RIYADH: Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdul Aziz, president and chairman of the board of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH), on Monday visited the THajj archaeological project in Jubail in the Eastern Province to see how excavation works are advancing.
“The Kingdom is one of the richest countries in the world in terms of heritage and cultural depth,” he said the added, “New, unique archaeological discoveries are found here every day.”
He added that the archaeological discoveries found in Thaj are met with great global interest, especially since archaeologists believe Thaj is most likely the capital of Gerrha, a very famous ancient kingdom.
The SCTH chief expressed his pride in the great role of the people at the Thaj project in preserving this site, in which unique discoveries are being found until this very day.
He also announced that a center for tourists and visitors will be established near the archaeological site, presenting advanced and innovative methods, the most prominent finds, archaeological inscriptions and unique relics.
He looked at several of the relics found in Thaj, as well as 3D images, pottery vessels and jewelry that date back seven centuries.
Prince Sultan bin Salman also visited the scientific team in their offices and the lab in which samples are being studied.
A Saudi-French mission, which is part of the scientific cooperation program with universities and local and international research centers, continues the excavation work at the Thaj site based on a five-year agreement between the Department of Antiquities and Museums at SCTH and Leiden University in the Netherlands, with the participation of the French National Center for Scientific Research.
The Saudi excavation team is headed by Mahmoud Al-Hajjri while the Dutch team is led by Ahmed Al-Jallad, and the French team is led by Jerome Romere.
