Geoheritage Assessment of the North Riyadh aUGGP, Saudi Arabia: linking Geotourism, and Sustainable Development

Last several decades, several geoparks developed worldwide and are recognized by UNESCO. North Riyadh aUGGp is located in the northern part of Riyadh City, Saudi Arabia; comprises various key landforms like cuesta, wadi, escarpment, and Jurassic fossil which can be visible in 20 geosites. This is a pioneering approach to assess the Geoheritage value of this geopark. The objective of this paper is to unveil the geosite characteristics, and their potential for geotourism development. Geoheritage and tourism potential is assessed through the scientific, educational, and tourism potential. North Riyadh aUGGp provides an opportunity to study the landform evolution in the central part of Saudi Arabia from the marine to the terrestrial environment. Therefore, North Riyadh aUGGp comprises various coral and Jurassic fossils. The formation of the cuesta structure indicates the massive tectonic activity host and graben topography dissected by fluvial channels. National Center for Vegetation Cover and Combating Desertification and the local community have taken various conservation measures for the protection of the various geosites with high scientific, educational, and touristic value.

Keywords: geopark, geoheritage, geotourism, colluvial coral, cuesta, escarpment