Qasr Al-Farid, in Madain Saleh in the AlUla governorate, is a unique place — a tomb with the largest facade in the archeological site, measuring about 13.85 meters. In 2008, Madain Saleh was selected as one of UNESCO’s historic heritage sites, making it the first World Heritage property to be inscribed in Saudi Arabia.
Qasr Al-Farid is the only tomb whose facade is decorated with four columns topped by a single Nabataea crown instead of two. Because it stands alone in the open, is called Al-Farid, which means “unique.”
The tomb is intriguing, as it was never completed, nor was it ever used as such; there are no traces of burial sites within it.
This photograph was taken by Nasir Al-Nasir as part of the Colors of Saudi collection.
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ThePlace: Qasr Al-Farid, in Mada’in Salih, Saudi Arabia’s first World Heritage Site
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ThePlace: Qasr Al-Farid, in Mada’in Salih, Saudi Arabia’s first World Heritage Site
- Qasr Al-Farid is the only tomb whose facade is decorated with four columns topped by a single Nabataea crown instead of two
Princess Reema’s Wave unveils ocean regeneration platform
- Upgraded platform provides deeper, more comprehensive data on the state of the world’s oceans and the impact of human activity
- Features an enhanced user experience, including an integrated tool powered by artificial intelligence
JEDDAH: Wave, powered by the Future Investment Initiative Institute and founded by Princess Reema Bandar Al-Saud, has unveiled version 2.0 of its Ocean Central data platform, oceancentral.org.
The upgraded platform provides deeper, more comprehensive data on the state of the world’s oceans and the impact of human activity.
It features an enhanced user experience, including an integrated tool powered by artificial intelligence, to guide users through queries and analysis. A new ocean news section also offers English-language summaries of the latest ocean-related developments and reports from around the world.
“The evolution of Ocean Central moves us a step closer to our collective goal of ‘Ocean Regeneration within a Human Generation’,” said Princess Reema.
“The future of our oceans depends on advances in accurate data, allocating resources more strategically and making informed decisions that protect marine environments, and Ocean Central plays an important role in enabling us to focus efforts.”
The enhanced platform will be on show at the 13th annual World Ocean Summit, organized by Economist Impact, which takes place in Montreal from March 4-5. The event brings together international government ministers, policymakers, investors and business leaders from sectors including shipping, energy and tourism.
The platform integrates global targets from the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the Paris Agreement. It monitors progress towards these goals, highlights successful initiatives and identifies critical knowledge gaps.
Wave is a collective action platform dedicated to restoring a thriving ocean by 2050. Powered by the Future Investment Initiative Institute, it delivers targeted interventions across four pillars — engagement, insights, sectoral activation and innovation — to advance ocean regeneration.
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