Documentary shines light on Saudi Arabia’s progress, development

Jeddah - Yasmine El Tohamy - RIYADH: The Intangible Heritage Association held a workshop to encourage better preservation of cultural heritage in the digital age and urged young people to become the nation’s future storytellers.

Held at the Al-Abo Sarrah Palaces, northwest of Abha, the capital of Asir Province, the event, titled “Asir … We Are the Living Heritage,” was attended by experts and enthusiasts from the fields of culture and the arts.

Othman Al-Seeni, the association’s chairman, described the workshop as part of a broader national effort to safeguard intangible heritage across the Kingdom, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

“We are gathering the opinions and ideas of researchers and enthusiasts, whether on customs, traditions, handicrafts or performing arts, and using them in initiatives to document and preserve this heritage as a vital part of Saudi culture,” he said.

The attendees discussed various issues, including how to engage young people in cultural issues through social media. One concern was how misinformation about folk tales, customs and traditional narratives was being spread online.

The workshop’s conclusion was that heritage endures not through documentation alone but through active, daily practice. Young Saudis should be seen as future storytellers, not just passive recipients, they said.

The organizers also warned against fully automated documentation, recommending “cultural verification” protocols when using AI tools. Digital heritage efforts must retain human oversight from experts to ensure their authenticity, they said.

The association has already completed phase one of a comprehensive heritage inventory with the Heritage Commission, cataloging more than 10,000 cultural elements across six regions, and a second phase is planned.