Chronicle Heritage undertook a series of Heritage Impact Assessments on 39 heritage assets in AlUla County prior to the installation of new security features.
Project Overview
Beginning in 2023, Chronicle Heritage Arabia partnered with the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) Health, Safety, Security, and Environment (HSSE) to undertake a series of Heritage Impact Assessments (HIAs) as part of Project SECURE, which addresses 39 heritage assets of identified “critical importance” ahead of the installation of proposed improvements and upgrades in security protection.
Among the heritage assets, which range in date from prehistoric to modern times, are Hejaz Railway Stations, Ottoman period castles and forts, rock art sites, cemeteries, and settlements. The security protection options included new or replacement fence lines, cameras, a combination of fences and video surveillance, and the removal of existing fences in favor of “virtual fences” at certain sites.
Our Approach
The Chronicle Heritage team approached Project SECURE in two phases, with Phase 1 devoted to 22 priority sites and Phase 2 covering the remaining 17 sites. The HIA work for each phase was likewise undertaken in two stages, with an initial HIA Scoping followed by an HIA Statement once the details of the security interventions had been confirmed.
The HIA Scoping work consisted of field assessments to update site descriptions, to assess any changes to site conditions, to identify possible threats within the covered areas, to provide observations on current security measures, to consider the options and locations for the proposed security enhancements, and to evaluate the best ways to minimize the physical and visual impacts on the settings and the overall integrity of the cultural heritage assets.
The goals of the HIA Statements in turn were to assess the impact of the proposed developments and to provide a suitable strategy to mitigate any adverse effects as part of the planning process to develop the project area.
The Results
As a final step, Chronicle Heritage conducted archaeological monitoring for the installation of the fences and other security measures as recommended to best protect the heritage assets. The security enhancements that result from the project will ensure the ongoing protection of a group of valuable cultural heritage assets located in the Al Madinah District of AlUla County that together represent an outstanding snapshot of the range and quality of the archaeological sites within the wider region.