Work is underway by the National Urban Heritage Center (NUHC) of Saudi Arabia to restore four historic places, which be transformed into cultural and heritage centres housing museums to exhibit local culture and to promote domestic tourism.

Donated by their owners to the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTNH) – the restored properties will also be used for cultural, heritage and tourism events periodically. The total works across the four sites will cost around SR26.8m (US$7.1m, €6.4m, £5m).

According to a SCTNH representative, restoration work is progressing well with the Bin Raghoosh Palace in Al-Baha Province, Therban Palace in Al-Nammas municipality, Al-Asskar Palace in Al-Majm’a and Al-Rashid Palace in Al-Qassab, all to act as significant landmarks in their respective territories.

Saudi Arabia has put focus on its heritage lately as a way to draw more domestic tourism, most recently unveiling plans to train 10,000 young Saudi people in architectural heritage to help professionalise the sector.

“The idea is not to merely change these places into museums or the heritage sites into venues for events,” said a senior official at NUHC, speaking in 2015. “We wish to restore these sites that were filled with life at an earlier period in our history and utilise them to contribute to the local and national economy.”