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Royal Commission for AlUla Launches Research Project to Analyze Inscriptions Reflecting Civilizational Diversity

The project aims to establish a comprehensive digital record of AlUla’s inscriptions. SPA
The project aims to establish a comprehensive digital record of AlUla’s inscriptions. SPA
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Royal Commission for AlUla Launches Research Project to Analyze Inscriptions Reflecting Civilizational Diversity

The project aims to establish a comprehensive digital record of AlUla’s inscriptions. SPA
The project aims to establish a comprehensive digital record of AlUla’s inscriptions. SPA

The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) has announced in the launch of an integrated research project to analyze and document more than 25,000 inscriptions discovered across various sites in AlUla, dating from the Iron Age to the late Islamic period.

According to an RCU statement, the initiative forms part of RCU’s ongoing efforts to safeguard cultural heritage and advance scholarly research into the history of writing in northwestern Arabia.

The project aims to establish a comprehensive digital record of AlUla’s inscriptions through linguistic analysis, digital documentation, and 3D scanning, while connecting each finding to its historical and cultural context.

This scientific approach will enrich understanding of linguistic development, writing practices, and the interaction between ancient communities and the oasis over thousands of years, the statement said.

The diversity of languages and scripts - ten in total - underscores AlUla’s historic role as a crossroads of civilizations and a hub for cultural exchange. Among the most prominent sites is Jabal Ikmah, home to Dadanitic and other ancient North Arabian texts. It was inscribed on UNESCO Memory of the World Register in 2023 in recognition of its outstanding documentary value, reflecting the strong partnership between RCU and UNESCO in heritage protection and research development.

Jabal AlAqra also features a notable collection of early Arabic-Islamic inscriptions associated with historical pilgrimage routes, while the paths linking Dadan and Hegra bear some of the earliest known Arabic inscriptions related to trade and travel. Valleys such as Wadi Abu Oud contain Lihyanite and rock inscriptions depicting aspects of daily life and tribal symbols, offering insight into human interaction with the natural environment across different eras.

Among the most distinguished examples is the Zuhayr inscription, dating to the 24th year after Hijra. It provides valuable evidence of AlUla’s contribution to the early spread of Arabic writing and its role in recording the historical transformations that shaped the region.

The project also features training programs for archaeology students and those interested in documentary heritage, alongside public awareness initiatives designed to enhance community and visitor appreciation of this unique cultural legacy. The findings will be published in a series of specialized scientific volumes to support research and education in the fields of language, history, and archaeology.

Through this initiative, the statement said, the RCU reaffirms its commitment to protecting cultural heritage, providing reliable academic knowledge, and strengthening AlUla’s position as a global center for the study of the civilizations and languages that flourished in the region for more than 3,000 years.

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Culture

Prince Mohammed bin Salman Project Revitalizes 19th-Century Al-Habish Mosque in Al-Hofuf

This comes as part of the Kingdom-wide initiative to safeguard ancient mosques and highlight Saudi Arabia's cultural heritage under Vision 2030 - SPA
This comes as part of the Kingdom-wide initiative to safeguard ancient mosques and highlight Saudi Arabia's cultural heritage under Vision 2030 - SPA
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Prince Mohammed bin Salman Project Revitalizes 19th-Century Al-Habish Mosque in Al-Hofuf

This comes as part of the Kingdom-wide initiative to safeguard ancient mosques and highlight Saudi Arabia's cultural heritage under Vision 2030 - SPA
This comes as part of the Kingdom-wide initiative to safeguard ancient mosques and highlight Saudi Arabia's cultural heritage under Vision 2030 - SPA

The Prince Mohammed bin Salman Project for the Development of Historical Mosques restored Al-Habish Mosque in Al-Hofuf, Al-Ahsa Governorate, preserving its authentic architectural character and enhancing its religious and cultural significance, as part of the Kingdom-wide initiative to safeguard ancient mosques and highlight Saudi Arabia's cultural heritage under Vision 2030, reflecting the governorate's rich religious and intellectual legacy.

Situated in the heart of Al-Hofuf, it is considered one of the oldest historical mosques in Al-Ahsa. Its name is deeply intertwined with the history of the neighborhood and the lives of its inhabitants across generations, SPA reported.

Dating back to the 13th century AH (19th century CE), the mosque served not only as a place of worship but also as a beacon of knowledge, hosting classes in Islamic sciences. Among its most prominent teachers was Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Saleh Al-Alaji, a leading scholar of Al-Ahsa, reflecting the mosque's esteemed scholarly standing in the region's history.

Covering approximately 318 square meters, the mosque can accommodate around 90 worshippers. It comprises a prayer hall measuring 13.56 by 3.18 meters, a private retreat room measuring 13.73 by 2.68 meters, an 84-square-meter courtyard, an imam's room with an attached restroom, and a distinctive square minaret standing approximately 5.48 meters high.

The mosque underwent extensive development and rehabilitation in 2020 through the project, expanding its facilities to include the main prayer hall, the retreat room, the courtyard, and the minaret. The project also added a storage room, a dedicated women's prayer room, and modern restroom facilities, all while meticulously preserving the mosque’s original architectural features.

Culture

Ukraine Urges Venice Biennale to Exclude Russia

A firefighter extinguishes a blaze at a five-story residential building in Kharkiv on March 7, 2026, after it was partially destroyed by a Russian strike amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Photo by SERGEY BOBOK / AFP)
A firefighter extinguishes a blaze at a five-story residential building in Kharkiv on March 7, 2026, after it was partially destroyed by a Russian strike amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Photo by SERGEY BOBOK / AFP)
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Ukraine Urges Venice Biennale to Exclude Russia

A firefighter extinguishes a blaze at a five-story residential building in Kharkiv on March 7, 2026, after it was partially destroyed by a Russian strike amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Photo by SERGEY BOBOK / AFP)
A firefighter extinguishes a blaze at a five-story residential building in Kharkiv on March 7, 2026, after it was partially destroyed by a Russian strike amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Photo by SERGEY BOBOK / AFP)

Ukraine on Sunday called on the Venice Biennale to keep Russia out of the prestigious art event after organizers said it could participate for the first time since launching its all-out invasion in 2022.

"We call on the organizers of the Venice Biennale to reconsider their decision to allow the Russian Federation to return and to maintain the principled position demonstrated in 2022-2024," Ukraine's foreign minister, Andriy Sybiga, and culture minister, Tetyana Berezhna, said in a statement.

The organizers of the event said on Wednesday that they would allow Russia to take part in the exhibition this year, which runs from May 9 to November 22.

"La Biennale di Venezia is an open institution" and "rejects any form of exclusion or censorship of culture and art", they said in a statement.

Their decision was met with criticism, including from Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government.

Lithuania's foreign minister called the move "abhorrent".

According to AFP, Italy's culture ministry said the move was made "entirely independently by the Biennale Foundation, despite the Italian government's opposition".

The Venice Biennale is an international cultural organization started in 1895 that presents major cultural festivals and runs its flagship art exhibition and architecture exhibition on alternating years.

Participating countries set up pavilions in Venice, and the art biennial typically attracts more than 600,000 visitors over its seven-month run.

Culture

Grabbing the Bull by the Tail: Venezuela’s Cowboy Sport

A cowboy gestures during a bull-tailing competition held as part of the "Fiestas del Alma Llanera" celebration in San Fernando de Apure, Apure State, Venezuela, on February 27, 2026. (AFP)
A cowboy gestures during a bull-tailing competition held as part of the "Fiestas del Alma Llanera" celebration in San Fernando de Apure, Apure State, Venezuela, on February 27, 2026. (AFP)
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Grabbing the Bull by the Tail: Venezuela’s Cowboy Sport

A cowboy gestures during a bull-tailing competition held as part of the "Fiestas del Alma Llanera" celebration in San Fernando de Apure, Apure State, Venezuela, on February 27, 2026. (AFP)
A cowboy gestures during a bull-tailing competition held as part of the "Fiestas del Alma Llanera" celebration in San Fernando de Apure, Apure State, Venezuela, on February 27, 2026. (AFP)

Four mounted cowboys jostle for position near the bull pen gate.

When the bull bolts out into the ring, a mad scramble begins as the riders vie to grab its tail and knock it to the ground.

Bull tailing, or "coleo" is to Venezuela's "llanos" (tropical grasslands) what rodeo is to Texas -- an integral part of popular culture that has survived opposition from animal welfare groups.

Unlike their Texan counterparts, "coleadores" don't try to ride the bull or grab it by the horns but rather chase its tail.

The coleo is one of the high points of the annual "llanera" fair in the central city of San Fernando de Apure, a three-day extravaganza of cowboy culture, including fast-paced, swirling "joropo" partner dancing listed on the UN's Intangible Cultural Heritage list.

Experts trace coleo to Spanish colonial times and link it to cattle herding work.

It is also practiced across the border in Colombia's "llanos," as well as in Brazil and Mexico, countries with strong cattle breeding traditions.

Most of the "coleadores" or bull tumblers learn the sport from their fathers or grandfathers. Women and children have also been known to compete.

For Neomar Sanoja, one of the judges, it's Venezuela's "national sport" -- a bold claim in a baseball mad nation.

- 'Feel the adrenaline' -

Rafael Delgado, 35, started competing at around 10, encouraged by his father, a ranch hand.

"It's part of our 'llanero' culture, part of being Venezuelan," he told AFP before entering the ring.

To reach the bull's tail, riders spur on their horses and when they draw alongside the animal's flanks, perform acrobatic maneuvers to try flip the beast.

The bull writhes, struggles back on its feet and tries to escape along the "manga de coleo," a 200-meter-long sand corridor, with the riders in hot pursuit.

Points vary depending on how the bull tumbles, with extra marks for those who manage to get all four legs in the air.

About 200 competitors took part in the four-minute bouts in San Fernando de Apure, wearing hockey helmets and padding on their arms and legs as armor.

Llanera music blared while a judge narrated the action with rapid-fire delivery.

Florelbis Linares told AFP she wanted to take up coleo despite the misgivings of her coleatero boyfriend, who she watched perform from the stands.

"You really feel the adrenaline watching from here," the 23-year-old said, her legs hanging over the guardrail around the ring.

- 'Defenseless animals' -

The bull's suffering is little cause for concern among aficionados of coleo.

Most of the animals who enter the ring are headed for the slaughterhouse.

Luis Garcia, a 32-year-old rider, accused critics of the sport of hypocrisy, noting that most show no outrage in the face of intensive cattle rearing and meat consumption.

The AnimaNaturalis animal rights NGO, which is active in Spain and Latin America, has called for the practice to be abolished.

"It is cruelty and an abuse of power by llaneros against defenseless animals," it argued on its website.

"Is this what you call culture?" the Napda Foundation, a Venezuelan animal rights foundation, asked, posting a video of coleo spectators kicking and throwing objects at a bull to force it to get back on its feet.

"The alleged 'humans' behave like beasts. This must stop now."