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Industrial Heritage
Client: Ministry of Culture
Sector:
Duration: 5 Months
Industry: Culture
Overview
Challenge
To spread awareness about the historical significance of the industrial sector and instill a sense of appreciation for Saudi history.
Outcome
The discovery of hundreds of new industrial sites, their stories, and history — 5 of which were eligible to be part of the World Heritage Sites.
Impact
The ability to uncover heritage sites and have them recognized creates a feeling of pride in those who found them. Saudi Arabia's industrial sector and its historical gravity can now be accessed and viewed by the entire world — adding value to the cultural sector and tourism industry as well.
Context
Saudi Arabia has always valued its culture and heritage, but that magnified tenfold the moment Vision 2030 was announced. As the country rapidly progresses towards a less oil-reliant state of being, it is finding solace in its roots — for with culture and history comes art, literature, science, innovation, and industrialization.
In 2019, Saudi Arabia launched its National Industrial Development and Logistics Program — revolving around maximizing the contribution of four sectors: energy, mining, industry, and logistics. Its main aim: to transform the Kingdom into a leading industrial powerhouse and a global logistics hub through the 4th Industrial Revolution's capabilities.
However, to move forward, Saudi Arabia wanted to look back at what its heritage had to offer — the industrial inventions and innovations that could withstand rehabilitation and preservation, while positioning the country's history on a global map.
TAM's Approach
The Ministry of Culture's Industrial Heritage Contest (2019) was directed towards preserving the Kingdom's industrial heritage by rehabilitating industrial establishments to safeguard their persistent impacts. TAM was responsible for its operational organization, overseeing the full contest across three distinct challenges:
Challenge 1 — Discovery
Contestants were expected to find as many new — technically old and unknown — industrial sites as possible, and share images or video of the location. This was the most popular category, attracting the highest number of submissions.
Challenge 2 — Story
Revolved around recording ongoing or historical details about the daily functions of any sector facility — explaining their social and industrial significance in narrative form.
Challenge 3 — Documentation
Required the submission of a complete research paper with all available historical information about a single Saudi industrial heritage site. Unexpectedly, this became the second most popular category — proving Saudis' genuine interest in their industrial history.
Two-Stage Filtration & Judging
TAM designated two filtration stages with fixed standards for each challenge to validate submissions. A first panel of expert judges — selected for their expertise in the industrial and cultural sectors — reduced 1,300+ submissions to 200 based on historical value, technical application, and quantitative and qualitative caliber. A second judging committee then evaluated these finalists across topic relation, information value, and scientific documentation — selecting 21 final winners.
"We are happy to participate in the #Industrial_Heritage competition, and we have a rich heritage of giving and achievement that we are proud of, and we at Mawani support and appreciate this step that documents the history of industries and charts the path of renaissance in the Kingdom."
— Saudi Ports Authority, Mawani
What We Delivered
- Full operational organization of the Industrial Heritage Contest across three challenge categories.
- A dedicated competition website and registration platform for public submissions.
- Two-stage filtration system with fixed standards per challenge category.
- Two expert judging panels — one for nomination and one for final selection — managing over 1,300 submissions.
- 21 winners selected with a total prize pool of SR 970,000 ($258,600).
- Discovery and documentation of 5 World Heritage-eligible industrial sites and 29 prime local heritage sites.
Impact at a Glance
1,300+
submissions across three challenge categories
200
finalists selected after two-stage filtration and first judging
21
winners across the three challenge categories
5
sites eligible for World Heritage Site candidacy
29
prime local industrial heritage sites identified for preservation
970K SAR
total prize pool awarded to winners
3
challenge categories: Discovery, Story, Documentation
2
expert judging panels overseeing the full evaluation process
Lasting Value Created
The Industrial Heritage Contest placed Saudi Arabia's industrial history on a global stage — turning unknown sites into documented, preserved, and potentially UNESCO-recognized heritage. By involving the public in the discovery and documentation process, TAM and the Ministry of Culture transformed ordinary Saudis into historians and guardians of their own legacy. With 5 sites eligible for World Heritage candidacy and 29 more identified for local preservation, the contest created a lasting foundation for cultural tourism, national pride, and industrial heritage development aligned with Vision 2030.