The first meeting of the Steering Committee for the Management Plan for the World Heritage Site in Al Ain City, headed by the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi, DCT Abu Dhabi, was held recently at DCT Abu Dhabi headquarters in Nation Towers.
The meeting discussed the adopted strategy for managing the world heritage site in Al Ain and explored plans for its implementation, also covering the priorities of the committee, areas of cooperation on projects, common approaches and the importance of forming a technical committee to ensure successful execution of the project, in accordance with relevant international laws and conventions.
"We share the significant responsibility of managing the World Heritage Site in the Al Ain Region with many organisations working on the ground," said Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of DCT Abu Dhabi.
"During this first meeting of the Steering Committee, we discussed the respective function of each entity within this project, the areas of implementation that will be the most crucial in ensuring the successful execution of our strategy, as well as the necessity of adopting best practices when managing sites of such exceptional importance to the world.
We also explored ways of further raising awareness around these invaluable heritage sites; as they reflect both our country’s long and proud history and its unique environmental diversity, we must consolidate our efforts to present them in the best possible light and to the widest possible audiences."
Al Ain’s historical sites have great cultural and historical significance not only to Abu Dhabi and the wider UAE, but internationally. They contain archeological evidence of human habitation and economic activities, and their growth and production patterns, from ancient times, and the area is rich in tradition and intangible heritage. Al Ain also boasts several sites and buildings that are linked to the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and the Al Nahyan family.
The plan’s key objectives include establishing strong administrative infrastructure, developing an operational framework that ensures the protection of these sites’ and coordinating preservation and management procedures between DCT Abu Dhabi, Al Ain Municipality, the Department of Urban Planning and Municipalities, and the Department of Transport and Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi.
The heritage site management plan includes actions and procedures to implement the proposed policies, starting with the restructuring of Al Ain’s UNESCO-listed World Heritage Sites and the formation of relevant committees, considering executive regulations and Law No. 4 of 2016 concerning Enhancing Protection of World Heritage Assets.
The policies also cover necessary practical measures to safeguard the sites, including documentation, inventory and assessment, digs and excavations, preservation and restoration, narrative, display and programmes, maintenance and surveillance, tourism management, community engagement, economic development opportunities and governance.
Members of the committee discussed the role of each entity in effectively and actively contributing to the plan’s implementation, as the group adopted the guidelines and functions of the steering and technical committees and approved the implementation plan to collaborate on projects as per the powers and jurisdiction of each authority.
Further meetings will be held periodically to enhance joint cooperation in implementing the plan for managing world heritage sites in Al Ain.
The meeting was attended by Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of DCT Abu Dhabi; Falah Mohammed Al Ahbabi, Chairman of the Department of Urban Planning and Municipalities and Acting Chairman of the Department of Transport; Dr. Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri, Acting Secretary General of the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi; Ali Khalifa Al Qamzi, Acting Director General of the Al Ain City Municipality; and Hamad Al Mutawa, Executive Director of the Operations Affairs Sector at the Department of Urban Planning and Municipalities.