UNESCO - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

09/05/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/05/2025 10:59

Voices of AlUla: Community Storytellers At The Heart Of Heritage Interpretation

As part of UNESCO's regional workshops on Inclusive Interpretation and Presentation Planning at World Heritage Sites in the Arab States, held in collaboration with the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) and International Centre for the Interpretation and Presentation of World Heritage Sites (WHIPIC), two local Rawis - Amal and Atif - shared their experiences in interpreting and presenting AlUla's heritage through community-rooted storytelling.

Their reflections offer a powerful reminder: inclusive interpretation is not simply a method - it is a movement to reconnect heritage with the people who live it.


For both Amal and Atif, their role as Rawis, or traditional storytellers, is deeply intertwined with their connection to the AlUla community. This relationship has not only shaped how they narrate history but also deepened their understanding of its cultural and emotional dimensions.

Attif: "My connection to the AlUla community has deeply shaped how I interpret and share its heritage. I've learned so much about the region's history and culture, which has made me more capable of presenting narratives that are both accurate and impactful. Understanding the beliefs surrounding Hegra-and the lived experiences and stories of the people-has given me a fuller sense of the community's soul."

Amal: "As a Rawi, my connection with the local community in AlUla allowed me to understand heritage in a more authentic and deeper way. Through engaging with community members, I learned stories and historical details that revealed the true impact of our heritage-helping me craft a vivid and meaningful narrative for visitors from diverse cultural backgrounds."

Despite their passion, both Rawis recognise the ongoing challenges in ensuring that local voices are genuinely valued in heritage narratives. Interacting with site managers from across the region during the workshop helped them identify the barriers to access, limited awareness, and the need for broader inclusion which remain pressing issues.

Atif: "I faced some challenges in ensuring that local voices are heard and valued, such as lack of awareness about the importance of heritage or difficulty accessing some communities. But this workshop helped me develop new ways to engage people and ensure their perspectives are included in heritage narratives."

"So, this collaboration between UNESCO, RCU, and WHIPIC provided us with answers to challenges we thought we were the only ones facing."

Amal: "One major challenge was making sure local voices were genuinely empowered and represented with precision and authenticity. The UNESCO-RCU partnership has been vital: through their workshops and awareness campaigns, they've involved community members directly in heritage preservation. That support has strengthened my role as a storyteller and allowed me to actively shape how our community's heritage is shared."

Through the UNESCO-RCU partnership, Rawis and heritage professionals have gained technical support and access to knowledge-sharing platforms that strengthen their interpretive skills. A standout example is the Story Circles methodology, first introduced at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, which the Rawis have since carried into their work. This approach has helped them promote intercultural dialogue and create storytelling experiences that build empathy and connect communities with heritage in meaningful ways.

Atif: "The Story Circles workshop was a great experience, where I learned about the importance of intercultural dialogue in interpreting heritage, understanding others, and seeing the world from their eyes. I've been left with the idea that stories can be a powerful tool for promoting understanding and respect between different cultures."

"I don't only carry the things I learned to other workshops, but also with visitors when leading tours or facilitating dialogues. I can build a bridge between them as visitors."

Amal: "Story Circles offered the perfect space to refine my dialogue skills and become more authentic in my communication. It enhanced our ability to share AlUla's heritage in a powerful way-bridging age, culture, and belief differences among audiences."

Bringing together site managers and heritage professionals from across the Arab States provided an opportunity to exchange ideas, confront shared challenges, and gain regional insight into how interpretation is approached elsewhere.

Atif: "Participating in this workshop supports me as a storyteller by exchanging experiences and methods with others. This exchange enriches my knowledge and helps me develop my skills in storytelling and heritage interpretation."

Amal: "There were many positive aspects of working alongside site managers and heritage professionals from across the Arab region and one of the greatest benefits was exchanging knowledge and experiences. Learning from professionals who bring diverse regional perspectives has clarified our shared challenges-and taught me how specific heritage sites are perceived differently, depending on cultural context."

Attif: "Yes exactly - many participants mentioned specific cultural changes in the way specific heritage sites were perceived. This showed us that the way we interpret Hegra and its stories is very important for not only Arabs but the broader Islamic religion."


The workshops also sparked inspiration for the future, especially in the fields of technology, community engagement, and sustainability. Amal and Atif left Doha with fresh ideas and a stronger sense of purpose, drawing strong inspiration from the insights of heritage professionals from global sites.

Workshops Participants Doha
© UNESCO
Atif: "I was inspired by ideas and experiences from other countries during this workshop, such as strategies for engaging local communities in heritage interpretation. I will apply these ideas in AlUla to enhance efforts to preserve cultural heritage and interpret it."

"Zimbabwe and Qatar for example have shown great examples and strategies of engaging local communities in heritage interpretation. And taking away from this workshop, I will take these ideas to AlUla to enhance efforts to preserve cultural heritage and interpret it."


Amal: "During our time working in varying locations and on different initiatives, one of the questions that always arose was how we could employ technology in storytelling. How we could draw these stories and the arts to be more interactive and engaging for visitors. Another point was how we could learn the importance of sustainability in cultural heritage - how this facilitated preserving heritage sites for future generations."

Atif: "Collaborating with other site managers and heritage professionals from UNESCO sites around the world, especially during the Doha workshops-helped us understand that these challenges are shared. By learning from one another, we can find new ways forward. It's not just about walking a path alone, but about continuing from where others have left off so future generations can carry these stories forward."

Since signing their partnership agreement in 2021, UNESCO and RCU have been working together to preserve AlUla's rich cultural heritage and promote sustainable development in the region, paving the way for new approaches to conservation, education, and community engagement. By listening to voices like Amal's and Atif's, this work becomes more than preservation - it becomes a way of keeping heritage connected to the people who live it every day.
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