Rock Art in the Ha'il Region (Arabic: الفنون الصخرية في منطقة حائل) is the fourth site in Saudi Arabia to be added to the UNESCO List of World Heritage Sites. The rock art includes two sites with carvings and writings found in the desert of the Ha'il Region. At both sites, an ancient group left marks on the rocks, showing their activities over 8,000 years.

Inscription criteria

In 2015, during its 39th meeting, the committee added both sites to the UNESCO World Heritage List. The reasons for including them are the very large number of petroglyphs, which show amazing examples of human creativity. The petroglyphs offer strong evidence of how past societies dealt with challenges caused by natural disasters. The Saudi Commission for Tourism has worked to better protect the cultural site. These efforts include expanding the buffer zone, cleaning and repairing the petroglyphs, and setting up a system to watch over the site.

Description

The petroglyphs of Jubbah are found on the eastern sides of Jabal Umm Sinman. The hills rise to a height of 1,264 meters above sea level and are nearly 450 meters higher than the surrounding Nafud desert. These hills once overlooked an ancient lake that was up to 20 kilometers long and 5 kilometers wide. The petroglyph panels show different rock art styles from the past 10,000 years and reflect changes in people’s lives and cultures due to climate shifts. The oldest images show animals like the ibex, which were important to early Neolithic communities. As people began raising cattle and horses, these animals were added to the artwork. Around 3,000 years ago, lakes in the area dried up, and camels became vital for survival. These animals are shown often in the petroglyphs, along with Thamudic and Arabic script.

Jabals al-Manjor and Raat are rocky ridges in a dry valley now covered by sand near Shuwaymis. The petroglyphs there include drawings of people, animals, palm trees, and footprints.