“We have also completed studies on renovating six museums in Domat Al-Jundal, Taima, Al-Ula, Hufouf, Sabya and Najran,” he said, stressing SCTA’s efforts to make museums part of Saudi culture.

Prince Sultan commended Mohammed Jameel, president of Abdul Latif Jameel Group, for donating SR10 million to develop the Fed Heritage City in Hail.

“An agreement has been signed to build an international museum in Fed Heritage City on the location of the Haj route famous as Darb Zobayda,” he said.

Another accord has been signed to promote cooperation and coordination between the Higher Commission for Hail Development and the SCTA.

“The Kingdom’s museum and antiquities sector have made remarkable achievements in recent years,” the prince said. “A number of new artifacts have been found during excavations,” he added.

In addition, Saudi Arabia is also making efforts to retrieve national antiquities in other countries. The Kingdom has already retrieved more than 10,000 of its artifacts from different countries. “We have given priority to the protection and development of antiquities and heritage sites and to enhancing public awareness about their historical importance,” Prince Sultan said.

Efforts are being made to increase awareness among students about national heritage and antiquities, in coordination with the Ministry of Education.

In a previous statement, Sultan said the SCTA would prevent the theft of antiquities, especially the ones from the Islamic heritage sites in Makkah and Madinah, with the cooperation of other government agencies.

He disclosed plans to establish a major Islamic and national museum at Al-Khozam Palace in Jeddah and a Qur’an museum in Madinah.

Efforts are also under way to establish 12 new museums in other parts of the country, he said.

“We have so far licensed more than 70 private museums in the Kingdom and will soon start providing financial support to such museums in association with banks and other public and private agencies,” he said.