Koichiro Matsuura, Unesco chief, will be on a three-day official visit to Saudi Arabia starting from March 17, said Majid Al-Shiddi, Director of PR and Media Department, Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA). Shiddi said Saudi Arabia is a member-country of Unesco and Matusura's visit here as head of the 12-member delegation will underscore the role Kingdom has been playing in preservation of culture and heritage sites. Madain Saleh, located some 400 km north of Madina, has already been listed as the World Heritage site in 2008, he said. The Unesco chief's visit to Saudi Arabia will pave the way for the Kingdom's endeavors for listing two of its sites – Diriyah, the 1st Saudi State by 2010 voting and Old Jeddah City by 2012 in the World Heritage list, said Shiddi. The SCTA official said Saudi Arabia has already filed the names of two Saudi cities for listing into Unesco's World Heritage sites. He said the Unesco's supreme body comprising 191 member-states votes for World Heritage sites in two years. He said Diriyah, the First Saudi State, was established in the year 1744 and Old Jeddah, on the Red Sea shore, is Saudi Arabia's second city and its oldest archeological remains date from 500 BC. In 647 AD, Caliph Uthman Bin Affan transformed it into a port for the pilgrims going to Makkah for the Haj, what was then a mere fishing village. Matsuura and his accompanying delegation will be taken on a tour of historical sites and other landmarks in Riyadh and Jeddah including a visit to Madain Saleh, Diriyah, National Museum, King Abdulaziz Historic City and the Tradional Souq. Alongside these developments the SCTA's endeavors have been to give impetus to develop the cultural tourism industry. Of late the SCTA has been engaged in promoting the Kingdom's rich history through the development of key destinations like the walled city of Diriyah and Madain Saleh. Madain Saleh was once inhabited by the Nabataeans some 2000 years ago, Petra (located in Jordan) being the capital of the Nabataean kingdom Madain Saleh also known as Al-Hijr archeological site was added to Unesco's World Heritage list in July of 2008. SCTA's another major endeavor was the Red Sea Tourism Development Strategy, which aimed at attracting $40 billion of investment to the region for eight resorts along the east coast.
