The trainees pose for a photo during a field trip.

The 60-day summer program launched by the National Urban Heritage Center (NUHC) for Saudi students concluded here Monday. The comprehensive training consisted of skills and techniques of mud construction and traditional ways of renovating heritage buildings.

“NUHC, an affiliate of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities, concluded a series of training programs for students of engineering and architecture from a number of Saudi universities including King Abdul Aziz University, Al Qassim University and Dar Al-Uloom University,” an SCTA official said.

Underlining the significance of the summer program for the students, who will take up the responsibilities after completing the academic program, the official noted that this comprehensive training will be of great help for them to apply technical and professional skills and knowledge in the field.

The training program falls in line with the SCTA’s plans to promote awareness of the national urban heritage, as well as documenting, publishing and developing these techniques for the professionals and interested persons in mud construction using local building materials, the official said.

Significantly, NUHC aims to put into effect the recommendations of the International conference for urban heritage in Islamic countries organized by the SCTA in collaboration with a number of relevant authorities in 2010 as urban heritage is part of the rich history of the Kingdom and its present and future fabric.

“How we live with history and how we employ this heritage is the issue at the heart of the matter. The idea is not to merely change the city centers into museums or the heritage sites into venues for events. We wish to restore these sites that were filled with life at an earlier period in our history and utilize them to contribute to the local and national economy,” a senior official at NUHC said.

 
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