Saudi Gazette Report

ALULA —The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) has signed a new strategic partnership with the National Archaeological Museum of Naples, to display a collection of archaeological artifacts from Saudi Arabia and AlUla for the first time.

The museum is a cultural partner joining leading heritage and educational institutions from UK, France, China and Italy to collaborate in preserving, studying and celebrating AlUla’s shared history spanning 20,000 years.

It is also a prominent landmark in one of Italy's heritage capitals, and houses some of Europe's most precious cultural treasures, including perfectly preserved Roman and Greek statues, bronzes, mosaics, and other works of art, established in 1777.

This agreement will pave the way for the transfer of a selection of artifacts from Naples in southern Italy to AlUla in the northwest of the Arabian Peninsula to display the masterpieces of the Naples National Archaeological Museum.

The museum will also display 15 masterpieces from historical cities and landmarks, such as Pompeii, Herculaneum and Rome.

The exhibition will be one of the main cultural highlights of the 2024 edition of the Ancient Kingdoms Festival, which will be held in AlUla from November 7 to 30.

It will also introduce visitors to the AlUla Global Archaeology Symposium.

The partnership between AlUla Commission and Naples Museum is based on the signing of the governmental agreement between Saudi Arabia and Italy in May 2023 to enhance cultural preservation, knowledge sharing, and heritage protection. In the same year, a team of heritage narrators from AlUla visited Naples to learn more about museum’s collections.