Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — Saudi Arabia’s Heritage Commission has launched a questionnaire on the intangible cultural heritage in the Kingdom. This is part of the commission’s efforts to prepare its periodic report for the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage at UNESCO.

The commission called on those who are interested in the heritage sector to participate in the questionnaire, which aims to take inventory of all national efforts to preserve the intangible cultural heritage in all its fields.

This is in addition to counting what has been accomplished in the service of the elements on the lists of Kingdom’s intangible cultural heritage, which have been registered over the past six years with UNESCO.

These include Al-Ardah Al-Najdi — a traditional sword dance; Al-Majlis — a cultural and social space; Arabic coffee — a symbol of generosity; Falconry — a living human heritage; Al-Mezmar — drumming and dancing with sticks, Arabic calligraphy — knowledge, skills and practices; Al-Sadu traditional weaving; date palm — knowledge, skills, traditions and practices; and Al-Qatt Al-Asiri — female traditional interior wall decoration in Asir.

The commission strives to highlight the general situation of efforts to safeguard intangible heritage in the Kingdom, monitor the procedures followed at the national level, and highlight the efforts of institutions, associations and individuals interested in implementing the UNESCO Convention on the Intangible Cultural Heritage.

An intangible cultural heritage is a practice, representation, expressions, knowledge or skill considered by UNESCO to be part of a place’s cultural heritage. Buildings, historic places, monuments and artifacts are cultural property. Also, instruments, objects, artifacts and cultural spaces associated with them are considered part of the cultural heritage.