drawers "Alpha" Sharjah on the UNESCO World Heritage List 2025

Paris, July 11 / WAM / The United Arab Emirates recorded a new historical achievement in its march to preserve cultural heritage after the World Heritage Committee in its 47th session, currently held in Paris, adopted a collective decision to include “Al -Fayya” in the Emirate of Sharjah on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The “Al -Fayy”, which is located in the central region of the Emirate of Sharjah, was confessed to this recognition of its “exceptional global value”, as it maintains one of the oldest and longest records of the presence of man in desert environments that date back to more than 200 thousand years.

The World Heritage List currently includes 1,226 sites with exceptional global value, including 955 cultural sites, 231 natural sites and 40 mixed sites distributed over 168 countries, while the number of World Heritage sites in Arab countries to today is 96 sites in 18 countries.

The “Al -Faya” website is an integrated model of what is known as “desert views” as it represents the ability of a person to adapt and settle in deserts, as it formed, despite its characteristic of its cruelty and very difficult environmental conditions, a pivotal station in the history of human development, which gave the inclusion of “Al -Faya” on the World Heritage List a unique scientific and humanitarian dimension.

Under the category of “cultural heritage sites”, the international nomination file “was the cultural scene of prehistoric times in Al -Fayya” this year the only Arab nomination in which the World Heritage Committee considered, which gives this inclusion special importance to the UAE, Sharjah and the Arab region as a whole and makes this event a milestone in the march of preserving human heritage in the region.

During more than thirty years of accurate exploration, which was led by the Sharjah Antiquities Authority in cooperation with international teams, 18 successive geological classes were revealed at the Al -Faya site, each of which has a different period of human activity, which gives the site an exceptional scientific value in drawing the path of human development in arid environments.

This research path was enriched with scientific partnerships with prestigious international universities and institutions, most notably the German University of Topngen, specialized in prehistoric antiquities and the Department of Old Environmental Studies at the University of Oxford Broks, which allowed the implementation of advanced studies that deepened the understanding of the old environments in which the first man lived.

“Al -Fayya” has become the second site in the UAE to obtain this distinguished global recognition after the inclusion of Al Ain cultural sites in 2011 and confirms the inclusion of the international nomination file “the cultural scene of prehistoric times in Al -Faya” on the position of Sharjah and the Emirates as a cradle of early human history and enhances its presence in the record of ancient human civilizations.

And it is recorded for “Al -Fayya” that it is the first desert site that documents the era of the Stone Age registered in the World Heritage List, which makes this recognition a milestone in understanding the development of man, as the deserts constitute about 20% of the environmental citizen on the surface of the earth and located in pivotal positions on the map of human settlement of the planet and embodying human stability in it a decisive chapter of human history.

Her Excellency Sheikha Badour Bint Sultan Al Qasimi, the official ambassador of the international nomination file for Al -Fayyah, thanked the Chairman of the World Heritage Committee and its distinguished members for this historical recognition, stressing that the story of “Al -Faya” is an inherent part of the common human story.

She added that the inclusion of “Al -Fayy” establishes the contribution of Sharjah to being a cradle for early human history and highlights the pivotal role of the Arabian Peninsula in the human journey to leave Africa and the stone tools that were found in Al -Faya, which is more than 200 thousand years old, is a guide to the genius of our ancestors and the roots of deep cultural traditions in our region.

She concluded her statement, saying: “We are committed with a firm commitment to protecting this site and honoring the legacy of those who preceded us to remain an inspiration for generations around the world.”

His Excellency Issa Youssef, Director General of the Sharjah Antiquities Authority, said that the UAE and the Emirate of Sharjah are starting in dealing with the world heritage deeply that the sites listed on the UNESCO list do not belong to a particular country but rather belong to humanity and we strongly support the values ​​of openness and cultural and human exchange even in a world of borders. Man has flourished throughout history thanks to the freedom of movement and discovery provided by the ancient world order and today and we are included in the scene Cultural on the World Heritage List, we are proud that Al -Fayy has become all the peoples of the world just as they were more than 200,000 years ago.

He pointed out that Sharjah was officially submitted to the file of nomination to UNESCO in February 2024 after 12 years of continuous preparation for the file and the site, supported by three decades of extensive archaeological works, environmental studies and integrated conservation plans. The site has undergone a strict evaluation according to UNESCO accurate criteria that accept only sites of exceptional global value and the extensive influence of the future.

The UAE and the Emirate of Sharjah have developed an integrated plan to manage and preserve the Al -Faya site for the period from 2024 to 2030 in line with the criteria adopted by UNESCO to preserve the “exceptional global value” of the site and focus the plan on supporting scientific research, promoting education and developing sustainable tourism in a model that embodies the effective integration between preserving heritage, scientific exploration and community participation.

This commitment comes as an extension of Sharjah’s continuous efforts in this field, as the “Al -Fayya” site for 11 years was a pivotal sites within the UNESCO “Heads” program concerned with human development, adaptations, spread and social development alongside African sites.

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