Heritage in Saudi Arabia is diverse due to its geographical location, as it has been a cradle of many ancient kingdoms and civilizations and has long been considered a center of global commerce as various intercontinental trade routes pass through via the Red Sea in the west and the Arabian Gulf in the east. These routes include the movement of peoples along the Gulf shores, the seasonal migrations of nomads, and the Hajj.
Saudi Arabia uses the norms adopted by global organizations and bodies in defining heritage and classifying it, including what has been mentioned in the 1972 UNESCO Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, which considers monuments, groups of buildings, and sites (whether manmade or a composite of nature and human labor) as the components of international cultural heritage. [1] The Law of Antiquities, Museums and Urban Heritage issued by Royal Decree No. M/3 in 2014 also distinguishes between urban heritage and archeological sites. The term Intangible Cultural Heritage, as defined by the 2003 UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, [2] was not as common in Saudi Arabia as the term “popular heritage” or “folk heritage,” which was widely used until 2008 when Saudi Arabia ratified UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage List. This was the starting point for the widespread usage of the term “intangible heritage.” [3] Cultural heritage can be divided into two parts: Tangible Cultural Heritage, which includes monuments, urban heritage, and archeological sites, and Intangible Cultural Heritage, which includes oral arts, literature and expression, performing arts, social practices, rituals and celebrations, traditional arts and artisanship, and knowledge and practices related to nature and the universe.
The Proclamation of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity was made by the Director-General of UNESCO starting in 2001 to raise awareness of intangible cultural heritage and encourage local communities to protect them and the local people who sustain these forms of cultural expressions. Several manifestations of intangible heritage around the world were awarded the title of Masterpieces to recognize the value of the non-material component of culture, as well as entail the commitment of states to promote and safeguard the Masterpieces. Further proclamations occurred biennially. In 2008, the 90 previously proclaimed Masterpieces were incorporated into the new Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity as its first entries.
Cultural heritage is the heritage of tangible and intangible heritage assets of a group or society that is inherited from past generations. Not all heritages of past generations are "heritage"; rather, heritage is a product of selection by society.
An intangible cultural heritage (ICH) is a practice, representation, expression, knowledge, or skill considered by UNESCO to be part of a place's cultural heritage. Buildings, historic places, monuments, and artifacts are cultural property. Intangible heritage consists of nonphysical intellectual wealth, such as folklore, customs, beliefs, traditions, knowledge, and language. Intangible cultural heritage is considered by member states of UNESCO in relation to the tangible World Heritage focusing on intangible aspects of culture. In 2001, UNESCO made a survey among States and NGOs to try to agree on a definition, and the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage was drafted in 2003 for its protection and promotion.
The World Heritage Convention, formally the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, is an international treaty signed on 23 November 1972, which created the World Heritage Sites, with the primary goals of nature conservation and the preservation of cultural properties. The convention, a signed document of international agreement, guides the work of the World Heritage Committee. It was developed over a seven-year period (1965–1972).
The Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage is a UNESCO treaty adopted by the UNESCO General Conference on 17 October 2003.
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