UAE's Faya Palaeolandscape in Sharjah added to UNESCO World Heritage List
Recognised under the Cultural Landscape category, Faya is the only Arab site added to the list this year and the second from the UAE, following the inscription of Al Ain's cultural sites in 2011.
Located in Sharjah's central region, Faya Palaeolandscape contains one of the oldest and most continuous records of early human habitation in arid environments, dating back over 200,000 years. It is also the first desert Paleolithic site to be included on the World Heritage List.
The site provides significant evidence of early human settlement and migration in Southeast Arabia. The listing reflects over three decades of archaeological research led by the Sharjah Archaeology Authority, in partnership with institutions including the University of Tübingen and Oxford Brookes University.
Sharjah submitted the nomination dossier in February 2024 after 12 years of preparation. The site passed a rigorous evaluation process based on UNESCO's criteria for Outstanding Universal Value.
Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, who served as the official ambassador of the nomination file, said the recognition underscores Sharjah's role in early human history and the Arabian Peninsula's significance in the story of human migration out of Africa.
'The stone tools found at Faya are testimony to the ingenuity of our ancestors and the deep roots of cultural tradition in our region,' she said, affirming Sharjah's continued commitment to protecting the site.
The UAE and Sharjah have launched a conservation plan covering 2024 to 2030, focusing on heritage protection, research, education, and sustainable tourism. Faya is also a key location under UNESCO's Human Evolution, Adaptations, Dispersals and Social Developments (HEADS) Programme.
The addition of Faya brings the total number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites to 1,226 across 168 countries, including 955 cultural, 231 natural, and 40 mixed sites.
The Arab region now hosts 96 sites in 18 countries.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Etihad
4 days ago
- Al Etihad
The ‘master of bishts': Emirati safeguards 150 years of history in museum of traditional clothing
30 July 2025 00:43 AMEINAH ALZEYOUDI (ABU DHABI)Husam Mohammad Jaber's father once prayed for him to become a 'master of bishts' — and he told himself, why not? Today, with a collection of some of the rarest and most valuable bishts and traditional garments, Jaber has more than earned the title.'I was obsessed with the threads that bind us to our ancestors, not just with history,' said the Emirati historian who has become a go-to consultant for anything related to UAE knew every detail of the bisht by heart. It has become his personal mission to preserve the regal cloak that men in the region have worn for generations. It was a passion that started when he was a child, when he met the UAE's Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Jaber told Aletihad . He saw him face-to-face twice in the '80s and since then, he couldn't help but browse through Sheikh Zayed's images every chance he got.'I observed Sheikh Zayed's hunting trips and photos closely, comparing them with my grandfather's only picture that was hanging on our wall ... As a kid, my interest was to find the links — obviously in the costumes,' Jaber father nurtured the fascination. Once, he returned from Bahrain with a unique gift for the young Jaber: a traditional Arab dress made especially for him.'I felt differently acknowledged after receiving that gift,' he later, during his engagement, his father sent a bag full of childhood souvenirs, including old clothes, school certificates, and two tiny then found a way to return his father's quiet acts of love.'I asked him to choose a bisht for me, based on what he thought was best from his own experience. He went with me to see several options and I made him choose what he preferred to see me wearing. I gifted that bisht to him. I knew he wouldn't spend that time and effort to choose his own bisht,' Jaber said.'He was very touched and prayed that I become the master of bishts and a bisht shop owner.' Searching for Treasures The blessing planted a seed for what would later become Al Besht Al Arabi, a brand Jaber founded in than a business, it is a cultural preservation initiative dedicated to reviving traditional craftsmanship and raising public awareness about the significance, history, and the etiquette involved in wearing the Emirati wasn't profitable, Jaber admitted, but it stayed true to its mission. 'I used rare materials so I had only a few customers … but I would still give away bishts for free just to spread knowledge,' he his fascination for traditional garments, Jaber also travelled far and wide, searched high and low for some of the rarest bishts and traditional Arab clothing that stood the test of time. He paid a fortune for them, too.'It's extremely rare to find old clothes — add to that is a habit in the past to throw clothes into the sea once a person passes away,' he challenge is the fabric. 'The clothes don't stay for long, especially in heat and humidity, and after folding. Any piece would be used until it's torn apart or damaged. For those woven with golden threads, the threads used to be released and sold again,' he factors have made his collection all the more rare and currently owns one of the most distinctive and historically noteworthy collections of traditional Gulf clothing, which includes agals, shawls, and bishts from as far back as the worn for more than 150 years by people in the Arab world — from shepherds to rulers — are among his most prized possessions.'The museum is a national project that is 100% personally funded. It helps authenticate and document our national costumes, and it has become a solid base for any related project that helps in cultural preservation in the UAE,' Jaber said. 'Proud of My Arab Roots' His purpose goes beyond curating. Jaber has also advocated for a realistic depiction of Arab identity in the cinema and television industries. 'I am very proud of my Arab roots, and it used to offend me to watch a movie where Arabs don't look as they should — elegant,' Jaber told Aletihad . He would immediately notice if a film set in the 19th century featured clothing from the 21st century. He volunteered to create traditional costumes for one production at no expense, but only if he was present on site to make sure they were worn correctly. His insistence on cultural correctness was highly appreciated, and that opportunity led to other collaborations on movies like Desert Warrior, Fast and Furious 8, and North of the 10.'Our national identity is embodied in our dress, which is more than just fabric,' he said. To those who wear traditional Emirati clothing, he said: 'As long as you are wearing the national costume, you are an ambassador of this country, whether you like it or not — so behave accordingly.' Source: Aletihad - Abu Dhabi
Sharjah 24
17-07-2025
- Sharjah 24
Culture Minister: Al Faya boosts UAE's worldwide heritage impact
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. A historic achievement 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. National identity and global cultural dialogue 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. Earliest forms of human settlement in desert 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. Protecting historical memory 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. Early human resilience and adaptability 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. Not just a migration corridor 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. Outstanding universal value 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. UAE plans to protect Al Faya 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.
Al Etihad
17-07-2025
- Al Etihad
Culture Minister: Al Faya boosts UAE's worldwide heritage impact
17 July 2025 23:28 ABU DHABI (WAM)Sheikh Salem bin Khalid Al Qasimi, Minister of Culture and Chairman of the UAE National Commission for Education, Culture, and Science, expressed his pride in the unanimous decision made 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 affirmed that this historic achievement strengthens the UAE's position on the global heritage map and is the result of constructive cooperation between national heritage institutions and scientific and cultural research 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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.
