Riyadh September 20, 2023, Prince Bader bin Abdullah bin Farhan Al Saud, Saudi Minister of Culture, Chairman of the National Commission for Education, Culture, and Science, and Chairman of the Heritage Commission, announced that the Uruq Bani Ma'arid Reserve in Saudi Arabia has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The decision was made at the 45th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, which was conducted in Riyadh between September 10 and September 25. The successful nomination of the site as a UNESCO Natural Heritage Site is a celebration of Saudi Arabia's ongoing efforts to preserve and protect its natural ecosystems and cultural heritage. The minister congratulated the leadership of Saudi Arabia on this historic international inscription. The inscription was the result of unwavering support for culture and heritage in the Kingdom and reflects the immense culture and biodiversity of Saudi Arabia's various regions. In addition to praising the national efforts that supported the site's inscription, the minister emphasized Saudi Arabia's dedication to the conservation and sustainable development of natural heritage. This commitment emphasizes the value of natural heritage and its strategic significance for Saudi Vision 2030.
Prince Bader bin Abdullah stated, "The Reserve's inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List as the first natural heritage site in the Kingdom highlights the significance of natural heritage on a global scale and reflects the Reserve's exceptional value."
Uruq Bani Ma'arid Reserve, located along the western border of ar-Rub al-Khali (the Empty Quarter), is the only significant sand desert in tropical Asia and the world's largest continuous sand sea. Uruq Bani Ma'arid Reserve exemplifies exceptional universal value due to its world-class panorama of the Empty Quarter's sands and some of the world's largest complex linear dunes. It provides vital natural habitats for the survival of more than 120 indigenous plant species and endangered animals living in harsh environments, such as gazelles and the only herd of free-ranging Arabian Oryx.
The Uruq Bani Ma'arid Reserve satisfies the World Heritage criteria as a sand desert with exceptional universal value and a distinctive and diverse landscape. The reserve comprises five sub-groups of the United Kingdom's national ecosystems, which are essential for the site's biodiversity.
The Uruq Bani Ma'arid Reserve was inscribed as a World Heritage Site due to the efforts of the Saudi Ministry of Culture, the National Commission for Education, Culture, and Science, the National Centre for Wildlife, and the Heritage Commission.
The Uruq Bani Ma'arid Reserve joins six other Saudi UNESCO sites: Al-Ahsa Oasis, Al-Hijr Archaeological Site, At-Turaif District in ad-Dir'iyah, Im Cultural Area, Historic Jeddah, and Rock Art in the Hail Region.
