His character combines more than just that of a veteran politician and seasoned educator. Prince Faisal Bin Abdullah, Minister of Education, is also a professional photographer and a heritage-lover who has developed a passion for archaeology. His passion for Saudi Arabia's heritage has propelled his interest in preserving monuments and tourist attractions so people from around the world can enjoy them and the nation's people can learn from them. Saudi Arabia offers a rare opportunity to explore a country where tradition and modernity are still working out how to accommodate one another. It is a nation that has a precious treasure of heritage, Prince Faisal told Okaz/Saudi Gazette in an exclusive interview. Saudi Arabia has a more valued mission than preserving heritage sites just to have them on the UNESCO World Heritage List, he said. Prince Faisal has lauded the role of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA), headed by Prince Sultan Bin Salman, in preserving the country's heritage and called for more coordination among authorities to help the Commission execute its mission. The idea of holding national celebrations and high-profile activities at the country's heritage sites to make them more appealing and valuable was Prince Faisal's idea, one he has put into action in the Ministry of Education. Also, as a Chairman of the National Committee for Education, Culture and Sciences, Prince Faisal said that the Saudi Scouts Association, affiliated with the Ministry of Education, will hold its National Day celebration on Sept. 23 at the Okhdood (Canyon) site in Najran. The idea was born in the air, he said. “As we were flying back home from Boston, in the USA, after attending the World Organization of the Scout Movement and delivering the King's message ‘Messengers of Peace' to his scout daughters and sons, we realized how big a message we had just delivered to the world,” Prince Faisal said. He and his entourage considered how they could move forward and thought of a new national message of the scouts “I am the nation,” to portray the Saudi scouts' mission, he said. The plan was started at last year's National Day celebration at Dariya, which has recently become a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This year, the Saudi scouts will hold the National Day celebration in the Akhdood (Canyon) archaeological area in Najran, an area that is mentioned in the Holy Qur'an. The effort helps young generations find ways to celebrate at heritage sites that connect them with their past and boost volunteer work among them, Prince Faisal said. This type of celebration will be held at different heritage sites in the coming years, he added. The Ministry of Education is responsible for preserving “our history, heritage, and culture: the backbone of our civilization which derives its basics from the Islamic Shariah,” the minister said, shouldering the responsibility of instilling cultural basics of Arab and Muslim civilization into the hearts and minds of new generations so they know how much the ancient generations contributed to today's world civilization. Earlier this month, Prince Faisal called for a gathering for a Ramadan Iftar (breakfast) at an old house in Jeddah: the Naseef House. The founder of modern Saudi Arabia, the late King Abdul Aziz, often stayed at the Naseef House, one of the city's most famous houses, when he visited Jeddah. Situated along the old city of Jeddah's main street, Souq Al-Alawi, the house was the site of a prominent activity to display the “Unification Group” book, which lists distinguished historic and heritage sites in Saudi Arabia, at the start of the centennial celebrations in 1999, Prince Faisal said. The Ministry of Education has taken it to heart to introduce Saudi Arabia to the UNESCO through rigorous cooperation with relevant departments in the country, he said. The Prince, who has lived in Jeddah since 1992 when he was appointed as deputy of the National Guard in the Western Province, said that Old Jeddah “is more than just qualified to enter the UNESCO World Heritage List for its history and architecture,” though it needs more work to revive it and new projects in the area will help it regain its glamour. While Old Jeddah is a good candidate to be on the World Heritage List, “for us as Saudis, the preservation of Old Jeddah is way more important than having it on the list,” he said. As the SCTA is progressing in its mission to have the area placed on World Heritage List, Prince Faisal said that the area “reflects our Islamic heritage and culture that will last forever.” Across Saudi Arabia, the Ministry of Education is spreading the culture of preserved heritage to help young people learn about their nation's history and boost their sense of pride so they are motivated to protect and revive heritage sites for future generations, he said. Encouraging investments in tourism at heritage sites will help them sustain better growth and wider recognition, he added. School curricula will be redesigned and developed to have more focus on progressive development and investment in human beings, the minister said. “School curricula will be based on the greatness of our religion, civilization, culture and traditions to help our future generation develop a great mission for the benefit of humanity,” he said.
