Khuzam Palace: It is not clear when Khuzam Palace was built, but it is estimated to have been the work of Imam Saud bin Abdul Aziz in 1805. Located in the southwestern entrance to Hofuf, it offered military protection for Bedouin traders passing by Al-Ahsa to buy supplies and trade.
The palace is considered to be smaller than the Palace of Ibrahim in Al-Ahsa’s Al-Kutt. The entrance is located in the middle of the northern outer wall with a corner for security guards and a square tower erected above it.
The lower parts of the outer wall were restored in 1988 and there are corridors from the top for monitoring and openings for soldiers to fire in cases of emergency.
The palace has six towers in total, three on the north side and three more on the south side made up of two stories. The towers are circular, except for the middle northern tower, which is rectangular shaped.
The General Authority for Tourism and National Heritage in Al-Ahsa is protecting historical sites in the governorate with surveillance cameras to guard against graffiti attacks on its walls.
Khalid bin Ahmed Al-Farida, director of the Tourism Authority in Al-Ahsa, visited the historic palace to inspect restoration and rehabilitation work on the walls.
People convicted of defacing or damaging archaeological or heritage sites face jail terms of up to a year and a fine of up to SR100,000 ($27,000).
ThePlace: Khuzam Palace in Hofuf
ThePlace: Khuzam Palace in Hofuf
- The General Authority for Tourism and National Heritage in Al-Ahsa is protecting historical sites in the governorate
Saudi deputy FM attends OIC ministers’ meeting on Somalia situation
JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Waleed Elkhereiji has reaffirmed the Kingdom’s full support for Somalia’s sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity, while strongly rejecting any actions that undermine the country’s stability.
Speaking at an extraordinary meeting of foreign ministers from member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Elkhereiji condemned the declaration of mutual recognition between Israeli occupation authorities and the Somaliland region, describing it as a unilateral separatist move that violated international law, the UN Charter and the OIC Charter.
He stressed the Kingdom’s categorical rejection of any attempts to impose parallel entities that contradict Somalia’s unity and territorial integrity, or that seek to divide or diminish its sovereignty. Elkhereiji also reiterated Saudi Arabia’s support for Somalia’s legitimate state institutions and its commitment to preserving the country’s stability and the security of its people.
Elkhereiji called on the OIC and its member states to adopt a firm and unified Islamic position rejecting any recognition of, or engagement with, separatist entities in Somalia. He urged coordinated action in international forums to affirm Somalia’s unity and prevent what he described as dangerous precedents that could threaten the sovereignty of OIC member states.
He further called for holding the Israeli entity fully responsible for any political or security consequences resulting from such actions, and for rejecting any cooperation arising from the declaration of mutual recognition.
During the meeting, he also reiterated the Kingdom’s position on the Palestinian cause, emphasizing its centrality and Saudi Arabia’s support for efforts to secure a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. He said this would enable the Palestinian people to exercise their right to self-determination and establish an independent state along the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
