Fahd Al-Salhi from Onaiza, Qassim, has turned an old clay building he bought to use as a rest house for his family into a museum.

The museum receives visitors from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

The man, who has an affinity for anything related to heritage, decided to open the house to visitors after many relatives, friends and their friends who he noticed were visiting the house frequently after he bought it requested him to make it an investment project that acts as a tourist attraction in the region.

“They were coming all the time to see the design and the ancient items that are hard to find anywhere else,” Al-Salhi said. “I bought it for SR250,000 for me and my family to spend time in it. Now it is a place for anyone who wants to discover how our grandfathers lived with detailed explanations. Onaiza gave us so much. We have to preserve our traditions.”

The three-room house is built with clay. It took one year and SR1 million to have it renovated.

The city’s schools and government departments also organize trips to the house. Al-Salhi employs two people to handle reservations and visits. An official from a school or a charitable society takes two to three hours.

Al-Salhi believes that the renovation and opening of the house was in part a message to the youth.

“Future generations need to know how their forefathers lived before the oil was discovered.”

Jaser Al-Harbash, director of the Commission for Tourism and Antiquities’s branch in Qassim, said Al-Salhi’s initiative is significant.

“We will support him as he develops his investment,” Al-Harbash said.