Earlier this month (December 2025), Professor Soumyen Bandyopadhyay, Director of the Heritage Institute and Sir James Stirling Chair in Architecture at the University of Liverpool, was pleased to be invited to the Diriyah Global Seminar.
The seminar, organised by the Diriyah Gate Development Authority, took place from 8 to 9 December 2024 under the theme: ‘The Crossroads of Trade and Tradition: Diriyah and Central Arabia’s Role in Global Exchange’.
The seminar’s aim was to promote academic research on Diriyah and Central Arabia, exploring their rich history and deeply rooted heritage within Saudi culture. Serving as a platform for knowledge exchange, the seminar brought together a diverse group of researchers, practitioners, and enthusiasts interested in the history and cultural heritage of the region.
Professor Bandyopadhyay presented on behalf of ArCHIAM, the Centre for the Study of Architecture and Cultural Heritage of India, Arabia and the Maghreb, who were invited to be an official partner for the Seminar. His lecture was entitled: ‘Passages through the Arabian Peninsula: Cultural and Artistic Transference in Oman and Saudi Arabia’
Soumyen also chaired a panel discussion along with fellow University of Liverpool colleague Dr Mary Shepperson. The panel’s topic for discussion was ‘Methodologies for Understanding Trade Routes, Intersections and Ports’.
Soumyen Bandyopadhyay taking part in the panel discussion.
Seminar themes
The Diriyah Global Seminar had three main discussion themes:
- Material Heritage: The Tangible Threads of Trade The physical legacies of Diriyah & Central Arabia’s role in trade, from archaeological findings to environmental impacts, and how these artifacts reflect the exchange of various traditions
- Intangible Heritage: The Rhythm of Tradition The oral histories, nomadic traditions, and artistic expressions born from Diriyah & Central Arabia’s position as a trading nexus, and their enduring impact on the Arabian Peninsula’s intangible heritage.
- Textual Heritage: Narratives of Commerce & Culture The stories captured in manuscripts, travel accounts, and linguistic shifts that chronicle, through trade, the historical facets of the cultural fabric of Diriyah & Central Arabia.
The event included an academic program featuring a rich blend of panel discussions, keynote lectures, and workshops, offering a platform for thought-provoking dialogue and scholarly engagement; a student poster showcase providing a dynamic forum for students to present research and engage in dialogue with experts, and a DGS accompanying exhibition which offered a retrospective journey through archival photographs, maps, and personal accounts, uncovering the cultural and historical richness of Central Arabia.
This year’s Caravans of Memories delved into the enduring legacy of camels in trade, culture, and daily life, tracing their role as companions on historic routes that shaped Diriyah’s story as a hub of commerce and hospitality.