The World Heritage Committee decided, during its 44th session (July 16-31, 2021) held online and chaired from Fuzhou, China, to inscribe Saudi Arabia’s “Hima Cultural Area” on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. On this occasion, ALECSO is pleased to extend its warmest congratulations to the Saudi people and to all those in charge of the heritage sector in this Kingdom for this historic and significant achievement.
Located in an arid, mountainous area of southwest Saudi Arabia, on one of the Arabian Peninsula’s ancient caravan routes, Ḥima Cultural Area contains a substantial collection of rock art images depicting hunting, fauna, flora and lifestyles in a cultural continuity of 7,000 years. The property and its buffer zone are also rich in unexcavated archaeological resources in the form of cairns, stone structures, interments, stone tool scatters and ancient wells.
ALECSO takes this opportunity to reaffirm its full readiness to continue cooperation with Saudi Arabia and with all Member States to preserve and maintain their heritage sites and properties, and to support all files nominated for inscription on UNESCO heritage lists. It calls on all relevant Arab organizations and institutions to step up efforts to document, preserve and valorize this heritage and integrate it into the economic system, in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
