The UAE Ministry of Culture has launched the National Register of Modern Heritage in a move that places post-1960s buildings at the centre of the country’s broader cultural identity strategy.
Announced on Wednesday, the national register to document and protect the country's modern architectural heritage was unveiled alongside the inaugural meeting of the National Identity Committee, chaired by Sheikha Mariam bint Mohamed.
The register forms part of the National Identity Strategy, developed with the National Projects Office at the Presidential Court. It aims to catalogue and safeguard buildings and sites that reflect the UAE’s development in the decades following the formation of the federation.
In the first phase, 10 buildings have been selected, each representing milestones in the country’s architectural and social evolution. Among them are Union House in Dubai, where the UAE’s founding agreement was signed in 1971; Sheikh Rashid Tower, which marked the emirate’s emergence as a commercial hub; and Deira Clock Tower, one of Dubai’s earliest urban landmarks.
In Abu Dhabi, the list includes the National Consultative Council building at Qasr Al Hosn, associated with early legislative development; and the Cultural Foundation, which has played a central role in the capital’s cultural life since the early 1980s. Other entries span education and healthcare infrastructure, such as Al Qasimia School, Khalid bin Mohammed School and Saqr Hospital, reflecting the expansion of public services in the post-Union era.
The initiative aligns with the National Policy for the Preservation of Modern Architectural Heritage, approved by the UAE Cabinet in 2024, which focuses on protecting buildings, complexes and public sites dating from the period of rapid urban growth after the 1960s.
Buildings are selected for inclusion based on criteria such as their association with significant events or figures, architectural and aesthetic value, contribution to urban development trends, and their role in shaping collective memory and national identity.
Sites added to the register will receive official recognition and enhanced legal protection, as well as priority access to funding and support programmes. The initiative is also expected to expand opportunities for research locally and internationally, as well as contribute to cultural tourism.
The launch coincides with the establishment of the National Identity Committee, which is tasked with overseeing the implementation of the broader identity strategy. The committee brings together senior officials from across government, including the Minister of Culture Sheikh Salem bin Khalid Al Qassimi and the Minister of Economy and Tourism Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri.
The strategy aims to embed Emirati identity more deeply across institutions and everyday life, positioning heritage not only as a record of the past, but also as a framework for future development.
The move builds on similar efforts at an emirate level. In Abu Dhabi, the Department of Culture and Tourism expanded its own Modern Heritage Register in recent years, adding more than 40 sites, including the former Abu Dhabi International Airport terminal, Corniche Hospital and Capital Park. Listed buildings are granted legal protection under the 2016 Cultural Heritage Law, reflecting a push to preserve structures from the UAE’s formative decades.
Sites on the National Register of Modern Architectural Heritage list
- Union House, Dubai
- Sheikh Rashid Tower (Burj Rashid), Dubai
- Deira Clock Tower, Dubai
- National Consultative Council building at Qasr Al Hosn, Abu Dhabi
- Cultural Foundation, Abu Dhabi
- Islamic Institute Complex at United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain
- Khalid bin Mohammed School, Sharjah
- Al Qasimia School, Sharjah
- Special Education Support Centre, Sharjah
- Saqr Hospital, Ras Al Khaimah
