Uhambo lwemivubukulo yaseSaudi/French luthole inani elikhulu lezitsha zobumba zasendulo namathuluzi okhuni nawensimbi e-Madain Saleh (Al-Hijr), esukela emuva eminyakeni engaphezu kuka-2000. Ithimba liphinde lathola inqwaba yamayunithi ezakhiwo anezimpawu ezibonisa ukuthi le ndawo yayisetshenziswa njengendawo yesevisi. USolwazi u-Ali Al-Ghaban, iphini likamongameli wezemivubukulo kanye neminyuziyamu uthe lesi yisikhathi sesibili sokumba eMadae'n Saleh, esingena ngaphansi kohlelo lokubambisana kwezesayensi nohambo lwamazwe ngamazwe emkhakheni wokuhlolwa kwemivubukulo kanye nokumba, isivumelwano sokubambisana phakathi kwe i-archeology kanye nomkhakha wemnyuziyamu e-SCTA, kanye ne-National French Research Center CNRC.
USolwazi Ghaban wachaza ukuthi ithimba lokumba lihlanganisa ochwepheshe abayi-11 bemivubukulo, i-geo-physics, imibhalo, i-geology, i-anthropology, i-GIS, nemisebenzi yokubuyisela, phakathi kokunye. Ngesizini yokuqala (2008), ithimba lathola inqwaba yamayunithi ezakhiwo endaweni okuhlala abantu - indawo yase-Al-Diwan - kanye nentaba yase-Ethlib. Njengamanje, kwenziwa imisebenzi yokubuyisela ukuze kubuyiselwe amayunithi ezakhiwo ngezinto zemvelo ukuze kungaphazamisi imvelo yalokho okutholakele. Isofthiwe ekhethekile ye-elekthronikhi isetshenziswa ukuze kubhalwe phansi imisebenzi yethimba yokumba nokubuyisela.
I-UNESCO yamemezela ukufakwa kweMadain Saleh ohlwini lwayo lwamagugu omhlaba, ngoJulayi 2008. Yisizinda sokuqala esivela eMbusweni waseSaudi Arabia ukufakwa ohlwini lwe-UNESCO.
