Building local capacities to safeguard Saudi Arabia's documentary heritage

In a powerful step toward protecting the stories, knowledge and cultural memory of Saudi Arabia, UNESCO and the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) have successfully concluded a national training series designed to strengthen the preservation and accessibility of documentary heritage across the Kingdom. Documentary heritage - such as manuscripts, photographs, maps, audiovisual materials, and digital records - plays a vital role in safeguarding the nation's history and identity. ​

Led by the UNESCO Office for the Gulf States and Yemen in partnership with RCU, the workshops held between June and July 2025 in Riyadh, Jeddah and AlUla , are anchored in a broader commitment to reinforce local heritage systems, in alignment with Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 and UNESCO's global mandate for the preservation of documentary heritage. ​

The training series was built on the results of a national survey conducted by UNESCO to assess the capacities, challenges, and needs of documentary heritage institutions throughout the country. The survey findings informed a tailored training programme focused on supporting memory institutions in identifying, preserving , and ensuring access to documentary heritage-while addressing key gaps in long-term preservation and cataloguing practices. ​

More than fifty professionals participated, representing a wide range of local cultural and educational institutions including archives, libraries, museums, and cultural institutions. The workshops addressed priority areas identified through the survey, including digital preservation, cataloguing standards and preservation techniques . Through expert-led sessions and collaborative learning, participants sharpened their technical skills, exchanged insights and contributed to the emergence of a more connected and resilient heritage ecosystem in Saudi Arabia.