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The UAE National Commission for Education, Culture, and Science, affiliated with the Ministry of Culture, and the UAE delegation to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) are making great efforts—in collaboration with national heritage institutions—to continue the country’s outstanding achievements at the global level in preserving cultural heritage.
The historic achievement made by the UAE—namely, the unanimous decision by the World Heritage Committee during its 47th session in Paris to inscribe the Al Faya site in the Emirate of Sharjah on UNESCO’s World Heritage List—came as a result of these tireless efforts, in cooperation with the Sharjah Archaeology Authority and the Executive Office of Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, who served as the official ambassador for the international nomination file of Al Faya.
His Excellency Sheikh Salem bin Khalid Al Qasimi expressed his pride in this historic achievement, emphasising that it was the fruit of constructive collaboration among national heritage institutions and scientific and cultural research bodies. The accomplishment reflects the state’s strategic vision of positioning heritage as a vital component of national identity and global cultural dialogue.
His Excellency added that the Al Faya site possesses outstanding universal value as a living and continuous record of one of the oldest forms of human settlement in desert environments. It provides rare and important evidence of human adaptability and innovation in the face of natural challenges. This inscription is not only a national achievement for the UAE but also a scholarly contribution to humanity’s understanding of societal evolution.
His Excellency further stressed the ongoing commitment to enhancing the presence of the UAE’s cultural and natural sites on the World Heritage map and to supporting national efforts in documentation, rehabilitation, and the protection of historical memory—thus reinforcing the UAE’s role as a key centre for safeguarding global heritage and preserving it for future generations.
The Al Faya site, located in the central region of the Emirate of Sharjah, stands as a living testimony to the resilience and adaptability of early humans in harsh desert environments. It holds the oldest continuous record of human presence in the Arabian Peninsula, dating back more than 210,000 years, granting it exceptional global value in the fields of archaeology and anthropology.
Discoveries at the site have revealed that Al Faya was not merely a passage for migrations but a repeated site of human settlement during favourable climatic periods. This was due to the availability of water from springs and valleys, the abundance of flint for tool-making, and natural shelter in the surrounding mountains. These factors made the site a nurturing environment for human stability during prehistoric times.
The Al Faya site has acquired outstanding universal value due to its unique archaeological aspects, which affirm the site’s importance and its role in presenting a rare and integrated record of human survival and resilience in the face of climatic and environmental challenges.
The UAE has developed a comprehensive management plan to safeguard the Al Faya site, guiding conservation efforts, research, and visitor access from 2024 to 2030. This plan aligns with UNESCO’s World Heritage site standards and ensures the preservation of the site while allowing continued archaeological excavation, scientific research, and educational exploration.
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