Minister of MOMRA directs secretariats to coordinate with SCTH in developing city planning projects
aTP- Arab tourism portal News- Sultan bin Salman bin Abdul Aziz, President of SCTH, expressed his thanks and appreciation to the Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs, Abdul Latif Al-Sheikh, on the circular emphasizing the secretariats of the areas to coordinate with SCTH when developing projects of towns and villages planning, or expansion or in the preparation of grant schemes, as well as not to adopt planning projects where they have urban heritage sites, but only after obtaining the approval from the SCTH, according to the monuments, museums and architectural heritage regulation as issued by the Royal Decree No. (3/M) dated on 01/09/1436 AH.
Sultan pointed out that the protection of the national heritage comes under the attention of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques (may Allah protect him), as part of the Custodian’s program for the Care of National Heritage of the Kingdom, approved by the State, which has a permanent follow-up of SCTH, as a project for the protection of national heritage. It also comes to effectuate the Antiquities, Museums and Urban Heritage regulation, which represents an integrated system for the protection, documentation, rehabilitation of the national heritage, where Sultan guidance is consistent with the continuous coordination and active partnerships between SCTH and the ministry in number of projects.
Prince Sultan indicated the importance of this guidance is in the preservation of archaeological and architectural heritage sites from infringements that may become exposed to companies and institutions that carry out secretariats and municipalities works in the regions, and thus protect the important sites that represents a historic legacy and cultural treasure of the Kingdom, as well as, for the economical and developmental value of these sites in the cities and towns.
The President of SCTH asserted that the biggest threat to the national heritage before the establishment of the SCTH, was not dealing with these sites with appreciation attention they deserved, thus making a number of them exposed to neglect or indiscriminate removal.
This prompted SCTH for the initiative to move, since its inception and prior to the issuance of Antiquities, Museums and Urban Heritage regulation. SCTH began its dealings in coordination with the Ministry of Interior and Ministry of the Municipal and Rural Affairs to stop the infringement on the heritage sites and in indiscriminate removal of buildings of architectural heritage, and developed the standards and regulations that govern this.
