47 new sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List as a result of the Riyadh meetings
The World Heritage Committee closed its meetings in the city of Riyadh, after 15 days of extensive discussions and rich deliberations regarding the future of heritage and the antiquities sector, and determining the fate of a group of precious sites around the world, which UNESCO seeks to intensify international efforts to protect and preserve, as a valuable cultural asset for generations and a historical witness. On the human path.
The work of the 45th session of the World Heritage Committee, whose meetings were held in Riyadh, was concluded on Monday. The committee’s meetings at its session this year resulted in the inclusion of 47 new sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List, and shed light on their historical importance and cultural value and urged continued work on their development. And interest in them as important cultural and natural treasures.
Tears of joy, an exchange of congratulations, and a feeling of pride and relief, filled Prince Sultan Hall in the high-rise Al-Faisaliah Tower in Riyadh, which hosted for two full weeks the meetings of the World Heritage Committee and delegations of countries searching for promising opportunities to include their cultural and natural sites on the international list, amid intense discussion and deliberations. Description Some of them are difficult and arduous to meet the inclusion criteria and bring these sites to light.
The 45th expanded session of the Committee, hosted by Saudi Arabia, is the most expanded session of the Committee (SPA)
Busy agenda
In addition to the nominated international sites from various continents and the voting sessions full of discussions, the agenda of the session, which Saudi Arabia hosted for the first time, was full of plans and suggestions. The 45th expanded session of the Committee, hosted by Saudi Arabia, is the Committee’s most expanded session, and represents the longest sessions it has held in recent years. It witnessed the nomination of large numbers of World Heritage sites, during which the possibility of including 50 sites on the World Heritage Lists was discussed, and more than 260 conservation status reports for listed sites. During the Riyadh session, new sites were registered in countries that had never previously registered any sites on the World Heritage Lists, such as Rwanda, and the first Saudi natural site was also registered in the World Heritage, in addition to its many advantages in the aspects of arrangement, visits, media, and the active participation of delegations. .
During its meetings, the Committee agreed to expand the area of 5 sites, as these sites enjoy the highest levels of protection designated for World Heritage, and to enable them to benefit from new opportunities for technical and financial assistance provided by UNESCO, thereby increasing the total number of elements included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. To 1,199 elements from 168 countries, the World Heritage Committee also considered the state of conservation of 263 sites already included on the World Heritage List.
During the Riyadh session, new sites were registered in countries that had not previously registered any sites on the World Heritage Lists (SPA)
Representatives of the 195 states party to the World Heritage Convention, and representatives of nearly 300 civil society organizations, participated in the work of this session of the World Heritage Committee, which was held in Riyadh. The sessions dealt with mechanisms for addressing the great global difficulties faced by heritage, such as climate disturbances, urban development, or Demographic pressure, armed conflicts or mass tourism. UNESCO presented studies and innovative solutions for conservation, management and raising public awareness, such as the “Diving into Heritage” project, which allows the general public from now until 2025 to explore World Heritage sites via the Internet. A total of US$336,000 in international funding has been allocated to 6 World Heritage sites located in Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Egypt, Haiti, the Marshall Islands and Sri Lanka, to support the development of local conservation projects; More than 30 sites benefited from such financial assistance during the years 2022 and 2023, the total of which exceeded one million US dollars.
Riyadh’s embrace of the work of the World Heritage Committee highlighted the deep cultural roots of Saudi heritage sites (Virtual Media Center)
Saudi Arabia’s heritage under the world’s microscope
Riyadh’s hosting of the 45th expanded session of the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO, in the presence of about 3,000 guests from 21 countries, highlighted the deep cultural roots of Saudi heritage sites. This unique international gathering was organized to discuss the future of the world heritage sector in the Saudi capital, which has advanced its heritage and antiquities sector, and has been the focus of world attention and interest after it has enjoyed many international events that presented the rich cultural and humanitarian heritage that Saudi Arabia possesses to the world. The delegations, which came from various countries and continents of the world, visited a group of Saudi historical and heritage sites, which reflect the cultural and historical depth of the Kingdom and the diversity of the traditions and heritage of its society. It also reflected the level of interest paid by the official sectors concerned with preserving heritage and re-presenting it to the world.
Saudi Arabia has advanced its heritage and antiquities sector and has been the focus of the world’s attention and interest (Virtual Media Center)
During the past few years, Saudi Arabia has achieved important results in discovering and preserving its cultural heritage, and creating heritage tourist destinations, since the launch of “Saudi Vision 2030” is a valuable opportunity to launch a major qualitative shift in the field of antiquities in Saudi Arabia, as cultural heritage occupies an important aspect within the vision, and constitutes a focus of attraction. Tourism, and achieving the economic diversification that Saudi Arabia seeks in its promising future in light of the vision. The UNESCO World Heritage Committee announced the inclusion of the Saudi “Uruq Bani Maarid” Reserve in the UNESCO World Heritage List, as the first natural world heritage site in Saudi Arabia that overlooked the world and opened windows to its natural diversity and wildlife habitats. It is unique, retains the amazement of nature, and is proud of its botanical and biological richness, having recently received world recognition as the first World Natural Heritage site, and the seventh Saudi site included in the World Heritage List.
Saudi Arabia has achieved important results in discovering and preserving its cultural heritage and creating heritage tourist destinations (Virtual Media Center)
The Saudi Orchestra presented a musical performance of a mixture of folkloric and traditional melodies and a group of performing and popular arts (Virtual Media Center)
The Saudi Orchestra bids farewell to the World Heritage guests
At the conclusion of the session, the National Committee for Education, Culture and Science held a ceremony in honor of the parties participating in hosting the work of the World Heritage Committee in its 45th expanded session held in Riyadh, in the presence of a large crowd of UNESCO guests and officials in the cultural and media sectors. During the ceremony, the Saudi Orchestra presented a musical performance that delighted the audience. The performance included a mixture of folkloric and traditional melodies, and a group of performing and popular arts, such as the art of Samari, Al-Dana, Al-Rabash, and Al-Yanbawi, and a number of Eastern and Saudi pieces and rhythms, with the participation of the orchestra and the National Choir.
