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United Arab Emirates: 'Preserving heritage is matter of national interest'

Published on 22 December 2010

Author(s): The Gulf Today

Type:  News

The Council has prepared a strategy for developing archaeological sites and museums and is implementing a comprehensive plan

Preservation of national heritage and culture of the UAE is an issue that is vital to national interest and should be the responsibility of all those concerned. Stating this, Mohammed Khamis Bin Hareb Al Muhairi, director general of the National Council for Tourism and Antiquities (NCTA), added that such documents and artefacts are a link to the glorious past of the nation and play a significant role in the future development of the country.

“The Council has prepared a strategy for developing archaeological sites and museums and is implementing a comprehensive plan that includes developing projects to document and classify all artefacts, monuments and museums,” he added.

Al Muhairi was speaking after an inspection tour of a workshop on documentation and recording of archaeological pieces at the Museum of Ajman, organised by the NCTA in cooperation with the Department of Culture and Information in Ajman.

After the tour, he noted, “The nation’s archaeological wealth represents a historical, civilizational and cultural treasure, which are important signposts along the developmental highway of our nation.”

The workshop will continue for five days with training sessions for the museum staff on the latest methods of archaeological documentation under the supervision of a select group of archaeologists drawn from across the Arab world.

Al Muhairi said that the workshop was part of the NCTA’s strategy to upgrade methods and processes of documenting archaeological sites and artefacts, in cooperation with the local authorities. The workshops are also instrumental in creating an expert cadre of national archaeologists to work in the UAE.

“The process of documenting the antiquities will greatly help international authorities in the recovery of antiquities if stolen andfacilitate the transportation of archaeological pieces from one place to another for display in international exhibitions and as loans to other museums,” Al Muhairi added.
 

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