Yemen Monitor / Newsroom:
Major General Sultan al-Arada, member of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council and Governor of Marib, agreed with the UNESCO Representative to the Gulf and Yemen, Salah Khaled, and Yemen’s Ambassador to UNESCO, Mohammed Jumeh, to bolster efforts for protecting Yemeni heritage during a meeting held today in the Saudi capital, Riyadh.
The meeting addressed the current status of archaeological sites and historical cities in Yemen. It also discussed avenues for joint cooperation in restoration and maintenance to ensure the preservation of a cultural legacy that reflects the depth of Yemeni civilization and its contributions to human history.
Al-Arada emphasized that protecting heritage is a national responsibility requiring integration between official institutions and local authorities, in close coordination with international organizations. This cooperation aims to safeguard historical sites from tampering and neglect while developing strategic plans for restoration, rehabilitation, and building national capacities in archaeological site management.
He noted the keenness of the political leadership, the government, and local authorities to support national and international initiatives for cultural preservation. He praised the pivotal role played by UNESCO in providing technical and advisory support, as well as implementing protection and documentation programs.
For their part, the UNESCO representative and the Yemeni Ambassador to the organization confirmed the continuation of coordination and cooperation to support efforts to protect Yemeni heritage and enhance its presence in international initiatives and programs related to historical sites.
