It is crucial to protect  the UAE's heritage sites by law.  Jaime Puebla  /  The National
It is crucial to protect the UAE's heritage sites by law. Jaime Puebla / The National

This law will ensure that the UAE’s past has a future



For many years, I have enjoyed wandering around in cities, mountains and deserts looking at the ancient heritage of the UAE. I’ve seen most of the country’s most significant archaeological sites. I’ve managed projects to survey and excavate a number of those in the coastal zone of the emirate of Abu Dhabi and I’m proud to be able to say that I have discovered dozens of sites myself – some of very little importance, like little scatters of old pottery deep in the desert, but some that have helped contribute to understanding of the country’s past.

Yet during that process there has always been a worry at the back of my mind. We will never know how many important sites have been destroyed by development before they have ever been formally “discovered” and recorded. There’s not much that can be done about that. My concern, however, has always been that even when sites have been recorded, there’s still the danger that, however important they may be, they can be affected by, or even destroyed by, development. In some cases, such as small pottery scatters, all relevant information can be collected and removed, leaving the way open for development. But in other cases, the information can be lost for ever.

Many years ago, a team from the Abu Dhabi Islands Archaeological Survey paid a first visit to an island in the far west and discovered an ancient settlement, perhaps a couple of thousand years old, with scatters of pottery, bits of imported Roman glass and the visible remains of old walls. It provided good evidence of the way in which the western islands were once a centre of settlement and foreign trade. The team picked up very little, planning to investigate in detail on a subsequent visit. In the event, no return visit was possible for many years. The last I heard was that virtually the whole site had disappeared as a result of construction work. We will never know what information was lost.

Despite pleas from archaeologists and historians, there has been no countrywide legislation protecting such sites – although local decrees in some emirates, in particular Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah, have provided some protection.

It was, therefore, with delight that I saw last week that the Cabinet had finally endorsed a draft federal law for the protection of antiquities, including sites and movable items. It's been a long time in the making; I have an early version of the draft law that is well over a decade old. It's been necessary to resolve issues such as the respective responsibilities of the local departments of archaeology and the federal government, through the Ministry of Culture and the National Council for Tourism and Antiquities. Finally, though, the law is about to come into force.

There is, of course, much that needs to be done. A list of known sites in each emirate will need to be incorporated into a national data­base and it will be necessary, too, to determine their relative levels of importance. As a simple rule-of-thumb, a grading from a site of limited local significance (such as a small pottery scatter) to a site of regional and international significance (such as the pre-Islamic Christian monastery on Sir Bani Yas or the towering mound of Tell Abraq, on the Sharjah-Umm Al Qaiwain border) will need to be developed. That will require a massive amount of work.

The new law will also make it an offence to import and export antiquities without a licence. That’s important – too many items of significance for the UAE’s heritage, such as ancient coins, have appeared on the antiquities market overseas.

A local trade in smuggled artefacts from other countries has been going on, under the radar, for years. It’s one of the most lucrative illegal businesses in the world, worth hundreds of millions of dollars a year, often practised by groups with links to human trafficking and terrorism. At a time when, as I have previously noted, important sites in Syria and Iraq are being plundered by illegal diggers working with the likes of ISIL, we have a responsibility as a country to tackle that trade. Again, there’s much to be done.

The new law is only the beginning. I wish that it had been enacted decades ago. Now, though, I, and all those who care about the UAE’s history and heritage, will wish the authorities well as they seek to implement it.

Peter Hellyer is a consultant specialising in the UAE’s history and culture

Company%C2%A0profile
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
 
Started: 2020
 
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
 
Based: Dubai, UAE
 
Sector: Entertainment 
 
Number of staff: 210 
 
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Dubai Bling season three

Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed 

Rating: 1/5

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Married Malala

Malala Yousafzai is enjoying married life, her father said.

The 24-year-old married Pakistan cricket executive Asser Malik last year in a small ceremony in the UK.

Ziauddin Yousafzai told The National his daughter was ‘very happy’ with her husband.

The specs

Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8

Transmission: seven-speed

Power: 720hp

Torque: 770Nm

Price: Dh1,100,000

On sale: now

The specs

AT4 Ultimate, as tested

Engine: 6.2-litre V8

Power: 420hp

Torque: 623Nm

Transmission: 10-speed automatic

Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)

On sale: Now

Skewed figures

In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458. 

Get inspired

Here are a couple of Valentine’s Day food products that may or may not go the distance (but have got the internet talking anyway).

Sourdough sentiments: Marks & Spencer in the United Kingdom has introduced a slow-baked sourdough loaf dusted with flour to spell out I (heart) you, at £2 (Dh9.5). While it’s not available in the UAE, there’s nothing to stop you taking the idea and creating your own message of love, stencilled on breakfast-inbed toast.  

Crisps playing cupid: Crisp company Tyrells has added a spicy addition to its range for Valentine’s Day. The brand describes the new honey and chilli flavour on Twitter as: “A tenderly bracing duo of the tantalising tingle of chilli with sweet and sticky honey. A helping hand to get your heart racing.” Again, not on sale here, but if you’re tempted you could certainly fashion your own flavour mix (spicy Cheetos and caramel popcorn, anyone?). 

How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
  1. Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
  2. Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
  3. Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
  4. Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
  5. Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
  6. The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
  7. Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269

*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year