Challenges and strategies for Cultural Heritage Management in the City of Al Ain, UAE

Ref.: 81
Key theme: 01 Physical integrity of historic urban landscapes
Date of reception: 14/11/2008

AUTHORS (*Main author)

EL-MASRI, Sami * (United Arab Emirates) - Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH)
DHABI, Abu (United Arab Emirates) - Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH)
YILDIRIM, Ege Mehmet Nuri (United Arab Emirates) - Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH)

ABSTRACT

The historic city of Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates is a true historic urban landscape, with its interconnected natural and cultural resources that have stemmed from the presence of six oases, created by the availability of underground water sources in the region. Archaeological investigations show that Al Ain has been continuously inhabited since the Late Stone Age period, with evidence of settlement from the Neolithic, Bronze Age, Iron Age, Hellenistic, pre-Islamic and Islamic eras. Today, Al Ain integrates significant archaeological sites, including the ancient falaj irrigation system, the Hili civilization and the Jebel Hafit cultural landscape; the urban oases as natural landscapes and settings for various forts, palaces and other historic buildings, the natural features of Jebel Hafit and sand dunes; ethnographic collections; as well as authentic Emirati traditions practiced for centuries, such as falconry, camel racing and wedding celebrations. This special blend of urban and rural features, which resonates strongly with the definition of historic urban landscape given by Forum UNESCO, has motivated the efforts of the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH) toward nominating Al Ain as a mixed-category World Heritage Site, as described on the tentative list.

Al Ain is also a living modern city, although not having undergone the radical transformations seen in Dubai or Abu Dhabi, the other major cities of the Emirates, where an unprecedented development boom has born serious implications for their historic fabrics. Al Ain's relative state of protection from rapid urban change, due in large part to the late Sheikh Zayed's vision to preserve this 'garden city', presents opportunities to conserve and promote its historic urban landscape, which has a critical importance in sustaining the heritage and identity of this fast-changing country.

Taking on this challenge, ADACH has been developing a Cultural Heritage Management Strategy for Al Ain, which addresses the conservation and management issues of the city, as well as fulfilling the need for a World Heritage Site management scheme. Since its establishment in 2005, and building on the work of predecessor agencies, ADACH has initiated various projects and programs for the documentation of the tangible and intangible heritage of Al Ain, the conservation, interpretation and presentation of its historic buildings, archaeological sites, and museum collections, and the preparation of master plans for the rehabilitation of its oases. As part of this challenge, ADACH also strives to negotiate the demands for urban development brought forth by various sectors of the community with the preservation of its heritage assets, engaging different stakeholders and coordinating with other planning initiatives of Abu Dhabi's public agencies.

In approaching some of the key questions of Forum UNESCO, such as the limits of a historic urban landscape, the physical integrity of this landscape, and the interaction of historic and contemporary urban fabric, ADACH aims to present a paper outlining the challenges of conserving the historic site of Al Ain, while a modern city evolves within the same boundaries, and the strategies used to address these challenges.

REFERENCES

1. Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH). (2008). Entity Strategic Plan 2009-2013. ADACH, Abu Dhabi.
2. El-Masri, Sami et al. (2005). The Abu Dhabi Cultural Heritage Management Strategy. Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority & UNESCO, Abu Dhabi.
3. --. (2008). Description of Al Ain on the Tentative List of World Heritage Sites, UNESCO. http://whc.unesco.org/pg_friendly_print.cfm?cid=326&id=5266&. Retrieved 7 June, 2008.
4. Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH). (2008). Nomination of Al Ain on the World Heritage List. ADACH, Abu Dhabi. (in preparation)