Referring to Philipp's review from earlier this week and Zoë's comments in today's blog post, I am wondering whether Al-Faw is one of the few, maybe even the only WHS, which is totally unvisitable (and thus 'untickable') at the moment (except for those in war zones of course). Even the photos on the UNESCO website seem to have been taken with a drone.

We have 10 other sites in the connection 'Not open to tourists', but most of them have workarounds:
- Replicas for Kazanlak, Pont d'Arc and Lascaux (the latter has alternative serial locations as well)
- For Surtsey, the surrounding waters are part of the core zone too and you can get close enough for a proper look by boat
- Stoclet: 'everybody' ticks it since you can see a clear Art Nouveau-style building from the pavement (although its OUV lies mostly inside and in the overall design including gardens as a Gesamtkunstwerk)
- Indian Sundarbans: the tourist areas in the buffer zone show a similar landscape, although not as pristine. The same argument may count for Chiribiquete.
- Papahanaumokuakea: you could have visited before 2012 or become a volunteer there. Still, No Go for now and similar to Al-Faw.
- Gough has an alternative visitable location in Inaccessible Island.
- The core zone of Los Katios can be entered by boat, and you may have some distant views of forests. I believe access with a special permit is also possible.

The specific problem with Al-Faw (as far as I can see from the reviews, I have not been there myself) is that you cannot enter the core zone AND cannot observe its OUV from behind the fence or in any other way (OUV here = "rich archaeological remains, including the flint tools of the Palaeolithic and Neolithic periods; a huge number of funerary "avenues" of stone structures dating from the second half of the 3rd millennium to the beginning of the 2nd millennium BCE and radiating out from the oasis; and numerous tumuli at the foothills.").

Not a subject I have previously investigated...... can i presume that others have fully investigated the possibility of a local tour company having/being able to get the necessary permissions???

This Web Page of the Saudi Arabian Tourist Guide at least has a lot of photos of the site taken at ground level and suggests Horizons Tours as having the necessary permissions to run such a tour given by STCH. The Web page is however dated 2018......... so maybe such permissions are no longer available?? This very recent Wanderlust article about it (this year) certainly says it is CLOSED period!
The Horizons company itself certainly still exists but isn't showing such a tour on its Web site that I can see....whether it could arrange if asked and given enough money...?.

I inquired on my visit when a local guide back at Hail told me that it requires a guide but that never worked out. They basically keep giving you excuses and other places to inquire rather than have just telling you it's off limits.

Qalhat is visitable these days?

Yep. And you could always see it from the road and/or enter illegally.
This seems not to be possible at Al-Faw

Altamira falls in the same category of Lascaux ...

Solivagant
I tried to contact Horizon Tours, but they no longer exist or have not even fully existed. I did not find any reviews of people actually having travelled with them to Al-Faw.

elsslots
The "illegal" part is actually debatable. I did what Zoe suggested and got there. Randi & Svein followed a guide book and got there. All without climbing any fences. We just walked in from an unusual side. In my opinion it really starts to be illegal if you climb a proper fence. And for Al-Faw you would need to climb a high fence with barb wire.

I have just left a WhatsApp chat with someone claiming/purporting to be the successor to "The Horizon Tours". I got the mobile number from this Web Site. (Mob - +966 55 162 6319 )

It may be a scam front but its Whatsapp "photo" was of its logo.... And it gave, what seems to me, to be a rational answer confirming what we already knew – but good to get a confirmation that there is not even a way for local tour companies to get round the current site closure

Here is the complete chat
"Me: Hi, I am one of a number of travellers who try to visit unesco world heritage sites around the world. We exchange information on tour companies who can assist us. Recently a couple of travellers have returned from Saudi travelling by themselves and have failed to visit AL FAW, finding it closed with a fence and locked gate. The Web contains an entry from 2020 which indicates that Horizon Tours has permission to lead visits to the site with guide and 4X4. Is this correct? Can you arrange a visit to this site as of 2024? If so can you indicate please the sort of arrangements you would offer?

Horizon Tours: Unfortunately sir, this particular site isn't open yet, however; lately we heard that the authorities are going to re-open it but not a clue when! Meanwhile we do have other UN Sites which probably you are aware of, which are open in case you are interested or will keep you noted once a visit to Al Faw is possible

Me: Yes, that is what we had heard... If you DO get to know that the site is to be opened we would certainly like to know. In the meantime I take it that you operate tours out of Riyadh.... I can't find your Web site.. Only ones which mention you!, is this mobile number the best way to contact you?

Horizon Tours: Good morning sir, recently I am working just as a licensed tour guide but with the same capabilities of my previous agency "The Horizons Tours", as I had to shut down the agency due to unforeseen circumstances. Still keeping my speciality of organizing tours to explorers, pro photographers, and tourists from Europe to visit UN sites and other unknown remote sites in the desert that are like an open air museum for those who like ancient rock arts and geologic wonders. Yes, this is my business mobile phone number, and I'll keep you posted in regard to Al Faw"

It is clear that Saudi tightened up on site security etc once it decided to go for nomination and started developing a Visitor Strategy. The ICOMOS Evaluation notes "An extension of the present external fence to the north and south to enclose the entire nominated property has been approved and will be completed in 2024. These fences, together with staff patrols, prevent illegal excavations in the nominated property and four-wheel-drives from entering the site, and control of visitor flows."

What is happening appears to be consistent (if already a bit behind?) with the Management Plan which sets out a 3 step opening strategy in Sections 6.1- "The first step is the planned preliminary opening of the site in 2024 with the creation of an Ephemeral Visitor Center, to be followed by the creation of a Temporary Visitor Center, before developing a more definitive structure that will be capable to deal with a larger number of visitors"

and, in more detail, in 8 VI.1 page 134 -
Step 1 - WHS visitors are unlikely to benefit from this!
"To welcome few selected guests (officials, researchers, etc.), some ephemeral additional structures will be installed on the existing external concrete platform outside the tent. A container (55-60 m2) will notably be dedicated to present the main known assets of the site, based on the available published documentation. Two small containers (2 x 5 m) will also be placed in the same area to provide toilets for visitors and permit the operation of the site (security)."

Step 2 – Should provide a way in?
"In a second, medium-term phase (2025-2026), the site will be officially opened to visitors. The renovated research center will be maintained and fully operational, but the containers of the ephemeral phase will be removed. A new Temporary Visitor Center will be built in a different location, some 400 m east of the present research facilities" - The Managment Plan has a lot more on this stage if anyone is interested,

Step 3 – I can find no date for a permanent centre!