Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — The Saudi Heritage Commission announced on Wednesday the approval of the registration and documentation of 198 new archaeological sites in the National Antiquities Register. This brings the total number of registered archaeological and historical sites to 9,317 sites, which embody the comprehensiveness and diversity of antiquities present in various regions of the Kingdom. This is part of the commission’s ongoing efforts to preserve the national heritage and enhance cultural awareness about the importance of archaeological sites in the Kingdom.

The registered sites covered a number of regions in the Kingdom with the Hail region came in the first place with 50 registered sites, followed by the Makkah region with 39 sites. The Qassim region comes third with 34 sites, and it was followed by the Al-Jouf region with 28 registered sites, Madinah region with 14 sites, and the Tabuk region with 13 sites.

There are eight sites in the Riyadh region while the Jazan region added five new sites to the National Antiquities Register. As for the regions of Asir, Najran and the Northern Borders, they registered with two sites each while the Eastern Province registered one site.

The registration of these sites is based on the Antiquities and Urban Heritage Law to protect sites of historical and cultural importance, and document them in an appropriate manner.

The Heritage Commission confirmed that registering these sites is part of its comprehensive efforts to document and revive the national cultural heritage, which contributes to providing researchers and those interested with reliable data on the locations and contents of heritage and archaeological sites in the Kingdom. The commission also seeks to encourage scientific archaeological studies, and highlight the historical value of the discovered sites, which enhances the value of Saudi heritage at the global level.

The Heritage Commission noted the role played by local communities in discovering these sites, stressing that their effective participation contributes significantly to protecting cultural heritage, and enhancing awareness of future generations about the importance of these sites.

The authority called on citizens and expatriates to report any new archaeological discoveries or illegal practices affecting archaeological sites, by communicating through its official accounts on various social media platforms, or through the Balagh platform, or by visiting one of its offices and branches in the Kingdom’s regions, or by calling the Unified Security Operations Center 911.