The exhibition featured a number of interactive events and activities to attract people who want to find out more about Saudi architectural heritage. The event will run until Nov. 18.

It was inaugurated by Prince Sultan bin Salman, president of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA), who toured the exhibition and interacted with participants. A large number of university students participated in the event and put on display traditional Saudi handicrafts.

“The event’s main aim is to highlight Saudi heritage and the necessity of old buildings, and the effectiveness of drawing and coloring to show these buildings in a very simple and artistic way,” said Usama Sarhan, spokesman for the exhibition. “Art and photography are the most important parts of the event. Currently we are displaying several photos taken by Prince Sultan bin Salman in the expo.”

The displayed photos cover many years of the Kingdom’s history, according to Wadi’e Al-Sha’bi, event organizer and student at King Abdulaziz University. “This section includes photographs taken more than 100 years ago. They had been taken in several regions of the Kingdom. The section shows our heritage and the nature of the Kingdom,” he said.

Ra’afat Dahlan, student at King Abdulaziz University, said his pictures show an old building and places that were destroyed by fire.

“These pictures display old houses in Makkah, Jeddah, Asir, Baha,  Hafouf and many other cities in the Kingdom. Such houses were huge and many princesses and famous traders lived in them. Nowadays, most of these buildings are ignored. We wish to take advantage of this forum and refurbish these old buildings that attract many tourists,” he said.

Children and teenagers attended the exhibition in full force to participate in the photography contest and view the art gallery of architectural heritage.

Christin Ralf, a German tourist, visited the exhibition to learn more about the Kingdom’s heritage. “This is my first visit to Saudi Arabia. I heard a lot about its lifestyle and nature, but what I learned is very different from what I am seeing today. My visit to the heritage exhibition is the most amazing experience here,” she said.

Sola Roni, a Filipino, participated in the art expo where she drew and colored an old, traditional Saudi building. “This is my first time seeing these buildings. I enjoyed the event as I learned about this new culture. Despite living in the Kingdom for two years, I have never seen such attractive traditional buildings. Today, I am painting these buildings with Saudi children and many other nationalities,” she said.

Elderly people and expatriates were amazed at the number of different Saudi houses.

Peter Johnson, an American marketing employee who lives in Saudi Arabia, said the expo played an important role in defining the Kingdom’s heritage and history.

“It is the first time I learned that Saudis were living in buildings that were 100 years old. I thought that they were living in tents. These houses are very simple but very attractive. They’re just like drawings. Here I got an idea about the Kingdom’s different provinces,” he said.