Al Ain Museum celebrated the 15th anniversary of the inclusion of Al Ain cultural sites on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage List, in a cultural evening that brought together an elite group of experts and specialists who contributed to preparing the nomination file, along with those interested in heritage, antiquities, and urban planning.
The program included a dialogue session, moderated by Yasser Saeed Al Neyadi, with the participation of the architect and urban planner, Talal Al Salmani, the archaeologist and former director of the Historic Environment Department, Mohammed Amer Al Neyadi, and the senior heritage planning specialist, Belhassan Al Qanabi. The session discussed the journey of preparing the file to nominate Al Ain sites for inclusion on the World Heritage List, the most prominent criteria that the sites met, and the importance of preserving their exceptional universal value, in addition to reviewing national efforts in preserving cultural heritage and enhancing its sustainability for future generations.
The program also included guided tours inside the museum, and interactive workshops for families, which reviewed the exceptional value of Al Ain’s sites, and highlighted the efforts of the United Arab Emirates in preserving human heritage and protecting cultural evidence that narrates human history over thousands of years.
Director of the Al Ain Museum, Omar Salem Al Kaabi, said that the celebration “was an opportunity to commemorate the efforts that resulted in the inclusion of Al Ain’s sites on the World Heritage List, and to confirm the UAE’s commitment to preserving its cultural heritage. The Al Ain Museum has contributed, throughout its journey, to preserving and documenting archaeological evidence, and enhancing awareness of its value, ensuring the transmission of this heritage to future generations.”
