27 October. The Third Regional Course on ‘Conservation and Management of Heritage Sites in the Arab Region’ opened today in Sharjah under the patronage of H.H. Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Sharjah.

The course is focusing on enabling participants to acquire a critical approach to the conservation of heritage sites by:

1. understanding the basic (international) principles of heritage conservation processes in order to devise informed strategies for the conservation of heritage sites;
2. recognizing methods for the identification of heritage sites and defining their significance;
3. documenting and analyzing existing physical conditions of heritage sites, diagnosing causes of deterioration, and assessing legal and institutional contexts; and
4. identifying priorities for appropriate conservation interventions at heritage sites.

Selected participants include site managers, archaeologists, architects, engineers, and planners. They come from fourteen Arab countries: Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Sudan, Syria, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.

The course is being carried out in partnership with the Government of Sharjah (Sharjah Department of Culture and Information, Sharjah Museums Department, American University of Sharjah, and University of Sharjah), with the support of the Directorate General of Development Co-operation, Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs(DGCS). Additional support has also been provided by ALECSO and the US Department of State.

Member States represented: Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Sudan, Syria, Yemen

updated on: 27 January, 2010