Saudi Cultural Missions Theses & Dissertations
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Item Restricted Understanding Visitor Experience at Hegra: A Study on Motivations, Communication Strategies, and Satisfaction in Heritage Tourism(Oxford Brookes University, 2025-01) Alshowaikan, Sarah; Clark, JackieThis research serves to find out what factors affect the overall experience of visitors in Hegra, a UNESCO World Heritage site in AlUla, Saudi Arabia. The present study, on the basis of a mixed-method methodology, identifies those emotion-evoking, motivating, and effectively communicating factors to visitors for overall satisfaction by using quantitative questionnaires and qualitative interviews. The results show that the primary motives for visiting Hegra were historical and cultural interests. At the same time, the interactive forms of communication, like storytelling and guided tours, substantially raised the level of engagement. The site's atmosphere and contact with the local community at Hegra promoted positive emotional reactions that were assumed to affect overall satisfaction and intentions to return. This paper also compares with Petra site the state-of-the-art technologies taken up by Hegra in balancing sustainable tourism and heritage preservation. Recommendations are provided to improve the visitor experience and long-term sustainability of Hegra as a leading heritage tourism destination.5 0Item Restricted Curating World Heritage Sites in Saudi Arabia for Local Development,Hegra as a Case Study(Birkbeck University of London, 2024-01-01) Alharbi, Ashwoag; Bowry, Stephanie.This paper aimed to research the museums and heritage sites in Saudi Arabia and how they can influence local development. A review of the literature provided a strong link between conserving and curating heritage and the quality of life of societies residing in places of cultural significance, especially when they are included in the decision-making and empowered to make income and participate in the cultural events as this provides them with a sense of importance and belonging. Thus, interdisciplinary work is needed to develop the local communities. Moreover, there is an urgent need to improve the condition of cultural institutions in Saudi Arabia as they were overlooked for decades, resulting in the demand for more qualified professionals and a plan to maintain heritage sites. The paper examines the circumstances in Saudi Arabia as a region that needs more studies in the domain. In the kingdom, heritage sites are typically investigated in an archaeological context. In contrast, cultural importance is neither examined by its own nor its influence on the local communities. In Saudi, museums are hardly on the agenda of academic research. Therefore, integrating the museums' rules and responsibilities towards heritage sites and societies provides a broader framework to examine the potential of an interdisciplinary look at the cultural situation in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.17 0