Saudi Arabia Expands Heritage Record With 10,000 New Urban Sites
RIYADH — Saudi Arabia’s Heritage Commission has registered 9,586 urban heritage sites, raising the number of documented locations across the Kingdom to 59,586, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The commission completed the registrations in two consecutive phases — adding 3,000 sites in the first and 6,586 in the second — as part of its national survey and documentation program.
Asir recorded the largest share with 4,363 new sites, followed by Al-Baha with 2,547 and Makkah with 1,755. Together, the three regions accounted for 8,665 sites, representing more than 90 percent of the latest additions.
Alongside the registration figures, the commission highlighted several recent archaeological breakthroughs. In Al-Dawadmi, the High Najd Project documented more than 100 archaeological sites featuring rock inscriptions, human and animal figures, and ancient stone structures. Excavations uncovered evidence of ancient gold mining, suggesting the area was part of one of the oldest known gold mining zones in the Arabian Peninsula.
In the Al-Mahd governorate, surveys recorded 1,774 discoveries across 173 newly documented sites, including 1,259 rock-art panels and 461 Islamic inscriptions, reflecting the region’s role as a transit corridor for trade and pilgrimage. Excavations in Qassim uncovered 100 Abbasid-era gold coins alongside silver artifacts and precious stones, with the settlement serving as an important station along the Basra Hajj route between the 8th and 13th centuries.
The commission called on citizens and residents to report unregistered heritage sites or activities compromising their integrity through its online reporting service, official X account, or in person at regional branches.
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