Cultural Heritage

The National Register is intended for documenting, registering, and classifying heritage sites in accordance with the Law of Antiquities, Museums, and Urban Heritage and its implementing regulations, and displaying them on digital maps to facilitate their management, protection, and preservation; creating a spatial database of registered heritage sites preserving and documenting the work carried out therein; and archiving documents and photographs of cultural heritage sites. It is also intended for finding practical solutions to manage the work of the national heritage sector, providing information to aid in the preservation and maintenance of heritage sites, and making information readily accessible to researchers and specialists.

Various techniques are used to document and register immovable and movable antiquities and historical sites based on information collection forms, resulting in a digital register of national antiquities linked to a digital archaeological map with detailed information, images, and reports on the registered archaeological and historical sites. The “Register of Antiquities” is an electronic database containing all information about the ancient heritage of the Arabian Peninsula, including its long-lived and valuable treasures, antiquities that reflect the history and human presence, and cultural indicators. These are reflected in the Heritage Commission’s priorities as it shifted to a digital environment for documenting and managing cultural heritage sites in order to keep up with the world’s continuous development in the field of information technology and to be in line with what the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is doing and upholding with this development to achieve its objectives and aspirations.

The Register of Intangible Heritage documents intangible heritage assets to foster a shared understanding of what holds cultural important for preservation and maintenance. In the context of Intangible Heritage, the process of listing in the register involves a systematic survey of all assets or factors belonging to a particular geo-cultural area, historical period or human group depending on its scope. Registering intangible heritage assets ensures a clear and common understanding of elements that are considered culturally important for safeguarding and maintenance purposes.

Objectives of the Register of Intangible Heritage: 


1- Preservation: Preserving elements of intangible heritage from disappearing and establishing them as a reference point for the public, researchers, and creators of cultural and artistic content.

2- Development: Developing conservation measures and identifying elements for nomination to UNESCO lists.
3- Involvement: Empowering local communities to inventory and preserve the intangible heritage.

4- Support: Supporting, empowering, and developing the third sector (non-profit entities and associations).

5-Documentation: Documenting and registering intangible cultural heritage practices based on UNESCO classifications.
6-Monitoring: Monitoring practices associated with elements of intangible heritage across the different regions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Intangible Cultural Heritage Domains: Below are the five broad ‘domains’ of intangible cultural heritage, as identified by UNESCO: 

- Oral traditions and expressions
- Performing arts,
- Social practices, rituals, and festive events.
- Knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe; and
- Traditional craftsmanship.

International pillars and variables on which the Register of Intangible Heritage was build: The Register of Intangible Heritage is based on a set of pillars and variables that underpin heritage practices. These pillars and variables are derived from international conventions and the latest scientific studies, and are as follows:

- Pillars of Intangible Heritage: Transparency; legacy; community engagement; and deliberation.

- Intangible Heritage Variables: Heritage bearers; time; direct recipients of heritage; geography; and language