Royal Commission for AlUla and UNESCO announce partnership to share Saudi Arabia's rich cultural heritage with the world
PR92955
PARIS, November 10 2021 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/ --
Royal Commission for AlUla and UNESCO announce partnership to share Saudi
Arabia's rich cultural heritage with the world
- Recently signed in Paris, the new agreement is part of RCU and UNESCO's
inclusive cultural development plan to engage with local and worldwide
communities
- Newly announced partnership acts as a roadmap to showcase the introduction of
Saudi Arabia and AlUla's physical and intangible heritage on the global stage
- Partnership to set new benchmark in heritage conservation, education &
capacity building, nature and creative arts in AlUla
/PRNewswire/ -- The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) today signed a long-term
strategic partnership with UNESCO to preserve and promote a cultural landscape
of outstanding natural and historical significance in North-West Saudi Arabia.
Signed at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, the agreement accelerates the
ongoing cultural and socio-economic renaissance of AlUla by further protecting
its historical, natural and cultural sites as well as its local culture, by
fostering capacity building and knowledge transfer with experts from around the
world joining RCU efforts to transform AlUla into a benchmark destination for
heritage, nature, arts & culture.
The partnership was signed by HH Prince Badr bin Abdullah Al-Saud, Governor of
RCU and Minister of Culture of Saudi Arabia, with Audrey Azoulay, Director
General, UNESCO; HH Princess Haifa AlMogrin, Ambassador, Saudi Arabia's
Permanent Delegation to UNESCO, and Amr AlMadani, CEO of RCU.
Audrey Azoulay, Director General, UNESCO declared: "The relationship between
Saudi Arabia and UNESCO builds on a long history that extends back to 1946,
when the Kingdom became a Member State of our Organization. Today, cooperation
between UNESCO and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is taking another important step
forward, with a view to accompanying a major transformation of the AlUla
region."
HH Prince Badr bin Abdullah Al-Saud, Governor of RCU and Minister of Culture of
the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia said: "It is the vision of His Royal Highness
Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, to transform AlUla
into a global destination for heritage, nature, arts & culture. The signing of
this first-of-its-kind agreement is another significant moment in our journey
towards reaching these ambitions and building upon the enduring relationship
that exists between Saudi Arabia, RCU and UNESCO. Aligned with Saudi Arabia's
Vision 2030 plans and UN Sustainable Development Goals, this partnership will
connect AlUla's past, present and future by harnessing the power of education,
science and culture to act as a catalyst for sustainable development model and
long-lasting change."
HH Princess Haifa AlMogrin, Ambassador, Saudi Arabia's Permanent Delegation to
UNESCO said: "The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is home to some of the most unique
and culturally significant heritage sites, of which AlUla is the most iconic
and inspiring. As a global institution that celebrates and protects cultural
and heritage diversity, UNESCO will be instrumental in helping to advance RCU's
commitment to fulfil the potential of the AlUla region, its people, landmarks
and natural environment through diverse development and economic programmes
that reflect Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 and UNESCO's efforts towards
Sustainable Development."
Amr AlMadani, CEO of RCU said: "Mutually beneficial partnerships and alliances
are essential to our strategy and demonstrate an open and engaged dialogue that
amplifies AlUla's heritage status and show culture's capacity to be an engine
for sustainable and long-term development. The alignment of RCU, UNESCO and
Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 is powering growth, fostering intellectual, cultural
and scientific exchange and enabling wisdom to grow on a global scale in full
alignment with the 17 UN's Sustainable Development Goals. Our motive for
protecting and evolving AlUla is to help bring it to the world, to develop
shared knowledge, grow understanding of AlUla's past and anticipation of its
future by establishing it as a destination of global prominence for visitors
and residents alike, in partnership with UNESCO."
AlUla tells the story of 200,000 years of human history. It has been home to
ancient civilisations, including the Dadanties, Lihyanites and Nabateans who
each left their indelible imprint on the area, most clearly preserved in grand
tombs carved into the mountains.
The partnership will see the implementation of knowledge-based initiatives to
transform sustainably and responsibly the cultural, heritage and natural
landscape of AlUla and establish this vast swathe of north-west Saudi Arabia as
the world's largest living museum.
AlUla's development will establish it as a unique destination home to a
culturally rich local population who are empowered to interact with and inspire
visitors through informed story telling.
Leading academics from across the globe will be invited to explore AlUla
through immersive opportunities designed to unlock the secrets of ancient
languages and societies that are captured in time in AlUla.
RCU will work alongside UNESCO and global experts on key programmes including:
Memory of the World, focused on the preservation of documentary heritage.
UNESCO-Kingdoms Institute Fellowships Programme, for researching, preserving,
promoting and transmitting heritage.
The jewel in Saudi Arabia's heritage crown, AlUla is part of the Kingdom's
Vision 2030 plan to unlock its vast cultural, tourism and economic potential.
UNESCO and Vision 2030's Agenda for Sustainable Development are strategically
aligned to promote education, culture and science as a powerful platform to
stimulate economic opportunities, job creation and growth.
Spanning the next five years and focused on 10 programmes, the new partnership
includes the listing of new natural and cultural sites under UNESCO's taxonomy
to protect and promote local heritage and natural landscape and ecosystems. Key
sectors that will shape this include heritage conservation, education and
capacity building, nature and creative arts, with local people as the main
beneficiaries of AlUla's development.
Helping to open up the long-hidden potential, knowledge and unique culture that
make up Saudi Arabia's identity and heritage, AlUla will act as a laboratory
for sustainable development models and conservation practices while also
enabling UNESCO to increase its footprint in the region.
The agreement builds on a long history of collaboration between Saudi Arabia
and UNESCO that extends back to 1946 when the Kingdom was one of 20 countries
to ratify the UNESCO constitution. Over the years this relationship has
continued to thrive and develop in both directions; UNESCO designated Hegra in
AlUla as Saudi Arabia's first World Heritage Site in 2008, KSA became a member
of UNESCO's Executive Committee in 2019 and was elected to UNESCO's Intangible
Cultural Heritage Committee for the first time in 2020.
Note to editors:
It is always AlUla / not Al-Ula
About the Royal Commission for AlUla
The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) was established by royal decree in July
2017 to preserve and develop AlUla, a region of outstanding natural and
cultural significance in north-west Saudi Arabia. RCU's long-term plan outlines
a responsible, sustainable, and sensitive approach to urban and economic
development, that preserves the area's natural and historic heritage, while
establishing AlUla as a desirable location to live, work, and visit. This
encompasses a broad range of initiatives across archaeology, tourism, culture,
education, and the arts, reflecting a commitment to meeting the economic
diversification, local community empowerment, and heritage preservation
priorities of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 programme.
About UNESCO
UNESCO is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
It seeks to build peace through international cooperation in Education, the
Sciences and Culture. UNESCO's programmes contribute to the achievement of the
Sustainable Development Goals defined in Agenda 2030, adopted by the UN General
Assembly in 2015.
Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1684360/AlUla_Image_of_Hegra.jpg
Photo -
https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1684361/AlUla_Signing_of_partnership.jpg
Source: The Royal Commission for AlUla
本プレスリリースは発表元が入力した原稿をそのまま掲載しております。また、プレスリリースへのお問い合わせは発表元に直接お願いいたします。
このプレスリリースには、報道機関向けの情報があります。
プレス会員登録を行うと、広報担当者の連絡先や、イベント・記者会見の情報など、報道機関だけに公開する情報が閲覧できるようになります。