Saudi Gazette report RIYADH — Prince Khaled Bin Bandar, Emir of Riyadh Region, and Prince Sultan Bin Salman, President of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA), Tuesday launched a project for refurbishing Al-Faw Heritage Village (Qaryat Al-Faw) and resumption of development works at its site. Al-Faw Village, one of the most important pre-Islamic cities in Saudi Arabia, is located about 700 km southwest of Riyadh in Wadi Dawasir region. The launch ceremony was held at the headquarters of the National Museum at King Abdul Aziz Historical Center in Riyadh. After the launch, Prince Khaled held a video conference with the Wadi Dawasir Governor Ahmad Al-Monaifi and told him he hoped the project would bring about plenty of goodness to the people of the region in the near future. The Emir also phoned the archeological team, which is exploring the site, and inquired about the progress of the work. He underscored the significance of the project in highlighting the Kingdom's rich culture and heritage. Speaking on the occasion, Prince Sultan said: “With the completion of the refurbishing project, Al-Faw would become an open museum that tells the history and culture of the Kindah, which was one of the ancient Arab kingdoms in the middle of the Arabian Peninsula from the first century BC to the fourth century AD. “Al-Faw was the capital of the Kindah kingdom. “By developing this heritage site, we want to realize a group of cultural, social and economic goals, and that includes transforming the site into a major historical and cultural landmark in the Kingdom.” Prince Sultan said Al-Faw witnessed massive exploration works that date back to over 40 years. Renowned Saudi archeologist Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Ansari, who made explorations for about 20 years there, is now serving as the supervisor of the exploration team. Al-Ansari, a former professor of archeology at King Saud University (KSU) and member of the Shoura Council, is considered the founder of the rediscovery of the Al-Faw city. The relics unearthed during exploration, which began in 1972, will be on display at KSU Museum. The SCTA chief noted that there are about 25 Saudi and international scientific teams currently exploring various archeological and heritage sites across the Kingdom. KSU President Dr. Badran Al-Omar said the project aims at making Al-Faw one of the leading tourist destinations in the Riyadh region and there would be a focus to preserve all the features of the old city with remnants of its old houses, roads, souks, wells and agricultural canals.
