As Saudi Arabia, home to six World Heritage sites – from rock art to well-preserved tombs that stretch back thousands of years, rolls out several initiatives to bolster its culture and tourism sector, UNESCO announced that the country would chair its World Heritage Committee. Riyadh will host the 45th session of UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee in September.

“In completion of the kingdom’s prominent role in supporting and preserving human heritage, I am proud today of accrediting Saudi Arabia as chairman of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee and for hosting the 45th session of the World Heritage Committee for the first time in September,” Princess Haifa bint Abdulaziz Al-Mogrin, the kingdom’s permanent representative to UNESCO tweeted.

Praising the decision, Princess Haifa said it results from the kingdom’s prominent role in supporting heritage and its extended endeavors toward documenting human heritage alongside the committee member states.

The UNESCO World Heritage Committee, composed of representatives of 21 states elected by the General Assembly, examines the proposals of states wishing to place their sites on the World Heritage List, assists experts in reporting on the sites, and provides the final assessment of the decision of the proposed sites on the list.