UNESCO considers including Al Ahsa Oasis as World Heritage Site

Saudi Arabia's Al Ahsa Oasis is among the 30 sites that UNESCO will be considering for World Heritage Site status as the committee meets in Bahrain this week (until July 4).

One of the largest palm tree oases in the world, Al Ahsa stretches across 379 kilometers and is currently listed under UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network.

Saudi Arabia submitted last year its bid for registration of Al Ahsa in the UNESCO’s World Heritage site, noting the oasis as an important geographical and strategic location that played a major role in the regional history since ancient times.

Sites granted official UNESCO status often witness and increase in the number of visitors, which falls in line with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 reforms plans to boost tourism sector.

The UNESCO World Heritage Committee will also be considering the proposal from the United Arab Emirates to officially recognize Dubai Creek as a Heritage Site.

The committee will also examine the state of conservation of 157 sites already inscribed on the List, 54 of which are on the List of World Heritage in Danger.

Argaam takes a look at Saudi Arabia’s four sites that already hold World Heritage status:

1) Archaeological Site of Al-Hijr

Al-Hijr was included in 2008, making it the first World Heritage property to be inscribed in Saudi Arabia. Earlier known as Hegra, it is the largest conserved site of the civilization of the Nabataeans south of Petra in Jordan. It features well-preserved monumental tombs with decorated facades dating from the 1st century BC to the 1st century AD, according to the UNESCO website.

2) At-Turaif District in ad-Dir'iyah

Located northwest of Saudi Arabia’s present-day capital Riyadh, At-Turaif was the first capital of the Saudi Dynasty. At-Turaif was founded in the 15th Century and includes the Najdi architectural style, which is specific to the center of the Arabian Peninsula, the UNESCO says. The site was recognized by UNESCO in 2010.

3) Historic Jeddah, the Gate to Makkah

Included in 2014, Historic Jeddah gains importance as a major port for Indian Ocean trade routes, channeling goods to Makkah. It was also the gateway for Muslim pilgrims to Makkah who arrived by sea.

“These twin roles saw the city develop into a thriving multicultural center, characterized by a distinctive architectural tradition, including tower houses built in the late 19th century, and combining Red Sea coastal coral building traditions with influences and crafts from along the trade routes,” the UNESCO says.

4) Rock Art in the Hail Region

This property, included by UNESCO in 2015, has two components situated in a desert landscape: Jabel Umm Sinman at Jubbah and the Jabal al-Manjor and Raat at Shuwaymis.

“The ancestors of today’s Arab populations have left traces of their passages in numerous petroglyphs and inscriptions on the rock face,” the UNESCO says. “Jabal al-Manjor and Raat form the rocky escarpment of a wadi now covered in sand. They show numerous representations of human and animal figures covering 10,000 years of history.”

Photos courtesy of unesco.org

Write to Nadeshda Zareen at nadeshda.zareen@argaamplus.com