Saudi Arabia’s Unesco World Heritage Sites

ICYMI, another site in Saudi Arabia has been inscribed into the UNESCO World Heritage Site List this year. 🙌🏼 URUQ BANI MA’ARID, a vast expanse of desert 🏜️ with a wide range of wildlife habitants including the Arabian Onyx and Arabian Sand Gazelle, is the seventh site in Saudi Arabia to be included. 🙌🏼🏜️☀️🇸🇦

Yes, there are already seven sites in the Kingdom inscribed in the list. We’ve been to 4 out 7. Kayo ba? Certified gala much? Just culture vultures and travel enthusiasts, yasss! ✈️🌄

🇵🇭 FYI too, the Philippines has 6 sites including the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, Rice Terraces of the Cordilleras, and the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River. ⛰️

What does it mean to be on the list of Unesco World Heritage SITES? 

World Heritage is the designation for places on Earth that are of outstanding universal value to humanity and as such, have been inscribed on the World Heritage List to be protected for future generations to appreciate and enjoy.

HEGRA ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE

• Date of Inscription: 2008
• The first World Heritage property to be inscribed in Saudi Arabia. Formerly known as Madain Saleh, Hegra is the largest conserved site of civilization of the Nabataeans south of Petra in Jordan. It has monumental tombs with decorated facades dating from the 1st cenntury BC to the 1st century AD.
• More Info: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1293

AT-TURAIF DISTRICT in AD-DIRIYAH

• Date of Inscription: 2010
• The first capital of the Saudi Dynasty founded in the 15th century
• More Info: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1329

HISTORIC JEDDAH, THE GATE TO MAKKAH

• Date of Inscription: 2014
• Established as a major port for Indian Ocean trade routes that channel goods to Mecca, Jeddah also serves as a gateway for Muslim pilgrims to Mecca who arrived by sea (and now by air too).
• More Info: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1361

ROCK ART in HAIL REGION OF SAUDI ARABIA

• Date of Inscription: 2015
• Two components in a desert landscape Jabel Umm Sinman at Jubbah and the Jabal al-Manjor and Raat at Shuwaymis filled with numerous petroglyphs and inscriptions on the rock face
• More Info: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1472

AL-AHSA OASIS, AN EVOLVING CULTURAL LANDSCAPE

• Date of Inscription: 2018
• An oasis in the eastern Arabian Peninsula comprising of gardens, canals, springs, wells and a drainage lake as well as historical buildings, urban fabric, and archaeological sites
• More Info: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1563

HIMA CULTURAL AREA

• Date of Inscription: 2021
• Located in an arid, mountainous area of southwest Saudi Arabia, Hima contains substantial collection of rock art images.
• More Info: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1619

URUQ BANI MA’ARID

• Date of Inscription: 2023
• A great expanse of windblown sand in Ar Rub’ a-Khali with a wide range of wildlife habitats including the Arabian Onyx and Arabian Sand Gazelle
• More Info: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1699