SAUDI ARABIA. The Royal Commission of AlUla Governorate (RCU) has signed a five-year-agreement with the Louvre Museum in Paris. It includes the display of a sculpture dating back to the Lihyanite period, which ran from the 7th Century BC until 24 BC.
[This story forms part of our new editorial focus on Saudi Arabia’s wider travel & tourism ecosytem*. All stories are archived in a dedicated section on our site here and we will be launching a dedicated website soon.]
Under the agreement, the Louvre will show the historical and cultural legacy of Saudi Arabia and AlUla, one of the oldest cities in the Arabian Peninsula and home to Hegra, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The agreement between the RCU and the Louvre will also embody the “vital partnership between Saudi Arabia and France in the cultural field”.
The Lihyanite sculpture – which has a height exceeding two metres – is made of sandstone that weighs more than 800kg, and has been affected by erosion factors through various times.
The sculpture shows the historical depth and cultural legacy of the antiquities in AlUla. That goes hand in hand with the RCU’s work, which seeks to preserve the area’s natural and cultural heritage while preparing AlUla to attract visitors from all over the world.
Among the most significant discoveries in all of AlUla is the city of Dadan, the capital of the Dadan and Lihyan kingdoms. The city, which was built meticulously from stone and astride the valley’s oasis, dates back between the late 9th and early 8th century BCE (Kingdom of Dadan) and 5th–2nd century BCE (Kingdom of Lihyan).
The excavation team at the site of Dadan is still carrying out its work with the aim of exploring more information about the civilisational history of the kingdom, which spanned for more than 2,500 years.
The RCU via its ‘The Journey Through Time’ master plan has announced the establishment of the ‘Kingdoms Institute’ in the Dadan area. The Kingdoms Institute will include seven main archaeological programmes and researches, including the preserving of rock art, languages, inscriptions, agriculture and sustainability in prehistoric times.
Note: For your complimentary subscription to Saudi Travel & Tourism Ecosystem each quarter, please email Kristyn@MoodieDavittReport.com headed ‘Saudi Report’.
