UNESCO - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

11/06/2024 | News release | Distributed by Public on 11/07/2024 11:58

Strengthening Documentary Heritage Preservation in Saudi Arabia

Building on UNESCO's expertise in heritage preservation, the project is among ongoing efforts under a unique partnership with RCU to revive AlUla as a centre for knowledge exchange. The Kingdoms Institute Platform, AlUla's renowned global hub for archaeological and conservation research, is leading the efforts for preservation and access.

Documentary Heritage shows us what made our society and ourselves as humans. It documents the process of change, how we are driving our future and how our society is taking its path. Today, I invite you to celebrate this workshop and your journeys in preserving your rich heritage.

In his opening remarks during the inaugural workshop, José Ignacio Gallego RevillaAdvisor for UNESCO and Cultural and Scientific Diplomacy programs at RCU

Serving as a key gateway to navigating the wider landscape of documentary heritage, capacity-building, these workshops foster a national network of heritage experts committed to the preservation of documentary heritage in AlUla and Saudi Arabia. This network avails a valuable resource in view of the country's growing commitment to preserve documentary heritage and share it with future generations, marked by the 2023 addition of Jabal Ikmah to UNESCO's Memory of the World(MoW) International Register-and towards the formation of a Saudi Arabian MoW National Committee and Register.

Featuring the participation of experts from RCU and partner organizations involved in the preservation of AlUla's heritage, the inaugural workshop trained 16 heritage practitioners from AlUla's memory institutions, including archivists, librarians, conservators, and cultural heritage managers.

The workshop aims at enhancing understanding of Saudi Arabian documentary heritage by introducing the principles and procedures of identification, preservation and accessibility of documentary heritage, in accordance with UNESCO's practices. Participants were also introduced to specialized knowledge in areas of preventative conservation, management, disaster preparedness, digital preservation and audiovisual heritage preservation.

The training was delivered by Mr. Jan Bos, the Chair of the UNESCO MoW Programme's International Advisory Committee (IAC) and the Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Documentary Heritage (IJODH). He commended the initiative as promising, recognizing its potential to significantly enhance the identification, preservation, and accessibility of documentary heritage in Saudi Arabia and to share this rich cultural resource with the wider world.

UNESCO

Developing my abilities in identifying and preserving documentary heritage is important to me as a person from AlUla, because AlUla's heritage is rich, and everything in this region has a story.

Ms. Mashail MakkiContent Development Specialist at RCU

"From stone to palm trees, from inscriptions to inscriptions in the mountains, they all tell the stories of the people who lived in this region. By documenting and preserving this heritage, I can protect these stories and pass them on to future generations, preserving AlUla's identity and highlighting it to the world."

As part of the wider project, UNESCO has launched a survey to define the status of the needs of memory institutions regarding documentary heritage in Saudi Arabia. This will contribute to contextualizing the challenges and opportunities for Saudi Arabian memory institutes alongside the capacities of memory institutions in the larger Arab region.

This initiative is part of a wide-ranging collaboration between UNESCO and the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU), an active partnership since 2021. Together, UNESCO and RCU are dedicated to preserving AlUla's rich history, raising awareness about its heritage sites, and demonstrating the impact of their joint efforts to inspire communities. This also implies transforming this ancient landscape into a laboratory of ideas and a vibrant centre for innovation, research, and community empowerment. This unique partnership, both within Saudi Arabia and on the global stage, is driven by a shared commitment to combining expertise in cultural heritage, documentary preservation, and social transformation.