Excavations by archeological thieves were discovered in the monuments area near Hail. The illegal excavations are said to show a high degree of professionalism on the part of the looters, as large holes were selectively dug up in rugged mountain areas. Saad Al-Ruwaisan, director of the Office of Monuments and Museums in Hail, said that inadequate financial and human resources are to blame for the Office's inability to stop looting. “We are unable to nab these saboteurs,” he said. “Considering that we have 200 archeological sites and only one employee, all we can do is to post guiding signs and organize inspection rounds, either routinely or whenever we receive reports of suspected thefts.” “We have been promised that a fence will be built around the area and that periodical inspection rounds will be organized to protect the monuments against tampering. We are optimistic that this will materialize”, he said. __
