عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Culture

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
TT
TT

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).

Most Viewed

 
 
Culture

Diriyah Art Futures Opens Second Edition of 'CONTINUUM' Exhibition

Diriyah Art Futures (DAF) launched its latest exhibition CONTINUUM ’26 on Thursday, showcasing the works of its second cohort of emerging artists and the program’s mentors. (SPA)
Diriyah Art Futures (DAF) launched its latest exhibition CONTINUUM ’26 on Thursday, showcasing the works of its second cohort of emerging artists and the program’s mentors. (SPA)
TT
TT

Diriyah Art Futures Opens Second Edition of 'CONTINUUM' Exhibition

Diriyah Art Futures (DAF) launched its latest exhibition CONTINUUM ’26 on Thursday, showcasing the works of its second cohort of emerging artists and the program’s mentors. (SPA)
Diriyah Art Futures (DAF) launched its latest exhibition CONTINUUM ’26 on Thursday, showcasing the works of its second cohort of emerging artists and the program’s mentors. (SPA)

Diriyah Art Futures (DAF), the first center for New Media Arts in the Middle East and North Africa, launched its latest exhibition CONTINUUM ’26 on Thursday, showcasing the works of its second cohort of emerging artists and the program’s mentors.

Visitors explored a diverse range of cutting-edge technological media, including immersive and multimedia installations, light, sound, moving image, virtual reality, mixed reality, and AI-generated projects, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

CONTINUUM ’26 features artworks produced by 16 emerging artists and two mentors during DAF’s year-long Emerging New Media Artists Program. Curated by Irini Papadimitriou and Bushra Alghamdi, Assistant Curator, the exhibition explores questions surrounding memory, identity, place, belonging, repetition, and interspecies relationships.

Developed under the mentorship of artists Louis-Philippe Demers and Rick Treweek, the artworks explore the boundaries between the real and the artificial, human and artificial intelligence, the organic and synthetic.

Speaking at the exhibition launch, CEO of the Museums Commission Eng. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Hammad said: “Programs like the Emerging New Media Artists Program represent the long-term, deliberate investment needed to shape the future of the Kingdom's museum sector.

“By providing our artists with world-class facilities, mentorship, and the dedicated time to refine their craft, we are fueling innovation and sparking vital cultural conversations. CONTINUUM 26 brings a full year of that dedication into the public eye.”

The opening program kicked off with a panel conversation between exhibition artists Noel Apitta, Njood Albwardi, Badriya Alsalem, and Harpreet Sareen, in conversation with Bushra Alghamdi about the ideas behind their works in CONTINUUM '26.

The artists discussed the exhibition's themes – the power of artificial intelligence; memory and time; and embodied perception – exploring how each artist navigated their creative process and what questions drove them.

CONTINUUM ’26 is the second installment in a series of exhibitions at DAF, spotlighting diverse voices shaping the future of New Media Art in the region and beyond.

Developed in collaboration with Le Fresnoy – Studio national des arts contemporains in France, the Emerging New Media Artists Program gives emerging artists access to cutting-edge professional equipment and a production budget, as well as a wide range of multidisciplinary learning opportunities.

CONTINUUM ’26 is open to the public at Diriyah Art Futures and runs until November 7. The exhibition is accompanied by a public program of workshops, talks and other activities spanning AI, VR, digital photography, and much more.

Meet the Artists: an invitation to encounter the works of CONTINUUM '26 through the perspectives of the artists who made them. Over the opening weekend, artists will discuss the ideas and processes behind their works with visitors.

Culture

US Hands Over Ancient Sarcophagus Fragments to Lebanon

This New York City Police Department photo shows one of three ancient sarcophagi fragments that the FBI Art Crime Team returned to the government of Lebanon during a September 2, 2026, ceremony in New York. (New York City Police Department)
This New York City Police Department photo shows one of three ancient sarcophagi fragments that the FBI Art Crime Team returned to the government of Lebanon during a September 2, 2026, ceremony in New York. (New York City Police Department)
TT
TT

US Hands Over Ancient Sarcophagus Fragments to Lebanon

This New York City Police Department photo shows one of three ancient sarcophagi fragments that the FBI Art Crime Team returned to the government of Lebanon during a September 2, 2026, ceremony in New York. (New York City Police Department)
This New York City Police Department photo shows one of three ancient sarcophagi fragments that the FBI Art Crime Team returned to the government of Lebanon during a September 2, 2026, ceremony in New York. (New York City Police Department)

The United States on Thursday announced the return of Roman-era sarcophagus fragments to Lebanon that were looted from the southern city of Tyre and recovered by an FBI investigation.

The decorative, lead fragments were returned to the Lebanese consulate in New York on Wednesday, ahead of their repatriation, the US embassy in Lebanon said.

The recovery "reflects the strong US-Lebanon partnership in the fight against illicit trafficking of cultural property", the embassy said.

Lebanese Culture Minister Ghassan Salame said the fragments "were unearthed in the Tyre area during illegal excavations".

"The fragments bear distinctive artistic, decorative and technical characteristics typical of workshops that produced lead sarcophagus in Tyre, which were among the city's active and prolific workshops in antiquity."

According to the FBI, the antiquities "were stolen from illicit excavations in or around Tyre and were exported outside of Lebanon's borders".

The trade in looted antiquities is widespread in the Middle East. New York, one of the world's art capitals, is home to many wealthy collectors, galleries, and auction houses.

In December 2017, three ancient artifacts were returned to Lebanon, including a bull's head of Greek origin that had been exhibited at the Met Gala, valued at $1.2 million.

Salame said the Tyre region "is exceptionally rich in archaeological heritage" and "has recently suffered severe destruction" due to heavy Israeli strikes during the latest war between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah.

UNESCO, the United Nations cultural agency, added Tyre to its World Heritage in Danger list in July.

Culture

Saudi Pavilion Inaugurated at Moscow International Book Fair 2026

A visitor at the Saudi pavilion at the Moscow International Book Fair 2026. (SPA)
A visitor at the Saudi pavilion at the Moscow International Book Fair 2026. (SPA)
TT
TT

Saudi Pavilion Inaugurated at Moscow International Book Fair 2026

A visitor at the Saudi pavilion at the Moscow International Book Fair 2026. (SPA)
A visitor at the Saudi pavilion at the Moscow International Book Fair 2026. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia’s Literature, Publishing, and Translation Commission today inaugurated the Saudi pavilion participating in the Moscow International Book Fair 2026, running from September 2 to 6.

The Saudi pavilion brings together various government entities and cultural organizations to highlight the Kingdom’s cultural scene.

The commission has prepared an accompanying cultural program featuring a series of dialogue sessions and poetry evenings, with the participation of a distinguished group of Saudi writers and intellectuals.

The program addresses issues related to literature, publishing, and translation, while highlighting Saudi cultural achievements and their impact on the international cultural sphere.