New inclusive heritage conservation campaign launched for Saudi Arabia’s AlUla

February 2, 2024

Karen Sweaney

Arts / Attractions / Culture / Environment / Tourism /

Saudi Arabia’s Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU), has launched a new, inclusive heritage conservation campaign aiming to enahnce the public's knowledge, awareness, and desire to protect and uplift AlUla's ancient history.

The I Care campaign, which launched 1st February, shines a local, national, and global spotlight on the importance of RCU's diverse and ongoing heritage protection projects in AlUla as the county continues to be developed into the world's largest living museum.

I Care will promote the need to safeguard AlUla's diverse landscape of cultural assets, including natural and manmade monuments, as a means of boosting economic development, driving community engagement, and expanding people's knowledge and appreciation of their AlUla's storied past – goals that align with the aims of Saudi Vision 2030.

The first phase of the campaign has seen RCU partner with the acclaimed US artist David Popa to create a unique, landmark piece set within the landscape of AlUla itself. The artwork, which takes the shape of two protective hands, is constructed around the iconic Tomb of Lihyan, Son of Kuza, at Hegra which was designated as Saudi Arabia's first World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2008.

An impressive and ephemeral piece of creativity constructed using exclusively natural elements, including yellow earth from Europe and red earth from the Middle East, it is one of Popa's largest to date. Designed to disintegrate in a matter of weeks, Popa's artwork highlights the pressing need for collective action to safeguard cultural heritage locations in AlUla, Saudi Arabia, and the wider world.

Dr Abdulrahman Alsuhaibani, Executive Director of Archaeology, Conservation and Collections at RCU advised "The roots of Saudi culture and tradition can be traced back millennia, influenced by civilisations as diverse as the Nabataeans, Minaeans and Lihyanites. The I Care campaign is an important and inclusive step towards increasing the AlUla community's awareness and appreciation of the incredible history that exists on their doorstep.

"The Kingdom has made great strides to conserve and develop its cultural heritage and rich collection of assets, including AlUla with its 200,000 years of human history. As guardians of this unique crossroads for civilisations, RCU is focused on raising people's awareness of the need to engage with conservation efforts through the new I Care campaign. This will help to deepen RCU's connection with our community as we work towards a common, shared, and inclusive purpose – to protect and celebrate our heritage so it can be enjoyed for generations to come."

US artist David Popa shared "Working on this project has been an immense privilege. I Care is not just a campaign; it is a celebration of AlUla's and the Kingdom's legacy and traditions. AlUla's heritage is a treasure for the entire world, and I have been enriched by the enlightening conversations I have had with the local storytellers, the Rawis, the Heritage Rangers, and the young ambassadors being trained in the Hammayah programme to take on guardianship of this invaluable heritage."

A key audience of the I Care campaign is AlUla's younger generation. RCU will provide schools with comprehensive toolkits to educate and empower youngsters and their teachers through a series of carefully designed workshops that focus on the importance of heritage protection and how landmarks connect with the community stories, life, and traditions. RCU will also host school visits and community activities at AlUla's diverse collection of historic landmarks, such as Hegra.

The community, young and old, have an active and key role to play in helping to conserve AlUla's cultural landscape, with the I Care campaign seeking to fill any knowledge gaps and promote future discovery amongst residents, visiting tourists, and Saudi citizens.

AlUla is now established as a new global destination for culture, history, archaeological discovery, and the sharing of ancient knowledge.

AlUla is home to the extraordinary Nabataean city and UNESCO World Heritage Site of Hegra; the city of Dadan, which was the capital of the Dadanite and Lihyanite kingdoms; the Jabal Ikmah open-air library, whose ancient inscription are now included in UNESCO's Memory of the World Register; and AlUla Old Town, which has been named as one of UNWTO's Best Tourism Villages.

These sites and many others are part of RCU's active programme of conservation, exploration, and study.

For more information on The Royal Commission for AlUla and its programmes, visit www.rcu.gov.sa.

Image. Aerial shot of I Care artwork at Hegra AlUla by artist David Popa

About the author

Karen Sweaney

Co-founder and Editor, Australasian Leisure Management

Artist, geoscientist and specialist writer on the leisure industry, Karen Sweaney is Editor and co-founder of Australasian Leisure Management.

Based in Sydney, Australia, her specific areas of interest include the arts, entertainment, the environment, fitness, tourism and wellness.

She has degrees in Fine Arts from the University of Sydney and Geological Oceanography from UNSW.

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