For many people, Dubai is synonymous with modernity. From its origins as a coastal trading town, today its skyline is defined by hundreds of glittering towers, and its streets are home to dozens of examples of cutting-edge architecture. However, the emirate’s roots go much deeper than its 20th and 21st-century histories.
In the heart of the city lies the Jumeirah Archaeological Site, a large, open-air plot that includes the remains of an ancient settlement dating back to the Abbasid period. Further afield, a remote Iron Age metallurgical centre deep in the Dubai desert called Saruq Al Hadid was recognised in February in the Islamic World Heritage List. The emirate’s commitment to preserving its ancient heritage is reflected in its support for museums such as Al Fahidi Fort, Al Shindagha complex and Dubai’s many smaller themed heritage institutions.
Ancient heritage is a valuable commodity – and a fragile one. Unfortunately, many parts of the Middle East have experienced imperial-era extraction and export of antiquities as well as modern, conflict-driven looting and trafficking. Even legitimate actions, such as the construction that accompanies rapid urbanisation, can damage or entomb precious artefacts.
It is in a spirit of preservation that Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, last week issued a law that will seek to identify and preserve the emirate’s ancient sites and antiquities. Among its many provisions, the new legislation seeks to govern excavation and make sure that anyone who discovers an artefact leaves it undisturbed and notifies Dubai Culture or Dubai Police within 48 hours.
Dubai’s preservation efforts complement a robust effort across the UAE to safeguard heritage and history. There are also measures to preserve more recent examples of the nation’s past. At the end of April, the Ministry of Culture launched a National Register of Modern Heritage that places post-1960s buildings at the centre of the country’s preservation efforts. This register forms part of a National Identity Strategy to safeguard buildings and sites that reflect the Emirates’ development in the decades following the Union.
Sites on the register include Union House in Dubai, where the UAE’s founding agreement was signed in 1971; Abu Dhabi’s Cultural Foundation, which has played a central role in the capital’s cultural life since the early 1980s; and Al Qasimia School in Sharjah, which reflects the expansion of public services in the post-federation era.
These measures show that the UAE is being strategically focused when it comes to safeguarding its ancient heritage as well as curating its modern legacy. From Iron Age finds in the Dubai desert to some of the country’s oldest schools and hospitals, these sites and artefacts are on a continuum that links the UAE’s far past and near present.
Taking steps to preserve the country’s heritage, both old and new, is about developing this sense of continuity. Today’s skyscrapers may be built on the remains of what came before, but with the right approach, everyone who lives here will be able to appreciate what makes the Emirates a unique place.
