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– al- ʿUlā AS Project Final Report (2019–2024)
Anthropological survey of al-ʿUlā community and its oasis system, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
(See project),
CNRS, Paris
Version released in November 2025,
– by Vincent Battesti,
– https://hal.science/hal-05389436
– DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17764434
– Online on Zenodo: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17764434
– Abstract:
This Final Report presents the outcomes of the Anthropological Survey of al-ʿUlā Community and Its Oasis System project (2019–2024), also referred to as al-ʿUlā AS Project, a research programme conducted between 2019 and 2024 – initially planned for four years and extended by an additional year through an amendment between AFALULA and the CNRS. The project combined anthropology, ethnoecology, and agronomy to document and analyse the oasis of al-ʿUlā as a socio-ecological system through an interdisciplinary approach grounded in long-term ethnographical fieldwork. By integrating both social and agricultural data, it provides a holistic understanding of al-ʿUlā’s community and oasis system.
Over five years, the project carried out extensive fieldwork and produced substantial qualitative and quantitative data on social organisation, agricultural production, environmental knowledge, water management, and local biodiversity. The final year was dedicated primarily to the comprehensive analysis and cross-disciplinary interpretation of these materials. This phase consolidated the results presented in previous annual reports and prepared the ground for the project’s major scientific outputs, several of which are still forthcoming.
While some deliverables – including a key publication and a doctoral dissertation – are already available, the project’s two major volumes are now nearing completion and will consolidate the results in accessible and rigorous formats. Their dissemination will provide essential knowledge for ongoing and future research, as well as for institutions and stakeholders involved in the region’s development.
Beyond its empirical contributions, the project demonstrates the value of an interdisciplinary approach that connects social dynamics with agricultural and ecological processes. It underscores the importance of sustained dialogue between the social and environmental sciences. The insights gained will soon be available in various academic and applied formats, ensuring that the project’s outcomes contribute meaningfully to the understanding and preservation of the rich cultural and ecological heritage of al-ʿUlā.