Despite several intensive archaeological investigations conducted in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia over the last ten years, rock art studies remain neglected. The thesis includes a critique of the only detailed analysis work which has been carried out on the rock art of central Arabia. That analysis contains many errors in the dating and in the analytical classification of styles. The rock art from `Wadi Damm', has been chosen as the `type study' in this thesis. This body of rock art material has been interpreted and brought into relationship with both archaeological and rock art finds from all over northern Saudi Arabia. Various aspects of the art as evidence for prehistoric social, cultural and religious beliefs are considered. It is suggested that rock art formed a part of prehistorical communication system. The dissertation also examines existing views regarding the origin and evolution of ancient scripts in Arabia. It suggests that such ancient Arabian scripts, particularly the `Thamudic' script, originated from, and evolved independently in, Arabia. It is proposed that the script originated from the schematisation of human stick figures and their limbs in rock art.