The First International Conference on Urban Heritage in Islamic Countries today expressed thanks to the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, led by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, for the efforts it was exerting to preserve Islamic identity and legacy. They considered holding the first ever conference in this field an unprecedented initiative of the Saudi General Authority for Tourism and Antiquities, led by Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, the President of the organization. The conferees expressed concern over the risks threatening the Islamic architectural heritage due to heinous attacks against it. They reiterated call for Islamic countries to double efforts to preserve the remaining antiquities in the stricken areas. The conference recommended that Islamic countries exchange experiences and visits in the field of architecture and management. The statement lauded the participating members giving their approval to completely abide by International agreements relevant to preservation of constructural heritage in Islamic countries. The conferees demanded that the member countries coordinate their positions to execute distinguished projects in different countries of the world to expose the Islamic civilizational architecture. The statement called for benefiting from successful experiments to maintain downtowns and ancient villages. The participants recommended that urban heritage studies, science, information and theses be inserted in universities syllabus.
