RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Heritage Authority has launched the first phase of an archaeological survey of stone structures in the Northern Borders and Al-Jawf regions. The project is said to be one of the most important of its kind, given that the Kingdom has the largest number of stone structures of this kind in the world, and their diversity in terms of shape, size and function. The project is based on a directive by Prince Badr bin Abdullah, minister of culture and chairman of the board of directors of the Heritage Authority. It aims to provide valuable information about the nature of the structures and the environmental, cultural and social conditions that influenced their creation, and expand our knowledge of the Stone Age period in general. It will also document the structures and help with efforts to preserve them, while highlighting the important role the Kingdom’s territory and its people played in the development of human civilization. The information will also be used in the environmental, cultural and tourism fields. The Heritage Authority previously announced that the scientific study of the stone structures would be carried in cooperation with Saudi and international universities and research centers.