SHARJAH: The UAE has marked a significant cultural and scientific milestone with the advancement of Sharjah’s Faya Palaeolandscape nomination for inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Officially proposed in 2024 under the ‘Cultural Landscape’ category, the ancient desert site is now under evaluation by the UNESCO World Heritage Centre.
Located in Sharjah’s Central Region, the Faya Palaeolandscape contains one of the oldest, most uninterrupted records of early human presence in Arabia, dating back over 210,000 years. The site’s rich archaeological and environmental significance is reshaping global views on early human migration, adaptation, and life in arid environments.
Leading the global outreach for the Faya Palaeolandscape nomination is Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, who serves as the official ambassador of the nomination file. She highlighted the site’s importance, saying, “Faya offers a living archive that deepens our understanding of who we are and how we’ve survived through time.”
The Faya Palaeolandscape nomination is supported by over 30 years of interdisciplinary research conducted by the Sharjah Archaeology Authority (SAA), in collaboration with the University of Tübingen and Oxford Brookes University. Excavations have revealed 18 layers of human occupation, each layer offering insight into human survival during favourable climatic periods.
Key elements such as natural springs, stone resources like flint, and natural shelters have established the site’s Faya Palaeolandscape nomination as a critical record of early settlement, rather than just a transit route. Eisa Yousif, Director of SAA, affirmed the importance of Sharjah’s Cultural Heritage Law No. 4 of 2020 in protecting the site.
The UAE has also launched a management plan guiding the conservation and educational use of the site through 2030. This framework aligns with UNESCO’s standards and positions the Faya Palaeolandscape nomination as a globally valuable heritage landmark.
