Depth of ties: A long history of French archaeology in Saudi Arabia

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Updated 29 February 2024
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Depth of ties: A long history of French archaeology in Saudi Arabia

  • Saudi-French excavation program at Madain Saleh started in 2002
  • Two Dominican monks were the first French to explore Madain Saleh

PARIS: Dominican monks from France explored Mada’in Salih more than a century ago.
It has been a fruitful few days for Saudi-French cultural relations, with the official visit of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman heralding the signing of several co-operation agreements ranging from setting up a national opera to developing tourism around archaeological sites. 
But France’s links to Al-Ula, in northwest Saudi Arabia, go back much farther than the establishment of the Royal Commission for Al-Ula (RCU) eight months ago. Archaeologist Dr. Laila Nehmé began working with Saudi colleagues in 2002 and is co-director — with Saudi archaeologist Dr. Daisallah Talhi — of the Saudi-French excavation program at Madain Saleh.
Hers was the first foreign team since the 1970s to be allowed to work in the country. “And it was led by a woman! But we never had any problems with the Saudis. They would do anything to help us. They are our friends,” she told Arab News.
But Nehmé explained she is following in the footsteps of Frenchmen Antonin Jaussen and Raphael Savignac, who first explored Madain Saleh more than a century ago, in 1907.
The two men were Dominican monks from the French Biblical School in Jerusalem and both had a passion for archaeology. 
Their five-volume “Mission Archaeologique en Arabie” became the standard reference work on Middle Eastern archaeology and was translated into Arabic.
“Those two Dominican fathers really started the relationship,” said Nehmé.
In the late 1990s, a small group of French academics began making contacts with Saudi counterparts through meeting them at international conferences. At the time, Saudi Arabia wanted Madain Saleh to be accorded World Heritage site status by UNESCO and sought help from the French. 
“These relationships are built up over time,” said Nehmé, who is also senior research fellow at the French National Center for Scientific Research in Paris and has worked in Petra and on archaeological sites in Syria. 
The existing settlements of Al-Ula, Al-Atheeb and Moghairah can already cater for visitors but are ripe for immediate development. They also offer access to only 2,000 square kilometers, a fraction of Al-Ula’s total area. 
“There are also some nice hideaway resorts. It is possible to stay in Al-Ula in comfort already, but a hotel is much more than just a bed,” said Al-Madani. “We need better gastronomy and we intend to recruit chefs from all over the world. We need nightlife, performance, art, night walks. We don’t want to simply meet standards, we want to elevate them and set them for others to follow.”
A local airport opened four years ago and there are good roads; but improving public transport is another part of the project, along with linking up with plans for holiday resorts on the Red Sea, so visitors can spend time exploring the historic sites and follow up with a few days on the beach. The potential openings for anyone with the required skills, or the motivation to acquire them, seem almost limitless — a fact not lost on the young people of Al-Ula province. More than 2,100 people out of a local population of 70,000 applied for those 200 traineeships.
The chosen candidates will spend three to six months at college in Riyadh while careers advisers and psychologists assess their abilities and where they might be best applied.
“Then they will be sent out into the world, to improve their languages, to learn how to be independent,” said Al Madani. 
Young girls and boys sent out into the world to be independent? It is not the picture most outsiders  have of Saudi Arabia. The change in perception, the big plans, the breath-taking ambition of Vision 2030, all emanate from the country’s youthful crown prince.
“This is a new era for Saudi Arabia and it all comes from him,” said Al-Madani. The Al-Ula project, too? “Everything.”
A graduate of Harvard Business School, Al-Madani has 15 years’ experience in discovering and nurturing innovation. He is also a former chief executive of the General Entertainment Authority, the body charged with bringing cinema, live performances and sporting events back to the Kingdom.
But he talks about Al-Ula with such zeal that Amr Al-Madani truly gives the impression that he believes he has the best job in town — any town. 
Certainly, re-introducing Al-Ula to the world is a bigger task than introducing the world to Al-Ula.
“Many centuries ago,” Al-Madani says, “Al-Ula was already used to seeing people from all over; Al Ula was global long, long ago.”


Saudi minister holds talks with Chinese, EU officials on climate, global issues 

Updated 25 May 2025
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Saudi minister holds talks with Chinese, EU officials on climate, global issues 

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Climate Envoy Adel Al-Jubeir received China's Special Envoy for Climate Change Liu Zhenmin in Riyadh on Sunday.

During the meeting, they discussed strengthening cooperation in climate action and environmental conservation, along with other topics of mutual interest.

Both officials also reviewed the Kingdom’s ongoing initiatives and achievements in this field, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

In a separate meeting, Al-Jubeir received the deputy secretary-general for political affairs at the European External Action Service, Olof Skoog, and his accompanying delegation.

The meeting reviewed international developments and the efforts being made to address them, in addition to discussing topics of mutual interest.


Sheikh Saleh bin Humaid to deliver Arafah sermon during Hajj 2025

Sheikh Saleh bin Humaid will deliver the Arafah sermon during this year’s Hajj. (@PRAGOVSA)
Updated 25 May 2025
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Sheikh Saleh bin Humaid to deliver Arafah sermon during Hajj 2025

  • The day of Arafah (the 9th of Dhul Hijjah) is widely considered the pinnacle of Hajj, marking the most important day for pilgrims
  • The sermon is delivered from Masjid Al-Nimra on Mount Arafat before Dhuhr and Asr prayers are performed together on Dhul Hijjah 9

RIYADH: Sheikh Saleh bin Humaid will deliver the Arafah sermon during this year’s Hajj, the Presidency of Religious Affairs announced on Sunday.

The day of Arafah (the 9th of Dhul Hijjah) is widely considered the pinnacle of Hajj, marking the most important day for pilgrims. Muslims around the world who are not performing the pilgrimage mark the day by fasting and engaging in worship.

The sermon is delivered from Masjid Al-Nimra on Mount Arafat before Dhuhr and Asr prayers are performed together on Dhul Hijjah 9.

Head of Religious Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque Sheikh Abdulrahman Al-Sudais thanked King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the appointment.

The appointment underscores the Kingdom’s global religious leadership, reflects its continued support for religious institutions, and exemplifies the leadership’s care for the two holy mosques, the presidency said.


Saudi deputy FM receives EU official in Riyadh

Updated 25 May 2025
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Saudi deputy FM receives EU official in Riyadh

  • A meeting was also held as part of the third round of political consultations between Saudi Arabia and the EEAS

RIYADH: Saudi Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Waleed Elkhereiji received Olof Skoog, deputy secretary-general for political affairs at the European External Action Service, and his accompanying delegation, in Riyadh on Sunday.

During the meeting, they discussed bilateral relations between the Kingdom and the EU and other topics of common interest, the Foreign Ministry wrote in a post on X.

A meeting was also held as part of the third round of political consultations between the Kingdom and the EEAS. Senior officials from both sides participated in the session, chaired by Raed bin Khalid Qarmli, director-general of the general directorate of policy planning at the Saudi Foreign Ministry, with Skoog representing the European side.

 


Pakistani ambassador to Saudi Arabia meets with CEO of Diriyah Gate Development Authority

Ahmad Farooq, Pakistan’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, meets with Jerry Inzerillo, CEO of Diriyah Gate Development Authority.
Updated 25 May 2025
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Pakistani ambassador to Saudi Arabia meets with CEO of Diriyah Gate Development Authority

  • The meeting focused on strengthening Saudi-Pakistani ties in the field of heritage and culture

RIYADH: Ahmad Farooq, Pakistan’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, met with Jerry Inzerillo, CEO of Diriyah Gate Development Authority in Riyadh.

The meeting focused on strengthening Saudi-Pakistani ties in the field of heritage and culture, the Pakistani Embassy wrote in a post on X on Sunday.

The ambassador presented Inzerillo with a painting from his own Diriyah-themed series, created to celebrate the Kingdom’s history and heritage.

He also presented him with a made-in-Pakistan FIFA-standard football “symbolizing Pakistan’s craftsmanship and the mutual spirit of friendship.”


Saudi reserve engages pilgrims on biodiversity

Updated 25 May 2025
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Saudi reserve engages pilgrims on biodiversity

  • Pilgrims were welcomed at Al-Shuqaiq in the Jouf region, where more than 4,000 gifts reflecting the reserve’s history and conservation efforts were distributed

RIYADH: Hajj pilgrims arriving in the Kingdom by land were introduced to projects and initiatives of the King Salman bin Abdulaziz Royal Reserve Development Authority.

The initiative aims to enhance biodiversity, restore vegetation and breed endangered species to create a more sustainable natural environment.

The authority also distributed educational brochures to raise awareness about environmental preservation, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Pilgrims were welcomed at Al-Shuqaiq in the Jouf region, where more than 4,000 gifts reflecting the reserve’s history and conservation efforts were distributed.

Visitors were informed about the reserve’s environmental heritage, biodiversity, and commitment to sustainable ecological stewardship, the SPA added.

The authority works to preserve biodiversity by protecting habitats and creating safe environments for wildlife and plants to thrive.

Its achievements include planting more than 2.4 million trees, scattering four tonnes of native seeds and rehabilitating 250,000 hectares of degraded land.

The reserve hosts more than 290 documented bird species — about 58 percent of those recorded in the Kingdom — and includes five internationally recognized important bird areas.

Covering 130,700 sq. kilometers, the King Salman Reserve is the largest natural terrestrial reserve in the Middle East, spanning four administrative regions: Jouf, Hail, Northern Borders, and Tabuk.