About a seminar
- About a seminar
About the Symposium
AlUla to manage fire risks in historical and heritage sites
AlUla Symposium on Fire Risk Management in Historic and Heritage Sites” It is a leading global initiative that seeks to highlight the challenges facing heritage sites, especially the risk of fire, with the aim of developing sustainable risk management strategies to protect this unique heritage.
The seminar is organized Saudi ICOMOS in partnership with Royal Commission for AlUla and a group of national and international organizations to promote a culture of preventive protection and ensure the continuity of heritage sites for future generations.
Our vision
- Heritage is not just a past to be told, it is a trust and a responsibility to be passed on to future generations. Through this seminar, we reaffirm our commitment to protect our cultural heritage and ensure its sustainability as part of our civilizational identity.
Our message
- Heritage is not just a past to be recounted; it is a trust and a responsibility to be passed on to future generations. Through this seminar, we reaffirm our commitment to protect our cultural heritage and ensure its sustainability as part of our civilizational identity.
Symposium goals
The symposium seeks to achieve a set of pivotal objectives:
Awareness of risks:
Raise awareness about the importance of protecting heritage sites from fire and its catastrophic effects on historical and cultural value.
Discuss challenges:
Review the difficulties in protecting heritage sites, such as outdated electrical systems, flammable materials, and human negligence.
Sharing knowledge and experiences:
Presenting experiences and lessons learned from past disasters such as the Windsor Castle fire and Notre Dame Cathedral, and reviewing the effective solutions that were applied in these cases.
Practical strategizing:
Providing preventive solutions based on the application of the Saudi and Gulf fire code, the code for historical buildings, and the use of modern alarm and fire extinguishing systems.
Promote local and international cooperation:
Building partnerships between stakeholders and global experts to develop innovative and sustainable fire risk management solutions.
Why Ula?
AlUlathe jewel of Saudi Arabia’s heritage, is the perfect model for discussing fire risk management in historic sites, for several reasons:
Universal symbolism:
AlUla is home to exceptional historical sites such as Dadan, Lahyan, and the Land of the Stone, Saudi Arabia's first UNESCO World Heritage Site.
A global cultural center:
AlUla is a global knowledge center for heritage preservation, attracting international attention for its historical and cultural value.
Real challenges:
Like many heritage sites, AlUla faces challenges in preserving its sites from disasters, especially fires, making it the perfect place to discuss and implement solutions.
Importance of the seminar
Heritage sites are not just places; they are witnesses to history, stories to be told for generations to come, and irreplaceable memory. But these sites face an increasing risk of fires that could lead to the complete loss of their value.
Economic impact:
The cost of restoring fire-damaged sites is often exorbitant. Like the Windsor Castle fire, which took five years to restore and cost more than £40 million.
Cultural significance:
Losing a heritage site means losing part of the cultural identity of the region and the world.
Fire prevention and risk management is the only option to avoid these disasters and ensure the protection of cultural heritage for future generations.
Themes of the seminar
The seminar covers a variety of topics focusing on different aspects of fire risk management:
Identify sources of risk:
From outdated electrical systems, flammable materials, human negligence, and other sources.
Planning for prevention:
By applying the Saudi and Gulf fire code, using modern fire detection and extinguishing systems, and developing customized emergency plans for heritage sites.
Practical experiments:
By reviewing case studies from the Kingdom and the world, such as Notre Dame and Windsor, and discussing the successes and challenges faced by historic sites in fire management.
Technology and innovation:
Demonstrate the use of thermal sensors and non-destructive gas extinguishing systems, and adopt modern technologies that protect heritage without compromising its authenticity.
Recommendations and expected outcomes
The symposium seeks to provide practical recommendations and actionable outputs, most notably:
Strengthening cooperation between entities
Encourage coordination between national and international institutions to ensure the protection of heritage sites.
Developing legislative and regulatory tools
By adhering to the Saudi and Gulf fire code, and applying the code for historic buildings to ensure protection during reuse.
Investing in Technology
by developing early fire detection systems and implementing heritage-friendly technology solutions.
Raising Public Awareness
By promoting a culture of prevention among those working in heritage sites and engaging the local community in protection efforts.
