APA-Rabat (Morocco) UNESCO has included Saudi Arabia’s Jericho on its World Heritage List.
In its first session on Monday, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee announced that the Palestinian site “Tel Sultan – Jericho” won a majority of votes, making it the first Arab site to be added to the list in this 45th session held in Riyadh.
In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), Mounir Anastas, the Permanent Representative of Palestine to UNESCO, expressed pride over this ‘historic’ inclusion, which “is credited to all Arabs, especially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which made every effort to host the session, and spared no effort to support the Palestinian cause in all international platforms.”
The Director General of World Heritage in Palestine, Dr. Ahmed Rajoub, described the city of Jericho as an example of the first and oldest political, social, and administrative system in the world.
He said it is not only the oldest walled city in the world, but it is also the lowest ancient walled city in the world, and the oldest political, social, and economic system. and religion in the world, which proves its role in the development of human civilisation.
Dr. Rajoub also pointed out that this ‘cultural victory’ has other economic and social implications.
He said Palestine does not have sources or resources, but it is rich in its cultural, religious and natural heritage, and registering Jericho on the World Heritage List will bring economic benefit.
Due to the doubling of the number of visitors to this site, it also fundamentally improves the community’s income and reflects on the well-being of the people of Jericho and the Palestinian economy in general, he added.
PR/APA