Underwater cultural heritage is one of the most important types of human heritage, with UNESCO estimating that there are millions of sunken marine artefacts worldwide and other underwater historical sites, many of them in the Arab region.

Accordingly, the Arab Regional Center for World Heritage, in cooperation with the Heritage Commission of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the UNESCO Chair for Underwater Cultural Heritage, organised for the first time in the Arab region, a training course in this field in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, from 26 February to 9 March 2023.
Arab researchers and Arab specialists in the fields of archaeology, heritage, museums, history, restoration of antiquities and related sciences, and affiliated with the bodies concerned with tourism, environment and naval forces, participated in the course, which included a set of lectures, in addition to practical exercises.

This training course is an initial step towards capacity building and competencies in the field of underwater cultural heritage in the Arab region.