Diriyah's Turaif District has been approved as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Prince Sultan Bin Salman, chairman of Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities, announced Saturday night. The approval was granted by the World Heritage Committee of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) at its 34th meeting in Brasilia, Brazil. The Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, and Brazil's Minister of Culture, Joao Luiz da Silva Ferreira, formally opened the 34th session of the committee last week and the meeting continues till 3 August. Ferreira expressed appreciation that “heritage is no longer treated in an isolated way” but had become an integral part of national development planning. The World Heritage Committee, responsible for the implementation of the World Heritage Convention, comprises representatives of 21 countries, elected by the States Parties for four years. Al-Diriyah's historic value stems from being the capital of the Saudi Royal Family from 1744 to 1818. The name Al-Diriyah is believed to refer to Ibn Dera, the governor of the ancient Kingdom of Yammamah, or maybe it was named after the village where the Al-Saud Royal Family came from in the eastern side of Arabia. The small town on the northwestern outskirts of Riyadh is one of the oases of Wadi Hanifa, which refers to the tribe from which the Al-Saud Royal Family comes. It is rich in scenery, including mud houses, gorges, and green landscape. Prince Sultan Bin Salman hailed the UNESCO decision that was based on the true historic value of the area and all the efforts done to revive it. The archeological site of Al-Hijr (Madain Saleh) was the first heritage property that was inscribed in 2008. Jeddah's historic center is also an area Saudi officials would like to see attain the status. To date, the World Heritage List recognizes 890 properties of “outstanding universal value,” including 689 cultural, 176 natural and 25 mixed properties in 148 States Parties.
