Why Was Hima Cultural Area Inscribed on the World Heritage List?

Hima Cultural Area in Najran was inscribed on the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization 'UNESCO' World Heritage List in 2021, as it represents the lifestyle of a culture spanning nearly seven thousand years without interruptions. This is evidenced by a substantial collection of rock drawings and inscriptions depicting hunting, animals, and plants, as well as Hima Well, which has been providing fresh water for about three thousand years.

Hima Cultural Area is a significant site for rock art in Najran Province, southwest of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Due to its strategic location on one of the oldest caravan routes in the Arabian Peninsula, it was a historical passageway for travelers up to the twentieth century. The area has the oldest known toll station and preserves numerous rock writings and inscriptions in various scripts, including al-Musnad, Aramic-Nabatean, South-Arabian, Thamudic, Greek, and Arabic. It also contains cairns, stone structures, tombs, scattered stone tools, and ancient wells.