Dubai Creek Set for 2nd UNESCO World Heritage Site in UAE

Dubai Creek also known as Khor Dubai, where Dubai born and Grown up will become the second UNESCO World Heritage site in the UAE. The decision was made in UNESCO World Heritage Committee session held in Qatar. In the session 36 sites including from across the world including Dubai Creek are announced as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

In 2011, Cultural sites of Al Ain became the first registered site in UAE as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Al Ain is made up of six oases and the archaelogical sites of Bida Bint Saud, Hafeet and Hili.

According to UNESCO, nominated sites must be of “outstanding universal value” and meet at least one of ten criteria, which includes bearing a unique testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization, and is an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural, or technological ensemble or landscape.

According to gulfnews report there are also five more heritage sites across UAE are waiting in pipeline for world heritage status.

UAE Sites to be Nominate as UNESCO World Heritage in Future

1. Ed-Dur site is due to nominate in 2016.
2. Cultural Landscape of the Central Region in Sharjah to nominate in 2017.
3. Settlement and Cemetery of Umm an-Nar Island (no set dates yet).
4. Sir Bu Nair Island (no set dates yet).
5. Al Badiya Mosque in Fujairah ( no set dates yet).

The 38th session of the committee is currently being held at Doha from June 15, 2014 to June 25, 2014. Where members will cast their votes on which sites should be added on its World Heritage List, and will also examine the state of conservation of more than 100 of the 981 existing World Heritage properties.

On the first day of the committee’s meeting, international media reported that the Prime Minister of Qatar, Shaikh Abdullah Bin Nasser Bin Khalifa Al Thani, announced a $10 million (Dh367.2 million) donation to a new fund to protect World Heritage sites affected by conflict or natural disaster.

A number of events will also be held on the sidelines of the session, notably an African Ministers’ Round Table discussion on World Heritage in Africa on June 21. Another event will be devoted to World Heritage partnerships highlighting successful preservation projects supported by private sector companies and foundations on June 22.