Source : Arab news / 22 Aug 2013

Fifteen missions from abroad, including teams from France, Italy, the United States, Britain, Germany, Japan and Belgium, are cooperating with the General Authority for Tourism and Antiquities to explore 15 projects at historic and archaeological sites in different regions of Saudi Arabia.

The archaeological survey began in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 40 years ago with the implementation of five-year plans carried out by Saudi missions in cooperation with foreign missions. Through the missions, many archaeological sites were demarcated and recorded and some sites were chosen for further exploration.

By Natasha Baker / 14 Aug 2013

Worn in rain or shine, the Saudi Arabian shemagh has a plethora of uses and is steadily being redefined as a high-fashion and haute-couture item.

This is particularly good news for sellers of the traditional scarves as approximately eight million shemaghs have been sold in the last month alone, reported leading pan-Arab newspaper al-Hayat.

By Hina Zahir Imam / 5 Aug 2013

Muslims from around the world observe Ramadan in their unique ways. Every community welcomes the holy month with their distinctive traditions and practices. With the holy month coming to an end, we take a look at some interesting Ramadan customs in different parts of the world:

By Melanie Swan / 13 Jul 2013

A 150-year-old religious icon, the Damascene Mahmal, has been given a temporary home at Dubai Mall for Ramadan.

The hand-crafted treasure has silver and gold calligraphy on silk and was designed for transport on a camel.

By Rima Al-Mukhtar / 12 Jul 2013

Taif is a city that offers a rich culture of history. It is situated on the eastern area of Al-Sarawat Mountains. It is known as the summer capital of Saudi Arabia as people escape the summer heat and flock to this cool, lush city that offers beautiful scenery in a relaxed atmosphere.

Source : Presstv / 20 June 2013

The 37th session of UNESCO World Heritage Committee is to assess Iran’s two suggested files for a possible inscription on the World Heritage list.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is slated to review the files of Iran’s Golestan Palace and Meymand Cave Village along with 32 other submitted sites from around the world.

Source : Reuters / 29 Apr 2013

For the eighth year in a row, the central Moroccan city of Meknes hosted its annual agriculture event, attracting over 1,000 exhibitors from around the world.

This year’s International Agriculture Fair focused on food security and self-sufficiency, as many countries seek to reduce their dependence on imported foods.

By Afshan Ahmed / 20 Apr 2013

They are being overwhelmed in all levels of education with concepts that are not adapted to the local culture, in what Dr Eugenie Samier describes as "intellectual imperialism".

The associate professor of management and leadership at the British University in Dubai has written a paper on the issue, which will soon be published in Interchange, a quarterly education review journal.

By David James / 23 Mar 2013

Whenever anyone thinks of the art of Islamic Spain it is usually the great architectural monuments which come to mind; the Alhambra must be as familiar to most Europeans as the Parthenon. Yet the Muslim craftsmen of Islamic Spain—Al-Andalus—were equally skilled in the arts of metalwork, pottery, woodcarving, tilework and—as the museums of Spain and Europe testify—the art of manuscript illumination.

Source : Reuters / 18 Mar 2013

Famous for its unique mud brick tower houses and labyrinthine souqs and listed as a world heritage site by the United Nations, Yemen’s old city of Sanaa is now under serious threat.

The entire area was declared a world heritage site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1986; in a bid promote the preservation of the city’s traditional architecture.