Dubai: No historical or heritage building in Saudi Arabia can be removed without the approval of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA), Crown Prince Salman Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud has ordered.
The orders to the relevant authorities within the defence ministry by Prince Salman, also his country’s deputy prime minister and minister of defence, stressed the need to assess the historical and architectural significance of the building by SCTA before any action is taken, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
The relevant authorities will also have to report any encroachments or removal of heritage buildings and to communicate with the SCTA on the need for the maintenance or restoration of any archeological sites.
The directives reinforce a drive by Prince Sultan Bin Salman Bin Abdul Aziz, the president of the Commission, on the need to coordinate with the military to preserve heritage sites.
A royal decree issued in April 2008 requires relevant government authorities to apply the rules provided in the regulations related to antiquities and to the preservation of Islamic history sites in order to protect them from removal and from extinction regardless of the causes, the official news agency said.
The instructions also take into account the regulation of antiquities, museums and urban heritage issued by the government in June, it added
Prince Sultan said that Saudi Arabia was home to numerous antiquities and heritage sites in various regions.
The Prince said they were vivid landmarks that reflected the culture and national history of the kingdom and the values and morals of the Saudi people.
Such a status consolidates the need to provide them with the required attention by both public officials and Saudi citizens, he added.
Cultural and media institutions should contribute to raising public awareness about the importance of these sites and the necessity to preserve them, Prince Sultan said.
Dilapidated historical buildings should be in fact transformed into sites that can be developed and enhanced, he said.
Saudi Arabia has come under media pressure abroad for alleged destruction of historical Islamic sites in the process of the expansion of the Grand Mosque in Makkah.
