From: KHOBAR ONLINE
To: saudicaves.com
Cc: JohnPint-(a)-SPS.net.sa
Sent: Thursday, October 17, 2002 12:04 AM
Subject: Regarding UPM Cave

Hi there, I have recently visited your page. it was a true achievment I really liked it.

I'm interested in knowing more about the UPM Cave? where did you get the name from? Do you mean UPM as in University of Petroleum & Minerals ? Is it in the UPM area ? I'd like to know more about that cave.

Please send me back with more info. Thanks

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REPLY:

Hello and thanks for your kind words about our web page!

Yes, UPM Cave is named after KFUPM, which was simply called UPM back in the 1980's when this cave was found and explored by a team of spelelogists from the Austrian Academy of Sciences and UPM. This cave is unusual in many ways: it has three levels; it is the only cave so far found in KSA which has cave pearls and a rimstone dam (gour pool); some formations in this cave are still "alive" and growing.

It's located far from UPM, near the Dahna desert.

You'll be able to see great pictures of this cave in the book The Desert Caves of Saudi Arabia which is in press at Stacey International (London) right now and will soon be for sale in bookstores.

John Pint