Saudi Umran Society
The headquarters of the Saudi Umran Society is located within the College of Architecture and Planning, King Saud University, on the first floor, next to the College’s northern entrance, at room 1004.
About the Society.
The Saudi Umran Society was founded in1987G, upon decision by the Scientific Council of King Saud University. This date marks the beginning of the Society’s activities which actually started in 1988G. The core task of this society was to deal with the different urban affairs in addition to constituting a forum that would gather specialists and those interested in the field. Since its inception, the Society has achieved widespread expansion at the local level where it has opened nine branches including Mekkah, Al Medina, Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, Al Ahsa, Abha, hayel and Al Qasseem.
During the course of its current session, the Society’s Board of Directors seeks to achieve significant progress at this stage in the life of the Assembly. It also seeks to implement the role of the Assembly, corroborate its activities, assert its role in the development of the urban sector and raise awareness as to its affairs, in addition to focusing on the importance of the Society’s role in the service of such a sector, the profession and the community in general.
Under this approach The Saudi Umran Society seeks to implement a number of ambitious programs that are geared to improve the level of urban applications in the Kingdom, including urban education in Saudi universities. In this context, the Society organizes seminars, exhibitions and lectures in order to bolster cooperation with all relevant parties whether at the domestic or global level.
Goals
Upgrading practice in the field of architecture, promulgating urban awareness in Saudi Arabia and achieving objectives through the following means:
Revival and development of the intellectual heritage of Islamic architecture through documentation, analysis and evaluation of buildings and traditional architectural configurations in addition to devising ways to preserve them.
Creating a distinctive identity for the Saudi built environment in light of the local natural and climatic environment and in line with the needs of the community.
Promoting cooperation and exchange of ideas between specialists in the urban fields in the educational, government and private sectors
Exchange of scientific production in the Society’s domain of interest among the relevant corporations and institutions at home and abroad.
Providing consultation and conducting the necessary studies in order to upgrade the professional performance level in the various urban corporations and institutions.
Activities
Conducting scientific research in the Society’s areas of interest and relevant scope of knowledge as well as publishing, distributing and exchanging the research findings with the concerned institutions.
Holding conferences and symposia to discuss urban-related issues.
Presenting seminars and intensive courses in order to keep informed the Society’s members and affiliates on the on-going research and studies and the latest projects in the fields of architecture and planning and other related disciplines.
Organizing scientific and cultural competitions in the Society’s areas of specialization.
Organizing a series of lectures in the urban-related disciplines.
Undertaking scientific excursions to places and sites of historical and cultural urban value
Creating an academic forum to gather specialists in the various urban planning disciplines.
Releases
There have been a number of releases for the Saudi Umran Society since it was founded. The most prominent of these releases are the following:
“Urbanism” bulletin (twenty issues).
An urban guide titled “Pioneers of the Urban World” (two issues have been released).
Journal of Urban research (one issue).
“Al Dira” (hometown) Periodical (21 issues).
