The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) signed an agreement with the International Council on Monuments and Sites (Saudi ICOMOS) on Thursday with the aim of preserving and promoting cultural heritage.
The agreement includes activations of six programs that promote scientific research, the translation of scientific publications in the field of antiquities preservation to Arabic and training students and specialists in the field of heritage and antiquities.
Saudi ICOMOS Board Chair Princess Nouf bint Mohammed bin Fahd bin Abdulaziz and RCU CEO Amr AlMadani signed the agreement.
The RCU affirmed that the agreement comes as part of its endeavor to strengthen partnerships with various relevant authorities as it seeks making AlUla a center for knowledge and heritage preservation by involving specialists in cultural heritage, scholars and talented people from inside and outside Saudi Arabia.
“The agreement establishes a strategic partnership in the fields of preserving tangible and intangible heritage,” said Princess Nouf.
“It also supports the implementation of programs that include field work to conduct and publish research and studies by specialized experts, in addition to its contribution to the development of local capacities in managing heritage sites in AlUla,” she added.
AlMadani said that the signing of this agreement aligns with the objectives of the Kingdom’s national transformation plan, Vision 2030, and the goals for transforming AlUla into the largest living museum in the world.
It does so by promoting sustainable development while preserving cultural heritage in AlUla.
By virtue of the agreement, Saudi ICOMOS will inaugurate its own headquarters in the Old Town of AlUla.
The main area of cooperation between the RCU and Saudi ICOMOS will be in matters relating to the preservation of cultural and natural heritage sites in general.
