Saudi ICOMOS participates in the 45th session of the World Heritage Committee as an observer

The Saudi Committee of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (Saudi ICOMOS) participates in the expanded 45th session of the World Heritage Committee as an observer. This will take place during the event period from 10 to 25 September 2023 AD at the Al Faisaliah Hotel in the capital, Riyadh.

ICOMOS Saudi Arabia is represented at the event by the Chairman of the Board of Directors, Her Royal Highness Princess Nouf bint Mohammed bin Fahd bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi ICOMOS will also participate in the exhibition accompanying the session in the area displaying strategic partnership programs with the Royal Commission for AlUla Governorate.

This session highlights the deep cultural roots of Saudi heritage sites. And the continuous efforts aimed at transforming culture as a way of life and enhancing the civilizational dimension of Saudi culture nationally and globally. Towards achieving the goals of the National Strategy for Culture under the umbrella of Vision 2030.

The Kingdom’s hosting of the World Heritage Committee, which meets once a year, is a culmination of the exceptional efforts made by the Kingdom in preserving and supporting human heritage. It is a global achievement that culminates in the role of the Ministry of Culture, represented by the National Committee for Education, Culture and Science and the Heritage Authority.

The World Heritage Committee was established in 1972 AD after the member states of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) signed the World Heritage Convention. The Committee consists of representatives of 21 countries involved in the Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. They are elected by the General Assembly of the States Parties to the Convention.

The Committee’s primary tasks are to identify cultural and natural properties of outstanding universal value and monitor the state of conservation of properties included in the World Heritage List. In coordination with the States Parties to the Convention, and determine which properties inscribed on the World Heritage List will be inscribed or removed from the List of World Heritage in Danger, And studying requests for international assistance funded by the World Heritage Fund.