The objective of conserving Saudi Arabia's traditional ekistics on urban heritage, which once aimed at just the survival of ancient designs of building now turned to a giant developmental and economic project, Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, President of the Saudi General Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SGCTA), said here today. In a key address at the opening ceremony of the International Forum on the Preservation of Transitional Legacy held in Dubai at the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashed Al Maktoum, Deputy Governor of the Emirate of Dubai, Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz said the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has adopted a vision that heritage doesn't mean the old only but also the salvage of the ancient design thinking from being effaced to an investment drive. He said that SGCTA has built its strategy for the civilizational dimension initiative on three pillars: social illumination, antiquities, museums and urban heritage and repatriation of antiquities. In this regard, Saudi Arabia has established its first ever National Center for Urban Heritage in 2011 and a number of university chairs and research centers later. Sheikh Al Maktoum then honored Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, among others, for his dedication to the issue of Arab Gulf antiquities protection and preservation. In remarks following the event, Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz lauded the UAE experience in this field, quoting late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan as saying that "who has no past will have no present or future".
