Jeddah exhibition revives Red Sea heritage

Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Museum has used a major Jeddah exhibition to bring submerged archaeology, shipwreck histories and maritime conservation into public view, placing the Kingdom’s Red Sea coastline at the centre of a wider cultural heritage push.

The temporary exhibition, “Sunken Treasures: The Maritime Heritage of the Red Sea”, ran at the museum in Historic Jeddah from February 25 to May 29, presenting underwater finds from along the Saudi coast and linking them to centuries of trade, pilgrimage, migration and environmental change. Hosted at the historic Bab Al Bunt building, the show formed part of the museum’s programme to connect the city’s port legacy with the Red Sea’s broader role as a corridor between Africa, Arabia and Asia.

The exhibition highlighted archaeological material recovered or documented through underwater research, including pottery, ceramics, glass, coins, navigation tools and traces of shipwrecks. These objects were presented not simply as isolated artefacts, but as evidence of maritime networks that moved goods, people and ideas across the Red Sea and into the wider Mediterranean and Indian Ocean worlds.

Curated by Eman Zidan, director of the Red Sea Museum, and Dr Solène Marion de Procé, chief of the French-Saudi Archaeological Mission in the Farasan Islands, the exhibition combined archaeological research with immersive displays, projections and soundscapes. Visitors were introduced to the work of divers, archaeologists, fishermen and conservation specialists involved in documenting underwater cultural heritage and protecting fragile marine sites.

A central theme was the dual identity of shipwrecks as historical archives and living ecosystems. Over time, wrecks on the seabed can become habitats for coral and marine life, turning human-made remains into part of a natural system. The exhibition used that connection to show why heritage protection and environmental conservation increasingly overlap in Red Sea research.

The show also supported Saudi Arabia’s broader efforts to build cultural infrastructure under Vision 2030, with museums, heritage sites and archaeological projects being positioned as part of national identity, tourism development and knowledge production. The Red Sea Museum’s focus on maritime history gives particular prominence to Jeddah, whose historic district is already recognised internationally for its long role as a gateway for commerce and pilgrimage.

Saudi heritage bodies have expanded underwater archaeology work along the Red Sea coast, including projects focused on sites between Jeddah and Al-Qunfudhah. These efforts involve national institutions and international academic partners, with research aimed at mapping submerged sites, documenting finds, preparing conservation plans and adding archaeological data to national heritage records.

The Heritage Commission’s work in this field has included cooperation with King Abdulaziz University, the University of Naples L’Orientale, the Alexandria Center for Maritime Archaeology and Underwater Cultural Heritage, the National Research Institute of Maritime Cultural Heritage in South Korea and the University of Cape Town. The projects are designed to strengthen scientific documentation while supporting long-term protection of submerged heritage.

The exhibition also reflected Saudi Arabia’s engagement with international heritage standards, including principles associated with UNESCO’s 2001 Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage. The Kingdom’s work in this area has increasingly focused on sustainable site management, specialist training, public awareness and the responsible presentation of fragile archaeological material.

One of the exhibition’s key messages was that the Red Sea functioned less as a barrier than as a maritime bridge. Seasonal winds, coastal anchorages and navigation patterns helped connect ports and communities across long distances. Finds such as imported ceramics and coins from different regions underscored the depth of commercial and cultural exchange that shaped coastal life over many centuries.

The Red Sea Museum’s approach also placed local communities within the story of maritime heritage. Fishermen, divers and coastal residents remain important sources of knowledge about underwater sites, while public exhibitions help shift such discoveries from specialist research circles into wider public understanding.

The museum has linked the exhibition to its wider educational mission through public programming, curator-led tours and discussions involving cultural leaders and researchers. The aim has been to present underwater archaeology as a living field rather than a static record, showing how scientific exploration, conservation and storytelling can work together.