Sharjah-United Arab Emirates

The Sharjah Archeology Authority officially announced the inclusion of the coastal fortifications network of the southeastern Arabian Peninsula in the Emirate of Sharjah on the tentative list of World Heritage Sites affiliated with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), in a new strategic step that enhances the cultural and historical presence of the emirate on the international scene.

This file includes an interconnected sequential site that includes three prominent coastal and historical centers: Dibba Al-Hisn, Khor Fakkan, and Khor Kalba, which together, through successive historical stages, formed a major and strategic seaway on the coast of the Sea of ​​Oman, documenting distinct architectural and defensive evidence extending for more than two thousand years and highlighting the important commercial and navigational role of the region in the western Indian Ocean.

​A cultural vision that preserves memory and enhances scientific documentation
​Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Ambassador of the Al Faya World Heritage Site and Goodwill Ambassador for Education and Book Culture at UNESCO, said: “The Emirate of Sharjah includes six sites out of 16 Emirati sites on the tentative list of World Heritage, which reflects an integrated cultural project that does not view heritage only as evidence of the past, but rather as knowledge and responsibility that extends to the future. Every site we research, document and preserve adds a chapter to Our understanding of the history of this land gives the world a broader window on the role that the region played in the paths of trade, communication, and cultural exchange over the centuries. This status is the result of a long-term vision established by the Ruler of Sharjah, which made scientific research and heritage preservation an integral part of the emirate’s cultural project.”

Implications for cultural tourism and hospitality chains

​This international achievement constitutes a fundamental and extremely important driver for supporting and revitalizing the cultural, archaeological and exploration tourism sectors in the Eastern Region, by transforming the castles, forts and ports of Dibba Al-Hisn, Khor Fakkan and Kalba into major destinations that attract visitors and lovers of ancient maritime heritage from various global tourism markets.
This growing tourism movement contributes to stimulating hotel flows, raising occupancy rates within luxury coastal resorts and heritage lodges near beaches and mangrove reserves, stimulating the transportation and cruise sectors, as well as enhancing the added economic value of local communities and highlighting the prestigious tourism status of the Emirate of Sharjah in protecting and sustaining eternal human monuments.