The discovery was made by a mission from the Supreme Council of Antiquities during archaeological survey and documentation work in a remote desert area of the peninsula. The site has been identified as the Um ‘Irak Plateau and is already being described as one of the most important archaeological discoveries in the region in recent years.
The most striking finds are extensive rock paintings and carvings spread across a natural sandstone rock shelter on the eastern side of the plateau.
The shelter extends for more than 100 meters (328 feet) and contains a large number of paintings executed in red pigment on its ceiling. These images depict animals and symbolic forms that researchers have tentatively dated to between about 10,000 and 5,500 BC.