Saudi Arabia is gaining the help of UN specialists to boost its local expertise and knowledge to preserve and promote the kingdom’s natural beauty – such as ancient heritage sites, mountainous terrain, wildlife and more.
The Ministry of Culture offered up training to 12 Saudi nationals in UNESCO’s “Global Geoparks” program, which is an initiative that recognizes and works to protect natural landscapes all over the world.
UNESCO specialist in ecology and earth sciences, Dr. Elsa Sattout, helmed the training in the Saudi capital of Riyadh. Students were informed of the initiatives and history behind the Global Geoparks program and the processes required for new applications to be assessed and granted status.
attout shared information on how geological heritage and promoting geo-tourism is documented and how sites are preserved, as well as how entrepreneurship can play a role, the preservation of geological diversity and the management of geological heritage.
The program was part of the Culture Ministry’s “Experts” initiative to train 30 Saudis on UNESCO programs during 2021-2022 to boost the country’s proficiency in cultural and natural heritage and endorse its natural assets on a global scale.
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UNESCO describes “Global Geoparks” as “single, unified geological areas of international significance.” A total of 177 areas in 46 countries, mostly in Europe and Asia, have been granted the status since the initiative was launched in 2015.
