding cooperation across various cultural fields.

The meeting was attended by Assistant Minister of Culture Rakan Altouq, Saudi Ambassador to Algeria Abdullah Al-Busairi, and Assistant Deputy Minister for International Cultural Relations Fahd Al-Humaidani.

Culture

Ithra Announces Launch of Ithra Winter 2026 Program

Ithra said the program's events will feature visual storytelling, lighting effects and live performances. (SPA)
Ithra said the program's events will feature visual storytelling, lighting effects and live performances. (SPA)
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Ithra Announces Launch of Ithra Winter 2026 Program

Ithra said the program's events will feature visual storytelling, lighting effects and live performances. (SPA)
Ithra said the program's events will feature visual storytelling, lighting effects and live performances. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia’s King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) announced on Tuesday the launch of the Ithra Winter 2026 program, in cooperation with the Sharqia Development Authority and the Saudi Tourism Authority (STA).

The program will coincide with the opening of Khobar Season on November 13 at the Khobar Sea Front.

Ithra said the partnership reflects the integration of efforts among various entities to strengthen cultural and tourism activities in Eastern Region by highlighting tourist destinations and attracting visitors through a range of programs, events and initiatives.

These efforts aim to enhance the region's standing as a destination offering a blend of cultural, recreational and creative experiences, it added.

Moreover, Ithra said the program's events will feature visual storytelling, lighting effects and live performances, including maritime boat shows and fishermen's performances, as well as poetry recitals, an artistic performance and the Saudi Ardah.

A cultural program will also be held at Dhahran International Exhibitions Company "Dhahran Expo" in Al-Khobar.