JEDDAH: Al-Ahsa Oasis in the Eastern Province has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, Prince Sultan bin Salman, president of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH), said on Friday.
The decision was made during meetings of the World Heritage Committee in Bahrain’s capital Manama.
Al-Ahsa Oasis is the fifth Saudi site to join UNESCO’s World Heritage list following Madain Saleh (2008), Tarif neighborhood in Diriyah (2010), Historic Jeddah (2014), and the Rock art in the Hail region (2015).
Prince Sultan thanked King Salman for his constant keenness to register Saudi historic sites as World Heritage sites, and for the special care he gives to the country’s national heritage.
Prince Sultan also thanked Eastern Province Gov. Prince Saud bin Nayef bin Abdul Aziz, Al-Ahsa Gov. Prince Badr bin Mohammed Al-Jalawi, and Al-Ahsa Mayor Adel Al-Mulhim.
Prince Sultan praised the people of Al-Ahsa for their keenness to restore its historical and cultural status as one of Saudi Arabia’s most important inhabited cities dating back to the 5th millennium BC. Al-Ahsa has been known throughout history for its agricultural practices and irrigation systems, he said.
Al-Ahsa is the largest date-palm oasis in the world, with about 3 million trees. It is particularly famous for the khalasah date — known in Saudi Arabia as khlas — which is routinely named in polls as the best date in the world.
Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ahsa desert oasis becomes UNESCO World Heritage site
Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ahsa desert oasis becomes UNESCO World Heritage site
- Al-Ahsa Oasis is the fifth Saudi site to join UNESCO’s World Heritage list following Madain Saleh (2008), Tarif neighborhood in Diriyah (2010), Historic Jeddah (2014), and the Rock art in the Hail region (2015)
- Al-Ahsa has been known throughout history for its agricultural practices and irrigation systems
King Abdulaziz Foundation reveals rare images from king’s 1916 Basra visit
- Photographs form part of a wider collection documented by British photographer Gertrude Bell
RIYADH: The King Abdulaziz Foundation has revealed archival photographs documenting King Abdulaziz’s tour of the outskirts of Basra in 1916, a visit that came at an early stage of his efforts to build regional relationships.
One of the photographs, taken by British photographer Gertrude Bell, shows King Abdulaziz standing with his men in the Basra desert, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The image reflects his early political and diplomatic engagement in the region, as he sought to strengthen ties with neighboring areas and engage with the wider Arab and international community, SPA added.
The photograph forms part of a wider collection documented by Bell, which records key developments and transformations across the Arabian Peninsula during the early 20th century.
The Basra visit holds particular significance in King Abdulaziz’s journey as a unifying leader.
Rather than crossing borders in pursuit of power, the visit reflected an approach focused on stability, cooperation and long-term regional harmony, laying the groundwork for a leadership style defined by pragmatism and openness, SPA said.
