How archaeological discoveries in AlUla and Khaybar are unearthing Saudi Arabia’s prehistoric past

A Neolithic mustatil next to a Bronze Age pendant burial in Kaybar. (Supplied/Mat Dalton)
Short Url
Updated 19 August 2022
Follow

How archaeological discoveries in AlUla and Khaybar are unearthing Saudi Arabia’s prehistoric past

  • Thousands of structures, most between 4,000-7,000 years old, have been found in the Kingdom’s northwest
  • The discoveries are the key to a radical rethinking of the prehistory of the Arabian Peninsula

LONDON: To the bedouin, the mysterious structures of uncertain age and unknown origin scattered across the harsh and dramatic landscapes of northwestern Saudi Arabia have always been simply the works of “the old men.”

To the archaeologists who have just completed a four-year project to catalogue all the visible archaeology of AlUla County and the nearby Harrat Khaybar volcanic field, the tens of thousands of structures they have found, most between 4,000 and 7,000 years old, are the key to a radical rethinking of the prehistory of the Arabian Peninsula.

“A lot of the archaeological focus in the region in the past has been on the Fertile Crescent, running through Jordan, Israel and up into Syria and beyond, and little archaeological attention has been paid to this early material of Saudi Arabia,” said archaeologist Dr. Hugh Thomas, a senior research fellow at the University of Western Australia.

“But as we do more and more research, we’re realizing that there was so much more here than small, independent, communities living on nothing much and not doing much in an arid area.

“The reality in that in the Neolithic period these areas were significantly greener, and there would have been really sizeable populations of people and herds of animals moving across these landscapes.”

In the near future, he believes, “I think we are going to make massive discoveries that are going to change how we view the Middle East completely.”

Dr. Thomas is co-director of the Aerial Archaeology in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia project, set up in 2018 by the Royal Commission for AlUla, as part of the Identification and Documentation of the Immovable Heritage Assets of AlUla program. The following year the project was expanded to include the neighboring, heritage-rich region of Khaybar.

A “core” area of AlUla of 3,300 sq. m was surveyed separately by UK-based Oxford Archaeology. Working with staff and students of King Saud University in Riyadh, they identified more than 16,000 archaeological sites.

Setting out initially to survey the AlUla hinterland, an area of more than 22,500 square kilometers, Dr. Thomas and his colleagues faced a daunting task, which they broke down into three stages.

A remote preliminary survey of the entire area, using satellite imagery, was followed by aerial photography of selected sites and, finally, excavation of a small number of the most promising structures.

The first stage lasted more than a year, with team members poring painstakingly over Google Earth and other satellite imagery and pinning every structure they spotted.

For the University of Western Australia team back in Perth, it meant “hour after hour of patiently scrolling through,” Dr. Thomas said.

“Sometimes it was in areas where there was absolutely nothing, just endless kilometers of remote desert. But then at other times you’d find structures all over the place, and you would get through only a few kilometers in a session, because you were constantly finding and pinning new archaeological sites.”

The hard work paid off handsomely.

By the end, they had identified 13,000 sites in AlUla and an extraordinary 130,000 in Khaybar county, dating from the Stone Age to the 20th century. They logged everything they saw, including some of the remains of the Hejaz railway, built by the Ottomans before World War I, but the vast majority of the sites dated from prehistory.

Each site consisted of anything from one structure to clusters of 30 or more, and they have now catalogued more than 150,000 individual structures of archaeological interest, especially in the Khaybar region, where there is “a really dense, significant concentration of archaeological remains.”

After the remote sensing came the really fun part — flying low over the spectacular landscapes of AlUla and Khaybar in helicopters, using open-door photography to record sites previously identified by the satellite survey as being of particular interest.

The pilots, from the Saudi-based The Helicopter Company, flew from site to site along flight paths created by the archaeologists.




Archaeological discoveries in AlUla and Khaybar are the key to unlocking the secrets of prehistoric Saudi Arabia. (Moath Alofi)

“They were commercial pilots who at first had no idea about the archaeology,” Dr. Thomas said. “But they were very keen, and also pretty good at interpreting and spotting things.

“They ended up having a really great understanding, and that was so beneficial to the project. I could say, ‘I’m after three funerary pendants up on an outcrop’, and the pilot would say, ‘Oh, I can see them, in front of us,’ and they’d steer the helicopter round to give you the best photographic angle.”

By the end, he said, “some of the pilots would have seen more archaeology up close than the majority of archaeologists.”

The last aerial photography was carried out in March this year and, by then, the team had captured more than a quarter of a million images across AlUla and Khaybar.

Among the structures they photographed were more than 350 examples of one of the most extraordinary types of large-scale structures scattered across Saudi Arabia’s prehistoric landscape — the mysterious mustatil.

Mustatil is the Arabic word for rectangle, and these often huge, rectangular structures, built by an unknown people more than 8,000 years ago, may be unique to the Arabian peninsula.

More than 1,600 are now known to exist across 300,000 sq. km of northwestern Saudi Arabia, concentrated mainly in the vicinity of AlUla and Khaybar.

Mustatils vary in type — some are more complex than others — but usually they consist of two parallel walls, or occasionally more, joined at either end by shorter walls to create a rectangle. They range in length from 20 to 620 meters and often they are clustered together, in groups numbering anything from two to 19.




Of the 1,600 mustatils identified via satellite imagery and the 350 photographed from the air, 39 were selected for ground survey by Thomas’ team. (Rebecca Repper)

In some places, mustatils have been “overbuilt” by subsequent generations who have constructed circular ringed tombs, or so-called pendant tombs, on or very near them.

Building some of the mustatils would have been a big commitment for a considerable number of people. The largest structure ground-surveyed by the AAKSA team, situated on the Harrat Khaybar lava field 50 km south of Khaybar town, was built from basalt boulders and measures 525m in length.

It is estimated that the structure weighs about 12,000 tons, with individual stones weighing between 6 and 500 kg.

Extrapolating from experimental studies carried out on Mayan structures in Guatemala, the archaeologists have estimated that it would have taken a group of 10 people two or three weeks to build a mustatil more than 150m long. Larger structures, up to 500m, could have been constructed by a group of 50 people in about two months.

As Dr. Thomas and his colleagues wrote in a paper published recently in the journal “Antiquity,” not only are mustatils “an important component of the ancient Arabian cultural landscape,” they are also among the earliest stone monuments in Arabia, and “globally one of the oldest monumental building traditions yet identified.”

Of the 1,600 mustatils identified via satellite imagery and the 350 photographed from the air, 39 were selected for ground survey by Thomas’ team. Of these, just a handful were excavated, and these have revealed a wealth of previously unknown information.

In late 2018 and 2019, for example, archaeologists from both the UWA and Oxford teams began excavating undisturbed mustatils east of AlUla valley, and discovered evidence that the structures had served a ritual purpose. Collections of horns and other cranial bone fragments, from animals including cattle, goat and gazelle, were found in chambers in the structures, which could suggest offerings had been made to some long-forgotten deity.

“These are ritual structures, I’d bet my house on it,” Dr. Thomas said.

“We have now excavated five of them, the Oxford Archaeology team has excavated three, and other teams are excavating others too. With the artefacts that are inside, and also the construction techniques that are involved in creating them, there is no practical function for these structures, other than ritual, that would make any sense.”




In addition to Mustatils, there are an estimated 917 kites around Khaybar built in varying shapes and sizes and some dating back to between the fifth and seventh centuries B.C. (Moath Alofi)

There is no roofing, the walls are too low for them to have been used for keeping animals in them, and some of them are built on the slopes of mountains that are incredibly steep and difficult to walk up.

Organic remains can be carbon-dated, and the animal bones revealed that the site was late Neolithic – about 7,000 years old. In the past season, however, in a collaboration with the archaeology department at Durham University in the UK, the team has been employing another sophisticated dating technique called Optically Stimulated Luminescence.

This, Dr. Thomas said, “basically allows you to date the last time that sand had light fall directly upon it, which is a really useful technique for dating structures that don’t have any kind of organic deposits within them.”

So far, nothing has been unearthed to suggest why the mustatils were built where they were.

“In some of the locations where we find them we just can’t understand why they were built there,” Dr. Thomas said.

“They might be in a random valley with seemingly not much happening around them. It suggests that people are coming to that spot, creating them, then moving on and probably coming back periodically.”

That, of course, poses the question: what was so special about these sites to these people?

Another, possibly connected, mystery is that the mustatils and even the later Bronze Age burial structures in the region were clearly built to be appreciated not from ground level, but from up above, in the sky.

“What’s fascinating is when you see them from the ground, they’re not that spectacular, just a series of walls,” Dr. Thomas said.

“But as soon as you get in a helicopter, or you look at it on satellite imagery, these things just come to life.”

One theory is that the structures might have been built to be viewed from above by the dead. Another possibility is that they were ritual structures constructed for the benefit of some deity in the sky.

But, as the structures were built long before human beings developed writing, the truth is likely to remain a mystery.

Equally mysterious is where the people came from who built the mustatils — and where they ended up. As yet, no Neolithic burial sites from the same period have been found.




Archaeologist Don Boyer measures a tower of stones next to a 525m long Mustatil in Khaybar. (David Kennedy)

“The hope is that, in the future, we might identify some Neolithic burials,” Dr. Thomas said. “But the reality now is that we’re not sure where the people of the Neolithic are.”

They could have been buried in unmarked graves at random sites, which would make it very hard to find any of them.

“Alternatively, there may be other things that they did to their bodies, which means that we will never find them.”

However, a series of finds in some mustatils has hinted at a perhaps macabre practice in about the mid-fifth millennium BC. Some human remains have been found — but only fragments.

“In one, we found part of a foot and five vertebrae and a couple of long bones. We can tell that while there was still soft tissue attached and holding the bones together, fragments of that body were taken and placed within this mustatil, or next to it.”

There are, however, multiple burial sites in the region — and sometimes close to mustatils — from the Bronze Age, dating from about 2,500 years later. 

“There are thousands upon thousands of tombs, pendant burials and larger monumental tombs in the region, indicating that there were large, thriving populations here,” Dr. Thomas said.

The most dramatic examples are located in Khaybar county, to the southeast of AlUla.

“Projecting out of Bronze Age oases are these long pathways, funerary avenues, flanked by thousands of tombs, creating a really significant funerary landscape.”

The next objective for the team is “to focus on this shifting idea of monumentality. In the Neolithic period, for whatever reason, something occurred that meant that people started creating these absolutely massive ritual structures, over a 300 to 500-year period.

“Then it stopped. Archaeologically, from about 4,800 down to about 2600 BC, we find very little — some domestic structures, but not many graves.




In addition to the mustatils, the site has kites whose geometric shapes may be connected or unconnected to each other. They may be part of a building or separate, or stone piles. (Duhim Alduhim)

“Then suddenly these monumental burials start appearing across the landscape. Why this shift from the mustatil, monumental ritual structures, to the focus 2,000 years later on the individual, or family groups, that were being buried in these structures?

“What happened in those few thousand years?”

Whatever the answer, the vast number of mustatils identified — about 1,600 in an area roughly the size of Poland — not only puts Saudi Arabia’s ancient past in a Neolithic class of its own, but has global repercussions.

“When we look at Neolithic landscapes across the world, often you’re only finding a handful of structures, less than a dozen,” Dr. Thomas said.

“So to have something like the mustatil, where you’ve got well over 1,000, covering such a significant area, really changes how we have to view the Neolithic.

“It indicates that the Neolithic is much more complex than we originally thought.

“And, as more research comes out about the mustatil, I think that will completely revolutionize how we view Neolithic societies, not just in Arabia but across the rest of the world.”

There will be 12 archaeological teams at work in the field this autumn, exploring the past cultures of AlUla and Khaybar from prehistory to the early 20th century. Stone structures of the late prehistoric period will remain a key focus.

 


Saudi Arabia says ‘no radioactive effects’ detected in Gulf after US strikes on Iran

Updated 22 June 2025
Follow

Saudi Arabia says ‘no radioactive effects’ detected in Gulf after US strikes on Iran

  • Saudi Arabia’s Nuclear and Radiological Regulatory Commission said Sunday that “no radioactive effects were detected” in the Kingdom and the Gulf region

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Nuclear and Radiological Regulatory Commission said Sunday that “no radioactive effects were detected” in the Kingdom and the Gulf region as a result of the US military targeting of Iran’s nuclear facilities.

“No radioactive effects were detected on the environment of the Kingdom and the Arab Gulf states as a result of the American military targeting of Iran’s nuclear facilities,” the commission wrote on its official account on X.

Kuwait’s National Guard also said that “radiation levels in Kuwait’s airspace and waters are stable and the situation is normal” according to a statement on KUNA News Agency.

The Egyptian Nuclear and Radiological Regulatory Authority confirmed on Sunday that the country is far from any direct impact resulting from targeting uranium enrichment and conversion facilities in Iran.

The United States on Sunday attacked three Iranian nuclear sites, including the underground uranium enrichment facility at Ford, following days of speculation over whether the US military would join its ally Israel’s bombing campaign.


Saudi Arabia voices ‘great concern’ over US strikes on Iran, leads calls for restraint, de-escalation

Updated 21 min 10 sec ago
Follow

Saudi Arabia voices ‘great concern’ over US strikes on Iran, leads calls for restraint, de-escalation

  • UN chief says US attacks a ‘direct threat to international peace and security’
  • Other countries began reacting Sunday with calls for diplomacy and words of caution

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia expressed on Sunday its “great concern” following US attacks on Iranian nuclear sites, according to a statement by the foreign ministry on X.

The Saudi ministry statement “affirmed its condemnation and denunciation of violating the sovereignty of the Islamic Republic of Iran, expressing the need to exert all efforts to exercise restraint, de-escalate, and avoid escalation.”

The kingdom also called on the international community to boost efforts in such “highly sensitive circumstances” to reach a political solution to end the crisis.

 

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres meanwhile slammed US President Donald Trump’s decision to order US military strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities as a “dangerous escalation.”

“I am gravely alarmed by the use of force by the United States against Iran today. This is a dangerous escalation in a region already on the edge – and a direct threat to international peace and security,” he said in a statement.

“There is a growing risk that this conflict could rapidly get out of control – with catastrophic consequences for civilians, the region, and the world,” he said.

READ: Transcript of Trump’s speech on US strikes on Iran

Guterres called on member states to de-escalate and to uphold their obligations under the UN Charter and other rules of international law.

“At this perilous hour, it is critical to avoid a spiral of chaos. There is no military solution. The only path forward is diplomacy.  The only hope is peace,” he said.

Other countries began reacting Sunday with calls for diplomacy and words of caution:

Pakistan

Pakistan, in a statement, said it “condemns the US attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities which follow the series of attacks by Israel. We are gravely concerned at the possible further escalation of tensions in the region.”

“We reiterate that these attacks violate all norms of international law and that Iran has the legitimate right to defend itself under the UN Charter.

“The unprecedented escalation of tension and violence, owing to ongoing aggression against Iran is deeply disturbing. Any further escalation of tensions will have severely damaging implications for the region and beyond.”

Russia

Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, said on Sunday that US President Donald Trump had started a new war for the US by attacking Iran.

“Trump, who came in as a peacemaker president, has started a new war for the US,” Medvedev wrote on his Telegram channel.

Qatar

Qatar, host of the biggest US military base in the Middle East, on Sunday said it feared serious repercussions after US air strikes on nuclear facilities in Iran.

The foreign ministry “warns that the current dangerous escalation in the region may lead to catastrophic consequences at both the regional and international levels”, a statement said.

“It calls on all parties to exercise wisdom, restraint, and to avoid further escalation.”

Oman

Oman, which was mediating nuclear talks between Washington and Tehran, on Sunday strongly condemned US strikes on nuclear sites in Iran.

The Gulf sultanate “expresses deep concern, denunciation and condemnation of the escalation resulting from the direct air strikes launched by the United States on sites in the Islamic Republic of Iran”, the official Oman News Agency said.

Lebanon

Lebanese president Joseph Aoun, in statement released by the Lebanese Presidency on X, meanwhile said: “Lebanon, its leadership, parties, and people, are aware today, more than ever before, that it has paid a heavy price for the wars that erupted on its land and in the region. It is unwilling to pay more, and there is no national interest in doing so, especially since the cost of these wars was and will be greater than its ability to bear.”

“The bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities raises fears of an escalation of tensions that could threaten security and stability in more than one region and country.

“The President of the Republic calls for restraint and the launch of constructive and serious negotiations to restore stability to the countries of the region and avoid further killing and destruction,” the statement added.

UK

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer called on Iran to “return to the negotiating table” over its nuclear ambitions after the US carried out strikes on Iranian nuclear sites.

“Iran can never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon and the US has taken action to alleviate that threat,” Starmer said on X, adding that “stability in the region is a priority”.

“We call on Iran to return to the negotiating table and reach a diplomatic solution to end this crisis.”

Iraq

Iraq warned on Sunday that the US attacks on its neighbor Iran’s nuclear facilities threaten peace and stability in the Middle East.

Iraq “expresses its deep concern and strong condemnation of the targeting of nuclear facilities” in Iran, government spokesperson Basim Alawadi said. “This military escalation constitutes a grave threat to peace and security in the Middle East and poses serious risks to regional stability,” he added.

European Union

The European Union’s top diplomat said Iran must not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon but she urged those involved in the conflict to show restraint.

“I urge all sides to step back, return to the negotiating table and prevent further escalation,” EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said in a post on social media.

Kallas will chair a meeting of the 27-nation bloc’s foreign ministers in Brussels on Monday, with the Israel-Iran war high on the agenda.

New Zealand

New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters urged “all parties to return to talks.”

He wouldn’t tell reporters Sunday whether New Zealand supported President Trump’s actions, saying they had only just happened.

The three-time foreign minister said the crisis is “the most serious I’ve ever dealt with” and that “critical further escalation is avoided.”

“Diplomacy will deliver a more enduring resolution than further military action,” he said.

Italy

Italy’s foreign minister Antonio Tajani, on state broadcaster RAI, said: “Now we hope that, after this attack, which caused massive damage to nuclear weapons production and posed a threat to the entire region, a de-escalation can begin and Iran can sit down at the negotiating table.”

China

A flash commentary from China’s government-run media asked whether the US is repeating “its Iraq mistake in Iran.”

The online piece by CGTN, the foreign-language arm of the state broadcaster, said the US strikes mark a dangerous turning point.

“History has repeatedly shown that military interventions in the Middle East often produce unintended consequences, including prolonged conflicts and regional destabilization,” it said, citing the American invasion of Iraq in 2003.

It said a measured, diplomatic approach that prioritizes dialogue over military confrontation offers the best hope for stability in the Middle East.

Japan

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba told reporters Sunday it was crucial to calm the situation as soon as possible, adding that the Iranian nuclear weapons development also must be prevented.

Ishiba, asked if he supports the US attacks on Iran, declined to comment. He was speaking to reporters after an emergency meeting with officials from key ministries over the US military action.

Ishiba said officials are still assessing details and doing their utmost to protect the safety of the Japanese nationals in Iran, Israel and elsewhere in the region.

While the US attacks on Iran do not affect Japan’s stable energy supply for the time being, Ishiba said, he has instructed officials to “watch the development with a sense of urgency and take every precaution” to prevent an increase in oil and utility costs ahead of the summer when energy demand rises. 

South Korea

South Korea’s presidential office said it would hold an emergency meeting Sunday to discuss the security and economic ramifications of the US strikes and potential South Korean responses.

Australia

Australia, which shuttered its embassy in Tehran and evacuated staff Friday, continued to push for a diplomatic end to the conflict.

“We have been clear that Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile program has been a threat to international peace and security,” a government official said in a written statement. “We note the US President’s statement that now is the time for peace.”

“The security situation in the region is highly volatile. We continue to call for de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was predictably all praises for Trump’s decision.

“Your bold decision to target Iran’s nuclear facilities, with the awesome and righteous might of the United States, will change history,” he said in a video message directed at the American president.

Netanyahu said the US “has done what no other country on earth could do.”

Israel’s Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon also thanked Trump for his “historic decision to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. Today, President Trump proved that ‘Never Again’ is not just a slogan — it’s a policy.”

In Washington, Congressional Republicans — and at least one Democrat — immediately praised Trump after he announced his fateful attack order.

“Well done, President Trump,” Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina posted on X. Texas Sen. John Cornyn called it a “courageous and correct decision.” Alabama Sen. Katie Britt called the bombings “strong and surgical.”
Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin posted: “America first, always.”

The Senate Armed Services Committee chairman, Roger Wicker of Mississippi, said Trump “has made a deliberate — and correct — decision to eliminate the existential threat posed by the Iranian regime.”

Wicker posted on X that “we now have very serious choices ahead to provide security for our citizens and our allies.”

The quick endorsements of stepped up US involvement in Iran came after Trump had publicly mulled the strikes for days and many congressional Republicans had cautiously said they thought he would make the right decision. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Saturday evening that “as we take action tonight to ensure a nuclear weapon remains out of reach for Iran, I stand with President Trump and pray for the American troops and personnel in harm’s way.”

Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, were briefed ahead of the strikes on Saturday, according to people familiar with the situation and granted anonymity to discuss it.

Johnson said in a statement that the military operations “should serve as a clear reminder to our adversaries and allies that President Trump means what he says.”

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rick Crawford, R-Arkansas, said he had also been in touch with the White House and “I am grateful to the US servicemembers who carried out these precise and successful strikes.”

Breaking from many of his Democratic colleagues, Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, an outspoken supporter of Israel, also praised the attacks on Iran. “As I’ve long maintained, this was the correct move by @POTUS,” he posted. “Iran is the world’s leading sponsor of terrorism and cannot have nuclear capabilities.”

Both parties have seen splits in recent days over the prospect of striking Iran. Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie, a Republican and a longtime opponent of US involvement in foreign wars, posted on X after Trump announced the attacks that “This is not Constitutional.”

Many Democrats have maintained that Congress should have a say. The Senate was scheduled to vote as soon as this week on a resolution by Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine requiring congressional approval before the US declared war on Iran or took specific military action.

Connecticut Rep. Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House intelligence panel, posted on X after Trump’s announcement: “According to the Constitution we are both sworn to defend, my attention to this matter comes BEFORE bombs fall. Full stop.”


Exhibitions at Prophet’s Mosque bring Islamic heritage to life

The exhibitions enrich the visitor experience with historical and cultural insights reflecting Islamic heritage. (SPA)
Updated 22 June 2025
Follow

Exhibitions at Prophet’s Mosque bring Islamic heritage to life

  • The Rare Manuscripts exhibition in annex 204 of the southern courtyards, which is open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., showcases “historical manuscripts, documents, and inscriptions that trace the evolution of Islamic writing”

MADINAH: The corridors and courtyards of the Prophet’s Mosque feature “unique sites and exhibitions that enrich the visitor experience, offering historical and cultural insights that reflect Islamic heritage and Madinah’s hospitality,” according to an article published by the Saudi Press Agency on Saturday.

A key attraction is the Architectural Evolution of the Prophet’s Mosque exhibition, located on the southern courtyard opposite exits 308 and 309, which uses interactive displays to highlight the mosque’s architectural development. It is open daily from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Opposite exits 306 and 307 is the International Exhibition of the Prophet’s Biography. Open from 4:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. daily, it offers “a contemporary presentation of Prophet Muhammad’s life and teachings.”

The Rare Manuscripts exhibition in annex 204 of the southern courtyards, which is open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., showcases “historical manuscripts, documents, and inscriptions that trace the evolution of Islamic writing.”

The mosque’s library, at gate 10 on the western side, is open 24 hours a day and includes sections on manuscripts, rare books, audio archives, and art collections.

Near Uthman Gate, the Manuscripts and Rare Books Department serves researchers and enthusiasts. It houses more than 4,000 original manuscripts, nearly 60,000 digital copies, 4,600 photocopies, and 450 different editions of the Qur’an. It operates in two shifts: 8 a.m.–noon and 4–8 p.m.

“Together, these exhibitions and centers enhance the cultural and educational value of visiting the Prophet’s Mosque, offering pilgrims a more enriching experience,” the SPA stated.

 


New campaign urges Saudis to safeguard artifacts

Updated 21 June 2025
Follow

New campaign urges Saudis to safeguard artifacts

  • Nationwide effort aims to curb threats to heritage sites and artifacts

RIYADH: The Heritage Commission launched the “Aadat” national awareness campaign to enhance public understanding of the importance of Saudi antiquities.

The campaign underscores the vital role of artifacts in reinforcing the Kingdom’s cultural and national identity, reflecting the succession of civilizations across its land over millennia.

It is part of a broader series of initiatives by the commission to spotlight Saudi antiquities and raise awareness of threats they face, such as encroachments and illegal trafficking.

HIGHLIGHT

The campaign promotes the idea that protecting antiquities is a shared responsibility, rooted in a deep appreciation of their role in the nation’s cultural heritage.

The campaign promotes the idea that protecting antiquities is a shared responsibility, rooted in a deep appreciation of their role in the nation’s cultural heritage, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

It adopts a comprehensive approach using various media and outreach tools, including field campaigns in public areas, markets, malls, and universities across multiple regions.

The commission also plans to introduce interactive pavilions to showcase key archaeological sites and highlight the Kingdom’s geographical and cultural diversity.

It stressed that the campaign continues its ongoing efforts to safeguard artifacts, which are rich in symbolic and cultural meaning.

Each artifact, the commission noted, tells a story from the past, and its preservation is essential to maintaining the national memory for future generations.

The commission announced last week that 744 new archaeological sites have been added to the National Antiquities Register, raising the total to 10,061 across the Kingdom.

This milestone underscores the richness and diversity of Saudi Arabia’s cultural heritage and reflects the commission’s ongoing commitment to documenting and preserving these sites.

The newly registered sites are spread across several regions: Riyadh (253), Makkah (11), Madinah (167), Qassim (30), Eastern Province (13), Asir (64), Tabuk (72), Hail (13), Northern Borders (2), Jazan (23), Najran (86), and Jouf (10).

Stressing the importance of community involvement in heritage preservation, the commission urged citizens and residents to report unregistered sites via the Balagh platform, social media, or the Unified Security Operations Center at 911.

 


Saudi Arabia, France civil aviation authorities discuss boosting cooperation

Saudi and French civil aviation officials pose for a group photo in Paris. (SPA)
Updated 21 June 2025
Follow

Saudi Arabia, France civil aviation authorities discuss boosting cooperation

  • Discussions were held on mutual investment opportunities in aircraft design and assembly, as well as the incentives Saudi Arabia offers to attract high-quality investments in the aviation industry

PARIS: A delegation from the Saudi civil aviation sector, led by General Authority of Civil Aviation President Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al-Duailej, visited the Airbus factory in Toulouse, France, as part of the 55th Paris Air Show at Le Bourget, which ends on June 22.

The visit strengthens cooperation with France in areas such as manufacturing, technology transfer, and localization of the aerospace industry, Saudi Press Agency said in a report.

Discussions were held on mutual investment opportunities in aircraft design and assembly, as well as the incentives Saudi Arabia offers to attract high-quality investments in the aviation industry.