Historic sites deserve more attention

DAMMAM: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is home to many great remnants of ancient civilizations from the historical and Islamic ages, and has major tourist attractions that should be exploited, especially as many landmarks here are still little known to the outside world.
The most important tourist destinations in the Kingdom are Historic Al-Dir’iya, Al-Ghat heritage village, National Museum, Road of Convoys, Al-Aflaj, Barmah Cave, Al-Bjadih and Thumama site, Old Jeddah, Madain Saleh, Tabouk Castle, Thee Ain, Amarah Palace, and Okhdood archaeological site in Najran and many others.
Speaking on the subject, historian Mohammed Al-Hettilh said: “The City of Okhdood is among the richest ancient sites and is one of the most important cultural tourism and historical landmarks in Najran due to the presence of carvings and inscriptions on the stone faces from ancient times.”
He said that the efforts made by the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTNH) have not yet achieved what is needed in comparison to the huge number of historic sites and monuments in the Kingdom that require attention.
A writer, Masadah Al-Yami, said: “There is no doubt that there has been real and tangible development in the tourism sector, but there is still an urgent need to hold tourism festivals which serve the exchange of cultures among the Saudi cities, as well as with Gulf and European countries,” confirming that such festivals will serve as a bridge for cultural exchange, especially given that the Kingdom is about to witness an unprecedented economic renaissance.
Al-Yami said that each Saudi city constitutes a cultural treasure that needs to be preserved so that all segments of society can help new generations to understand their ancient heritage.
Noura Al-Shammari, a teacher, said: “All countries in the world pay great attention to promoting their antiquities, monuments and historical attractions, and that’s really what we need in the Kingdom where there is so much tourism potential.”
Regarding the services provided at the tourist attractions, Salem Al-Yami said archaeological sites in the Kingdom suffer from the lack of necessary services, including health facilities, cafes, umbrellas and also shops for selling food and drinks.
Fayez Al-khchiv, a literary critic, said the tourism sector still needs more skills and expertise to create places that attract all segments of society, and which serve as an attraction for the Saudi family. Indeed, it is telling that many Saudi families choose to spend holidays abroad despite all these archaeological sites in the Kingdom.
Saleh Al-Muraih, SCTNH’s director in Najran, said: “The SCTNH’s work for the development of tourism services are ongoing, through tourism projects along with conducting archaeological surveys and research, and cooperating with international teams in the scientific research of the historic monuments.”