Unesco nomination for Sharjah's Faya an extraordinary journey, says Sheikha Bodour

Sheikha Bodour outlines future plans for the site of huge archaeological importance

Faya, an archeological site of huge significance in Sharjah, is in contention for Unesco World Heritage status. All photos: Chris Whiteoak / The National

The historic area is believed to have been home to humans more than 210,000 years ago

The mountainous terrain of the Faya area, which is one of 30 sites being considered by the UN cultural body

Buhais Geology Park is based in the heart of the sprawling Faya palaeolandscape

The Buhais Geology Park helps shine a light on the rich history of the ancient area

The Faya palaeolandscape features a chain of limestone outcrops called jebels stretching 20 kilometres, formed more than 90 million years ago

Plans are in place to protect the palaeolandscape and recognise its important role in the region's history

Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi has told how Sharjah's historic Faya being nominated as a Unesco World Heritage Site is a moment she will always cherish.

In an interview with The National, Sheikha Bodour reflected on the "extraordinary" journey that has led to this point, her personal connection to the land and people of Faya who have gone before and future plans for a site of extraordinary archaeological significance.

Her comments come as the UN's cultural body is to make a decision on whether to grant the site - known as the “Faya palaeolandscape” - World Heritage Status with a decision expected from July 11 to 13.

The nomination underlines how the site is one of huge archaeological importance that is reshaping ideas of human history.

The Faya palaeolandscape refers broadly to the Faya range - a chain of limestone outcrops called jebels stretching 20 kilometres from the northeast to the southwest formed more than 90 million years ago - and the surrounding area of rolling desert. Palaeo means ancient.

Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, ambassador of the Faya Palaeolandscape World Heritage Nomination, at the Unesco meeting in Paris.

“As one of the most important archaeological sites around the world, Faya Palaeolandscape is a living testament to humanity's early presence in this region,” said Sheikha Bodour, who is ambassador for the Faya Palaeolandscape World Heritage Nomination.

‘For over 210,000 years, this site has borne witness to the story of human innovation, resilience and adaptation in an arid environment.”

How do sites win heritage status?

To be included on the World Heritage List, sites must be of outstanding universal value and meet at least one out of ten selection criteria such as being "an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates (a) significant stage(s) in human history". There are two types of world heritage sites – cultural and natural – with Faya listed under the former.

If awarded the honour, Faya would join a distinguished list that includes Egypt's pyramids, India's Taj Mahal and the Great Wall of China. It is a complex and exhaustive process, however. The committee can defer a decision to ask for more information. Some may not be recommended and existing sites can be removed from the list.

Faya was added to Unesco's tentative list in 2023 and formally nominated for world heritage status last year. But the work that has gone into the site – from excavations to studies to research - stretches back decades.

Sheikha Bodour, who is leading the Sharjah team at the Unesco meeting in France, said the official journey towards the nomination of Faya “has been nothing short of extraordinary” combining scientific diligence along with huge passion and belief in the site’s potential.

“This work is not easy but it is essential,” she said. “Every person involved in this journey — from archaeologists to community members — has contributed to something that will stand the test of time.”

Treasured moment

Speaking on a personal level, Sheikha Bodour said the nomination was the culmination of years of dedication, perseverance and belief, and is a moment she “will always cherish”.

“When I stand at Faya, I feel a deep connection; not just to the land but to the people who walked here long before us,” she said.

“They may not have known that one day we would be here, honouring their legacy but I believe they would be proud. Proud that we cared enough to protect what they left behind and to share their story with the world. It is a deeply emotional experience, one that I carry with me every time I think of this site and the journey it represents.”

Faya is one of 30 landmark sites in the running for Unesco World Heritage status. Chris Whiteoak / The National

The site is of crucial significance. Contrary to the long-held belief that the Arabian Peninsula served only as a corridor for migration from Africa, it is thought that people made a home at Faya. Those migrating from Africa could have even landed at Faya through a southern corridor across modern day Yemen rather than crossing intro Arabia farther north.

It is further thought those present there could have taken advantage of climate changes and rains that turned the desert into lakes and grassland at times to build more long-term settlements.

She pointed to the discoveries of stone tools uncovered at the site – some more than 200,000 years old – and how these discoveries had challenged the “conventional understanding of early human migration”.

“For so long, we’ve viewed the Arabian Peninsula as a mere passageway, but Faya proves that it was a destination — a home, where humans settled, adapted and thrived. It shows us that our ancestors were not just surviving, but innovating, exchanging, and creating culture,” she said.

Sheikha Bodour said for Sharjah to have a Unesco site, would be a recognition of the emirate’s commitment to preserving the past but also “not just a win for Sharjah but for the UAE and the entire region".

“To have Faya inscribed on the Unesco World Heritage List will not just be a moment of pride for Sharjah and the UAE — it will be a recognition of the broader significance of the Arabian Peninsula in the global story of human evolution."

Looking ahead, the UAE has also developed a management plan for the Faya, which will guide its conservation, research and visitor engagement to 2030.

“We are committed to making sure that Faya is not just a site of the past, but a place that continues to inspire and inform the future,” said Sheikha Bodour.

The UAE has currently one site on the heritage list. The cultural sites of Al Ain (Hafit, Hili, Bidaa bint Saud and Oases areas) were collectively added in 2011.

To date, Unesco has inscribed 1,223 cultural and natural sites in 168 countries on the list.