Prince Sultan Bin Salman, President of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA), has described buildings of architectural heritage as “dormant oil wells” waiting to be exploited as “historical hotels and museums”. The Prince, speaking earlier this week after the opening of the International Conference on Architectural Heritage in Islamic Countries in Riyadh, said the SCTA viewed traditional and historical buildings from an economic perspective and not as a “renovation project”. “Buildings of architectural heritage assist economic development when they are converted into hotels, museums, restaurants and cafes reflecting local heritage. They are like dormant wells of oil, and our country is rich in them from top to bottom,” he said. “We want the people of the country to be the primary beneficiaries and guardians of these sites, that the sites be enjoyed and that they be open to everyone and not shut up and closed off,” he said. Prince Sultan said he was optimistic over the outcome of the Architectural Heritage Conference and made special mention of heritage villages, which he described as “a pioneering project in need of financing”. “The SCTA is working with a number of organizations to secure the necessary funds for heritage villages and make them a source of income for local inhabitants,” Prince Sultan said. The Prince said the SCTA was also currently working to renovate palaces across the Kingdom, document their roles in the founding of the country, and open them to visitors. “They are a source of pride for the people of those regions, and remind them of the part their forefathers played in founding of the country and the role of the sites in bringing about national unity,” Prince Sultan said.
