Unesco nomination for Sharjah's Faya an extraordinary journey, says Sheikha Bodour
In an interview with The National, Sheikh Bodour reflected on the "extraordinary" journey that has led to this point, her personal connection to the land and people of Faya who have gone before and future plans for a site of extraordinary archaeological significance.
Her comments come as the UN's cultural body is to make a decision on whether to grant the site - known as the 'Faya palaeolandscape' - World Heritage Status with a decision expected from July 11 to 13.
The nomination underlines how the site is one of huge archaeological importance that is reshaping ideas of human history.
The Faya palaeolandscape refers broadly to the Faya range - a chain of limestone outcrops called jebels stretching 20 kilometres from the northeast to the southwest formed more than 90 million years ago - and the surrounding area of rolling desert. Palaeo means ancient.
Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi, centre, ambassador of the Faya Palaeolandscape World Heritage Nomination, at the Unesco meeting in Paris this week.
'As one of the most important archaeological sites around the world, Faya Palaeolandscape is a living testament to humanity's early presence in this region,' said Sheikh Bodour, who is ambassador for the Faya Palaeolandscape World Heritage Nomination.
'For over 210,000 years, this site has borne witness to the story of human innovation, resilience and adaptation in an arid environment.'
How do sites win heritage status?
To be included on the World Heritage List, sites must be of outstanding universal value and meet at least one out of ten selection criteria such as being "an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates (a) significant stage(s) in human history". There are two types of world heritage sites – cultural and natural – with Faya listed under the former.
If awarded the honour, Faya would join a distinguished list that includes Egypt's pyramids, India's Taj Mahal and the Great Wall of China. It is a complex and exhaustive process, however. The committee can defer a decision to ask for more information. Some may not be recommended and existing sites can be removed from the list.
Faya was added to Unesco's tentative list in 2023 and formally nominated for world heritage status last year. But the work that has gone into the site – from excavations to studies to research - stretches back decades.
Sheikha Bodour, who is leading the Sharjah team at the Unesco meeting in France, said the official journey towards the nomination of Faya 'has been nothing short of extraordinary' combining scientific diligence along with huge passion and belief in the site's potential.
'This work is not easy but it is essential,' she said. 'Every person involved in this journey — from archaeologists to community members — has contributed to something that will stand the test of time.'
Treasured moment
Speaking on a personal level, Sheikh Bodour said the nomination was the culmination of years of dedication, perseverance and belief, and is a moment she 'will always cherish'.
'When I stand at Faya, I feel a deep connection; not just to the land but to the people who walked here long before us,' she said.
'They may not have known that one day we would be here, honouring their legacy but I believe they would be proud. Proud that we cared enough to protect what they left behind and to share their story with the world. It is a deeply emotional experience, one that I carry with me every time I think of this site and the journey it represents.'
Faya is one of 30 landmark sites in the running for Unesco World Heritage status. Chris Whiteoak / The National
The site is of crucial significance. Contrary to the long-held belief that the Arabian Peninsula served only as a corridor for migration from Africa, it is thought that people made a home at Faya. Those migrating from Africa could have even landed at Faya through a southern corridor across modern day Yemen rather than crossing intro Arabia farther north.
It is further thought those present there could have taken advantage of climate changes and rains that turned the desert into lakes and grassland at times to build more long-term settlements.
She pointed to the discoveries of stone tools uncovered at the site – some more than 200,000 years old – and how these discoveries had challenged the 'conventional understanding of early human migration'.
'For so long, we've viewed the Arabian Peninsula as a mere passageway, but Faya proves that it was a destination — a home, where humans settled, adapted and thrived. It shows us that our ancestors were not just surviving, but innovating, exchanging, and creating culture,' she said.
Sheikh Bodour said for Sharjah to have a Unesco site, would be a recognition of the emirate's commitment to preserving the past but also 'not just a win for Sharjah but for the UAE and the entire region".
'To have Faya inscribed on the Unesco World Heritage List will not just be a moment of pride for Sharjah and the UAE — it will be a recognition of the broader significance of the Arabian Peninsula in the global story of human evolution."
Looking ahead, the UAE has also developed a management plan for the Faya, which will guide its conservation, research and visitor engagement to 2030.
'We are committed to making sure that Faya is not just a site of the past, but a place that continues to inspire and inform the future,' said Sheikha Bodour.
The UAE has currently one site on the heritage list. The cultural sites of Al Ain (Hafit, Hili, Bidaa bint Saud and Oases areas) were collectively added in 2011.
To date, Unesco has inscribed 1,223 cultural and natural sites in 168 countries on the list.
RESULTS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E6pm%3A%20Baniyas%20%E2%80%93%20Group%202%20(PA)%20Dh97%2C500%20(Dirt)%201%2C400m%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20AF%20Alajaj%2C%20Tadhg%20O%E2%80%99Shea%20(jockey)%2C%20Ernst%20Oertel%20(trainer)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E6.35pm%3A%20The%20Pointe%20%E2%80%93%20Maiden%20(TB)%20Dh82%2C500%20(D)%201%2C200m%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20Awasef%2C%20Pat%20Dobbs%2C%20Doug%20Watson%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E7.10pm%3A%20Palm%20West%20Beach%20%E2%80%93%20Maiden%20(TB)%20Dh82%2C500%20(D)%201%2C400m%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20Long%20Kiss%2C%20Jose%20da%20Silva%2C%20Antonio%20Cintra%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E7.45pm%3A%20The%20View%20at%20the%20Palm%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(TB)%20Dh87%2C500%20(D)%201%2C200m%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20Ranaan%2C%20Tadhg%20O%E2%80%99Shea%2C%20Bhupat%20Seemar%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E8.20pm%3A%20Nakheel%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(TB)%20Dh105%2C000%20(D)%201%2C400m%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20Raaeb%2C%20Antonio%20Fresu%2C%20Musabah%20Al%20Muhairi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E8.55pm%3A%20The%20Club%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(TB)%20Dh95%2C000%20(D)%201%2C900m%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20Qareeb%2C%20Sam%20Hitchcock%2C%20Doug%20Watson%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E9.30pm%3A%20Palm%20Beach%20Towers%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(TB)%20Dh87%2C500%20(D)%201%2C600m%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20Falsehood%2C%20Adrie%20de%20Vries%2C%20Musabah%20Al%20Muhairi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and 'strongly supports' the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name:
ARDH Collective
Based:
Dubai
Founders:
Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Sector:
Sustainability
Total funding:
Self funded
Number of employees:
4
COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
The biog
Favourite colour: Brown
Favourite Movie: Resident Evil
Hobbies: Painting, Cooking, Imitating Voices
Favourite food: Pizza
Trivia: Was the voice of three characters in the Emirati animation, Shaabiyat Al Cartoon
JOKE'S%20ON%20YOU
%3Cp%3EGoogle%20wasn't%20new%20to%20busting%20out%20April%20Fool's%20jokes%3A%20before%20the%20Gmail%20%22prank%22%2C%20it%20tricked%20users%20with%20%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Farchive.google%2Fmentalplex%2F%22%20target%3D%22_blank%22%3Emind-reading%20MentalPlex%20responses%3C%2Fa%3E%20and%20said%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Farchive.google%2Fpigeonrank%2F%22%20target%3D%22_blank%22%3E%20well-fed%20pigeons%20were%20running%20its%20search%20engine%20operations%3C%2Fa%3E%20.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EIn%20subsequent%20years%2C%20they%20announced%20home%20internet%20services%20through%20your%20toilet%20with%20its%20%22%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Farchive.google%2Ftisp%2Finstall.html%22%20target%3D%22_blank%22%3Epatented%20GFlush%20system%3C%2Fa%3E%22%2C%20made%20us%20believe%20the%20Moon's%20surface%20was%20made%20of%20cheese%20and%20unveiled%20a%20dating%20service%20in%20which%20they%20called%20founders%20Sergey%20Brin%20and%20Larry%20Page%20%22%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Farchive.google%2Fromance%2Fpress.html%22%20target%3D%22_blank%22%3EStanford%20PhD%20wannabes%3C%2Fa%3E%20%22.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EBut%20Gmail%20was%20all%20too%20real%2C%20purportedly%20inspired%20by%20one%20%E2%80%93%20a%20single%20%E2%80%93%20Google%20user%20complaining%20about%20the%20%22poor%20quality%20of%20existing%20email%20services%22%20and%20born%20%22%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Fgooglepress.blogspot.com%2F2004%2F04%2Fgoogle-gets-message-launches-gmail.html%22%20target%3D%22_blank%22%3Emillions%20of%20M%26amp%3BMs%20later%3C%2Fa%3E%22.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
MATCH RESULT
Al Jazira 3 Persepolis 2
Jazira: Mabkhout (52'), Romarinho (77'), Al Hammadi (90' 6)
Persepolis: Alipour (42'), Mensha (84')
UAE - India ties
The UAE is India's third-largest trade partner after the US and China
Annual bilateral trade between India and the UAE has crossed US$ 60 billion
The UAE is the fourth-largest exporter of crude oil for India
Indians comprise the largest community with 3.3 million residents in the UAE
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi first visited the UAE in August 2015
His visit on August 23-24 will be the third in four years
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, visited India in February 2016
Sheikh Mohamed was the chief guest at India's Republic Day celebrations in January 2017
Modi will visit Bahrain on August 24-25
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country's most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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