Saudi Arabia announced the establishment of the Saudi Society for the Preservation of Industrial Heritage, chaired by Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan, the Minister of Culture.
The association aims to raise awareness on the value of cultural landmarks, including old desalination plants, oil refining, mining and cement mines and the remnants of the Tapline pipeline.
Prince Badr bin Farhan underlined his ministry’s keenness to support the Saudi cultural sector, highlighting the importance of industrial heritage in expressing the level of industrial and civil development of countries.
In this regard, he noted that Saudi Arabia has a rich history in the field of industry that should be preserved and maintained.
The minister also announced the launch of a program on industrial heritage under the umbrella of the Ministry of Culture.
The new program will feature workshops and awareness campaigns, in cooperation with industrial bodies, in addition to projects aimed at maintaining and documenting industrial landmarks and the rehabilitation of national cadres interested in industrial cultural heritage in cooperation with international universities.
Industrial heritage is one of the patterns associated with industrial development in the world. It refers to the social and engineering achievements made by man after the Industrial Revolution. This includes the remnants of ancient industrial culture, whether technological, social, architectural or scientific, and consists of buildings, machinery, factories, mines, refining sites and warehouses.
