Future technology will help preserve the past, say museum experts

The impact of digitalization on job opportunities in the Saudi museum sector was the focus of a recent virtual meeting held by the Ministry of Culture’s Museums Commission.

Technology’s role in helping museums to preserve cultural heritage was also discussed.

Moath Al-Mashowkhi, a specialist in documenting museum holdings, highlighted the importance of technology in reducing traditional documentation risks and digitally caring for collectibles.

He also outlined the benefits of 3D imaging technology for scholars and researchers, allowing them to examine details of artifacts, and facilitating the creation of cultural projects such as holograms, virtual museums and virtual maps.

Al-Mashowkhi emphasized the challenges of digitization, particularly in handling artifacts that require specialized treatment due to variations in documentation patterns based on archaeological material.

He outlined the stages of digital documentation, including identifying the artifact, assessing material costs, addressing human requirements, and determining studio requirements, equipment and tool specifications.

Mohammed Ismail, a lecturer in heritage and museum digitization technology, discussed recent advances and technologies for heritage preservation, describing a project he participated in at a cultural center with nine interconnected screens presenting a panoramic view of civilization timelines.

This innovative approach enhances visitors’ understanding of cultural heritage and its interconnected events.

He also highlighted popular digital presentation methods, including “mixed reality” technology that combines real and virtual elements, and “augmented reality” technology that overlays virtual images onto the real world.

Ismail said that the museum sector offers a wide range of job opportunities, including systems management, maintenance and operation management, software development management, content management, and design.