UNESCO Lists Three Saudi Sites as World Heritage

Until recently, Saudi Arabia has been considered a not very tourism-friendly destination. Unfriendly no longer, as three historical sites in the country have met the UNESCO approval for being the heritage sites.

Approval has been given to include Al-Diriya, Madaen Saleh and Jeddah´s historical area in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization´s (UNESCO) list of world heritage sites.

Situated approximately halfway between Tabuk and Madinah is Madain Saleh, the majestic site of over 100 tombs, carved from sheer, sandstone cliff faces.

Saudi Arabia has maintained close ties with UNESCO since it joined the organization in 1946. Earlier this year, Prince Sultan Bin Salman, secretary general of the Supreme Commission for Tourism, received UNESCO director general Koishiro Matsura at the National Museum in Riyadh.

The Supreme Commission for Tourism referred to the Council of Ministers a list of sites to be included in the UNESCO world heritage sites.

A team of consultants was chosen from the College of Environmental Design at King Abdul Aziz University to prepare a general plan for the Historical Area. In addition to this, the committee recommended registering the Historical Area with UNESCO.

In one of its bulletins, the Supreme Commission for Tourism said the Madina Region has a rich cultural heritage, especially Madina Al-Munawwarah itself. The Islamic sites, most important of which is the Prophet´s Mosque, make the city globally significant.

The commission said there are important world heritage and historical sites in Al-Ula Area, including Madaen Saleh, the history of which goes back to the Nabateans, as well as sites in Al-Khraibah that date back to the Al-Dadaniah and Al-Lahyaniah states. In addition, there are remains of Islamic cities in Al-Ula as well as the Al-Hijaz railway.

In mid-July, UNESCO added 18 sites to world heritage list, boosting the number of registered sites to 830.

Last year, UNESCO added 17 new cultural sites to its list, adding sites in Bahrain, Moldova and Bosnia-Herzegovina to the list for the first time.