Al Ain strives for UN heritage list

NEW YORK // The UAE's first application to secure a place on the United Nations' list of world heritage sites is being evaluated by experts, who will assess whether the oases, ruins and desert landscapes of Al Ain make the grade.

Emirati heritage officials are confident they have made a strong case for the Garden City, and are hopeful that Al Ain will make it on to the prestigious UN list at next year's annual committee meeting. They argue that Abu Dhabi can sufficiently preserve and protect the area's historic monuments and natural beauty, and believe judges will look favourably on a country that is striving for its first entry.

The list of World Heritage Sites is maintained by the UN's cultural and science body, Unesco, which currently features 890 sites determined to offer visitors "outstanding universal value" - from India's Taj Mahal to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Veronique Dauge, who heads the Arab section for Unesco, said the UAE's application was being assessed and would be reviewed in the summer of next year.

Emirati heritage chiefs worked on the Al Ain bid for several years and submitted the application in February. Unesco advisors have until February to request additional information from the UAE. The bid describes the archaeological importance of an area that has been "continuously inhabited since the late Stone Age" and is set against the backdrop of towering red sand dunes, date palm groves, wadis and mountains.

It highlights the importance of Jahili Fort, Qattarah's traditional market, six oases and the 500 graves around Jebel Hafit mountain as well as the historic "falaj" irrigation system that brought water from the mountains to date plantations. Heritage officials have suggested other UAE sites as potential candidates for the list, including the Bastakiya wind-towers of Creek-side Bur Dubai and the archaeological site of Ed-Dur, in Umm al Qaiwain, which dates from 3,000BC.

The National Council for Tourism and Antiquities is drafting a federal law to protect archaeological sites and cultural heritage across the country that is expected to improve co-ordination between the Government and Unesco. "Unesco is keen for countries, such as the UAE, who are submitting their first nomination, to join other nations with inscriptions on the list because it serves to encourage the protection of sites of historic and natural importance," said Ms Dauge.

"We are also keen to receive applications from the Arabian Gulf region, which is largely underrepresented on the list compared to other areas." The UAE is also among a dozen countries seeking to have the deeply ingrained sport of falconry featured on a different Unesco heritage list devoted to safeguarding cultural practices. The joint application will be judged at a meeting in Kenya in November.

jreinl@thenational.ae