Four hisorical sites in Saudi Arabia being converted into open museums

Saudi Arabia offers both natural and historical marvels, from Taif and Nabatean tombs to coral reefs of Red Sea

SAUDI ARABIA: Four historical sites in Saudi Arabia are being converted into open museums, a project undertaken by the Saudi Commission for Tourism (SCTA), the Al-Hayat daily reported.

Historical tourism in Saudi Arabia is on the rise, according to Generel Secretary of SCTA Abdullatif Al-Bunyan.

Saudi Arabia offers both natural and historical marvels, from the mountainous Taif and the ancient Nabatean tombs to the multicolored coral reefs of the Red Sea, the Saudi embassy stated, adding that there is a new emphasis on tourism.

“The Eastern Province has invested more than SR11 million in the tourism industry and has attracted seven million tourists so far. The commission has discovered a number of historical sites in the province, the most recent one being an architectural heritage site north Al-Rakah District,” said Al-Bunyan.

He also mentioned Hafariyat Dareen, a historical area that dates back 2,500 years into the pre-Islamic era and that many historical sites have been turned into residential districts.

“We also found ancient pottery made out of clay in Al-Dowsariyah south of Jubail. Saudi archeologists are collaborating with foreign archeologists to unearth pre-Islamic artifacts. A group of Saudi and German archeologists found a collection of pottery made out of clay and glass representing different pre-Islamic eras,” said Al-Bunyan.

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“The commission discovered a harbor called Thaj, which belonged to the Kingdom of Al-Jarhaa, a pre-Islamic kingdom in the eastern region of Saudi Arabia,” said Al-Bunyan.

Al-Bunyan revealed plans to open several tourism centres in the Eastern province, which is a strategic location as it connects the Gulf countries. He added that the Eastern province has been successfully promoting tourism by timely investments and has become popular among the Gulf countries. The commission is also working on a few other projects to promote tourism.

“There will be tourism centers in Al-Ahsa, Hafr Al-Batin, Jubail and Jannah Island for tourists to explore the pre-Islamic world. Tourism centers will be surrounded with various facilities such as cafes and restaurants for the tourists’ enjoyment,” said Al-Bunyan.

“There has been drastic growth in the hospitality and tourism industries in the Eastern Province. There are more than 114 hotels in the province and 13 of them are five-star. Moreover, 40 new five-star and four-star hotels will be built in the coming two years. There are also more than 750 furnished residential units,” said Al-Bunyan.

“The rate of tourism and travel agencies increased by 23.4% in the last few years. There are 44 travel guides in the Eastern Province certified by the commission. The commission implemented many tourism projects such as the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra), King Abdullah Civic Center, Dammam Regional Museum, King Abdullah Dates City and many more,” said Al-Bunyan.

This article originally appeared on Al-Arabiya