RIYADH: The Kingdom participated in a Belt and Road forum held in Beijing, the Saudi Press Agency reported, with officials from both sides discussing cooperation, experiences and shared interests in the fields of archaeology and transport.
The Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation is a chance for countries to pitch for investment in a massive infrastructure project aimed at connecting China with the rest of the world.
The Department of Antiquities and Museums at the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH) was part of the Kingdom’s delegation.
It reviewed the outcome of excavation work at the Sarin archaeological site south of Al-Lith through a workshop hosted by the China National Center of Underwater Cultural Heritage, with the participation of Abdullah Al-Zahrani, general director of archaeological researches and studies at SCTH.
Al-Zahrani highlighted the most prominent excavation works carried out in the past three years at the Sarin site, which houses ancient hills that are completely covered by sand and buildings. “Parts of pots made of different materials in various shapes are scattered on those hills, in addition to metal pieces, mainly coins and jewelry.”
Jiang Bong, head of the Chinese expedition team, talked about the most important findings of the excavation works.
“We have found pieces of broken Chinese porcelain that date back to different eras, which indicates that the site is an important commercial site on the Maritime Silk Road and confirms that ancient China had close maritime communication with the Arabian Peninsula and the Red Sea,” he said at the workshop.
President of the China National Center of Underwater Cultural Heritage, Waing Daimen, said that the Saudi-Chinese expedition had contributed to an exchange between the two countries in the field of archaeological excavation. He described the Sarin project as one of the most important international cooperative research projects carried out by China.
The workshop also touched on the most important Arab sources documenting the arrival of Chinese trade and pilgrimage ships to Arab ports on the Arabian Gulf and the Red Sea.
Another part of the Saudi delegation at the forum represented the Kingdom’s transport and logistics interests.
Nabeel Al-Amoudi, the Saudi minister of transport, visited the Port of Shanghai along with the chairman of the Public Transport Authority, Dr. Rumaih Al-Rumaih.
Al-Amoudi examined the latest container-handling technologies and discussed the possibility of transferring these operational experiences to Saudi ports, which could promote the Kingdom’s shipping industry.
Al-Amoudi stressed Saudi Arabia’s desire to promote cooperation with China.