The Ministry of Culture, in collaboration with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, introduced a simulation platform for the National Museum on Tuesday, letting visitors explore the halls and evaluate the museum's contents in a virtual digital journey.

During the digital journey, all visitors will be able to observe all of the archaeological objects inside the National Museum through a digital tour of its eight parts via specific viewing areas that allow 360-degree presentation.

The virtual tour was created using augmented reality technology and an app accessible for smartphones and tablets, which contains an accurate simulation of a tour through the museum's corridors, different sections, and objects displayed in the museum, accompanied by audio material that narrates visual info about these items or a display in a particular area in the museum premises.

The virtual tour also provides a space for observation of the archaeological objects and interacts with them by reading texts that explain each artifact.

The “National Museum Virtual Tour” portal is regarded as the first Arab platform to give users interactive information that facilitates the process of transforming old Arabic alphabetic spellings into contemporary Arabic, hence increasing conceptual awareness of historical Arabic scripts on the Arabian Peninsula.

The platform also seeks to encourage people to engage in a full virtual tour of the National Museum and reacquaint them with its ambiance, particularly after the museum's operations were halted due to the emergence of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic about 1.5 years ago.

The platform also aims to convey national heritage to viewers from all over the world in Arabic and English through extensive information shown in an easy-to-understand style, including all facts, photos, and audio and video clips that complement the museum's contents.

The “National Museum Virtual Tour” is the product of collaboration between the Saudi Museums Commission and the National Museum administration, and the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, presented by the Digital Transformation Unit.

This initiative is intended to conserve and promote national history using digital technologies both locally and worldwide, and to facilitate access to the museum from anywhere in the world at any time of day to offer a first glimpse at the museum's valuable archaeological objects, paintings, and manuscripts, which constitute an essential component of national legacy.