 | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | July 2017 |
| Type | Government agency |
| Jurisdiction | Government of Saudi Arabia |
| Agency executives |
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| Website | www |
The Royal Commission for Al-Ula (RCU) is a Saudi commission was established in July 2017 to preserve and develop the 2,000-year-old archaeological and historical site of Al-Ula north-western Saudi Arabia. [2] [3] [4]
Al-Ula is the home of The Archaeological Site of Hegra (Madâin Sâlih), the largest conserved site of the civilization of the Nabataeans which is the first UNESCO World Heritage property to be inscribed in Saudi Arabia. [5]
On April 10, 2018, an agreement of cooperation was signed between Saudi Arabia and France to develop the site and transform it to a cultural site with the purpose to open the site to the regional and international visitors. [2] the major components of the agreement were associated with the cultural, heritage, natural, tourism, human and economic development of Al-Ula and including preservation and planning of the archaeological and architectural heritage. [2]
The RCU organizes a scholarship program where many Saudi students are sent to different universities in USA, UK, France and Australia. Under this scholarship, students study subjects related to the areas of hospitality, tourism, agriculture, archaeology and heritage. [6] In 2019, 156 students, preparing for bachelor, master or PhD, are enrolled in the program that aims at enabling Saudi youth in general and residents of Ula in particular to work in the flourishing area. [6]
The Royal Commission for AlUla has concluded a partnership agreement with Ferrandi-Paris School to provide cooking training courses to chefs of AlUla. The trained chefs will then work during Tantourah Winter Festival to serve guests. [7]
Al-Ula is an ancient Arabic oasis city located in Medina Province, Saudi Arabia. Situated in the Hejaz, a region that features prominently in the history of Islam as well as several pre-Islamic Semitic civilizations, al-‘Ulā was a market city on the historic incense route that linked India and the Persian Gulf to the Levant and Europe.
Hegra, also known as Mada’in Salih, is an archaeological site located in the area of Al-'Ula within Medina Province in the Hejaz region, Saudi Arabia. A majority of the remains date from the Nabataean Kingdom. The site constitutes the kingdom's southernmost and second largest city after Petra, its capital city. Traces of Lihyanite and Roman occupation before and after the Nabatean rule, respectively, can also be found.
Saudi Arabia is the second biggest tourist destination in the Middle East with over 16 million visiting in 2017. Although most tourism in Saudi Arabia still largely involves religious pilgrimages, there is growth in the leisure tourism sector. As the tourism sector has been largely boosted lately, the sector is expected to a significant industry for Saudi Arabia, reducing its dependence on oil revenues. This is proved as tourism sector is expected to generate $25 billion in 2019. Potential tourist areas include the Hijaz and Sarawat Mountains, Red Sea diving and a number of ancient ruins.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Saudi Arabia:
Thirteen ancient towns have been discovered in Saudi Arabia up to the present day. These include Qaryat al-Fāw, the Al-Ukhdūd archeological area, Hegra, Jubbah, Tārūt, Al-Shuwayḥaṭiyah, Thāj, Taimaa and Dūmat Al-Jandal. There are still more ancient towns in Saudi Arabia, but little information is currently available on them. Saudi Arabia occupies a unique and distinctive geographic location, bridging civilizations between continents. In ancient times the Arabian peninsula served as a corridor for trade; therefore it saw the beginning of many civilizations, the relics of which are still evident today. The Saudi government has recently established the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities, which is responsible for the preservation of these cities.
The She-Camel of God in Islam was a miraculous female camel sent by God to the people of Thamud in Al-Hijr, after they demanded a miracle from the prophet Salih. The narrative and story of the she-camel is recorded in the Quran, particularly in the sura Al Hejr.
AlUla International Airport, formerly Prince Abdul Majeed bin Abdulaziz International Airport, is an airport located 25 kilometres (16 mi) southeast of Al-Ula, Saudi Arabia. It was named after Prince Abdul Majeed bin Abdulaziz. The airport was established on 31 October 2011.
Bader bin Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Farhan Al Saud is a Saudi Arabian businessman and politician who is a member of the Saudi royal family and the inaugural Saudi Arabian minister of culture. He is in charge of various key positions directly related to the execution of Saudi Vision 2030. Prior to his appointment as minister of culture, he was the chairman of the Saudi Research and Marketing Group. He was also appointed Governor of the Royal Commission for AlUla Governorate in July 2017.
Rijal Almaa or Rijal Almaʽa is a village located in the Rijal Almaa province, 'Asir Region, Saudi Arabia. It is about 50 km (31 mi) west of Abha, in the southwest of Saudi Arabia. The village is more than 900 years old. The village had an ideal location through which it linked the people coming from Yemen and the Levant through the Holy City of Makkah and Medina. As a result, it became a regional trade center.
At-Turaif is a historic district located in Ad-Dir'iyah, north-west of Riyadh. It is regarded as one of the more important political and historical sites in Saudi Arabia, as it represented the capital of Saudi dynasty. It was the original home of the Saudi royal family and was the country's first capital from 1727 until Ottoman control of the area in 1818.
The Saudi Heritage Preservation Society (SHPS) is a Saudi charitable society established on 17 May 2010 and concerned with the preservation of national heritage where the constituent meeting was held in the National Museum of Saudi Arabia. It has been registered by UNESCO as an international nongovernmental organization in safeguarding heritage.
The Winter at Tantora Festival is an annual cultural festival held in the old town of Al-'Ula, Medina, located in northwestern Saudi Arabia. The first festival began on 21 December 2018, and was running a series of eight-weekend concerts for world-class musicians. In addition to this, the festival also features other activities and events. The festival's second edition began on 19 December 2019, and a third edition is currently in the works.
The Ministry of Tourism, before 2020 as the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH), till 2015 as the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) and prior to 2008 as the Supreme Commission for Tourism (SCT), is a government ministry in Saudi Arabia that is concerned with the tourism sector of the country. Established in the year 2000 through a royal decree by King Fahd, it was transformed into a ministry in 2020.
Laura Alho is a Finnish-origin, Riyadh-based travel blogger, writer and photographer. She is the founder of Blue Abaya, the first travel blog in Saudi Arabia, which she launched in 2010. Her work as a writer and photographer has been published in various magazines and media outlets, including National Geographic, Saudi Gazette and Arab News. She is also the first European woman to have received her driving license in Saudi Arabia.
The Lihyanite King Statue is a statue likely depicting an ancient Lihyanite king. The sandstone statue, dating back to the fifth to third centuries BCE, weighs 800 kg and measures 2.3 meters in height. The statue was discovered at the Dadan archaeological site in AlUla, north-west Saudi Arabia.
Museum culture within Saudi Arabia can be traced back to 1945, when the Kingdom participated in the founding of the United Nations Educational Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and signed the Cultural Treaty of the Arab League which emphasizes, in Article 10, the need to focus on the field of antiquities in the Arab world. Plans for museums began at the first archaeological conferences held by the Arab League Educational, Cultural, and Scientific Organisation (ALESCO).
