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The United Arab Emirates has approved a comprehensive national plan to register cultural heritage elements with UNESCO, aiming to strengthen the country’s soft power and enhance its international cultural presence. His Excellency Sheikh Salem bin Khalid Al Qasimi, Minister of Culture, confirmed that the national plan for registering cultural heritage elements on UNESCO lists reflects the leadership’s vision to preserve and promote cultural heritage while reinforcing its role as a pillar for cultural and economic development.
The UAE Cabinet, chaired by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, approved the plan during a meeting at Qasr Al Watan in Abu Dhabi on January 26, 2026. The strategic initiative seeks to safeguard Emirati cultural heritage and enhance its presence regionally and globally.
Cultural Heritage Registration Enhances Global Competitiveness
According to Sheikh Salem bin Khalid Al Qasimi, registering cultural heritage elements on UNESCO lists contributes to enhancing the country’s competitiveness on international cultural and tourism indicators. The initiative supports the integration of national efforts in heritage preservation and leverages it within development pathways, ensuring sustainability while boosting its value locally and globally.
Additionally, the plan aligns with the National Tourism Strategy 2031, which positions cultural tourism as a cornerstone for economic diversification. The strategy aims to raise the tourism sector’s contribution to the national GDP to 450 billion dirhams, the minister noted.
Comprehensive Approach to Heritage Preservation
The Ministry of Culture developed the national plan in collaboration with local cultural entities, relevant government bodies, and civil society experts and specialists. This comprehensive vision aims to build a roadmap for identifying registration priorities and raising the readiness of heritage sites and elements in line with international best practices.
Meanwhile, UNESCO’s main lists include the World Heritage List, which comprises more than 1,200 cultural and natural sites of outstanding universal value. The Intangible Cultural Heritage List contains approximately 840 intangible elements such as performing arts, social practices, and traditional crafts, in addition to the Memory of the World list focused on documentary heritage and the Anniversary Celebrations list for prominent historical figures and events.
UAE’s Current UNESCO Heritage Achievements
The UAE currently has two sites registered on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The Cultural Sites of Al Ain were registered in 2011, while the Al Faya site in Sharjah was added in 2025 due to its exceptional universal value as one of the oldest and longest continuous records of human presence in desert environments, dating back more than 200,000 years.
However, the country leads in intangible cultural heritage with 21 registered elements on the Intangible Cultural Heritage list. The UAE has also registered three figures on the Anniversary Celebrations list, according to official statements.
Ambitious Targets for 2036
The national plan sets ambitious targets to be achieved by 2036. These include increasing World Heritage sites to six locations and raising intangible cultural heritage elements to 44 while maintaining Arab leadership in this category. Furthermore, the plan aims to register at least four elements on the Memory of the World list and increase nationally registered figures and events on the Anniversary Celebrations list to 12 elements.
In contrast to previous ad-hoc approaches, the plan includes organizing intensive workshops with local partners to identify priority heritage sites and elements. Clear criteria will be established for selecting the most prepared elements for registration, authorities indicated.
These efforts contribute to enhancing sustainable development goals and building national capacities in heritage documentation and preservation. The initiative also fulfills international commitments while supporting regional and international cooperation through joint nomination files, the Ministry of Culture stated.
Implementation of the national plan is expected to commence immediately, with regular progress assessments scheduled throughout the coming decade. The Ministry of Culture will coordinate with international and local partners to ensure targets are met within the established 2036 timeline.
