THE PROTECTION OF WORLD HERITAGE SITES IN HAIL, SAUDI ARABIA, UNDER INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS AND NATIONAL LAWS

Since the adoption of the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage in 1972, UNESCO has worked to identify World Heritage Sites that possess outstanding value to humanity and to include them on the World Heritage List. This aims to enhance the protection of these sites at both international and national levels. Although these sites are owned by the countries within whose borders they are located, the responsibility for protecting them lies with the international community as a whole, because they represent a shared global heritage. International conventions require all member states to participate in the preservation and protection of these sites during both peacetime and wartime. They also oblige countries in which these sites are located to implement specific protection measures within their national legal systems. One example of such sites is the Rock Art of the Hail Region, which was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2015. As a result of this designation, these sites have received strengthened protection on both international and national levels. This study aims to shed light on these sites located in the Hail region, explore their importance to global cultural heritage, outline the protection they receive under international agreements and national legislation, and examine ways to enhance this protection through local policies and community involvement.