From left to right: Dr Zaki Aslan, Director of ICCROM Sharjah, Dr Hiba Aziz, Director of ARC-WH, Shiekh Ibrahim Al Khalifah, Deputy director of ARC-WH, Dr Webber Ndoro ICCROM’s Director-General, Mounir Bouchenaki, Special Advisor to the Director-General and former Director-General of both ICCROM and ARC-WH and Anna Zeichner, ICCROM’s Liaison Officer.
On 17 July 2022, President of the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities H.E. Sheikha Mai Bint Mohammed Al Khalifa welcomed ICCROM Director-General Dr Webber Ndoro and Dr Zaki Aslan, Director of the Regional Centre for the Conservation of Cultural Heritage in the Arab World (ICCROM - Sharjah) at the authority's headquarters in Manama, Bahrain. Also present to welcome was Dr Hiba Aziz, Director of ARC-WH, Dr Mounir Bouchenaki, Special Advisor to the Director-General and former Director-General of both ICCROM (2006-2011) and ARC-WH, and Anna Zeichner, ICCROM’s Liaison Officer.
The meeting focused on the agreement between ICCROM, its regional office in Sharjah and ARC-WH to continue strengthening the capacity of Arab heritage experts through training programmes and exchange of experiences. The representatives discussed renewing this alliance in coming years to help address the challenges faced by natural and cultural world heritage in Arab countries and beyond.
Her Excellency said that cooperation between ARC-WH and ICCROM contributes to strengthening the status of world heritage in Arab countries and promoting its achievements worldwide, applauding the results achieved through effective and permanent communication between the two parties.
After the meeting, the ICCROM delegation visited the Bahrain National Museum, where they were received by Bahrain Culture and Antiquities Authority officials, including Dr Salman Al-Mahari, Director of Antiquities and Museums. They had the opportunity to visit the funerary hall, which is dedicated to the Dilmun Burial Mounds – an archaeological site inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
ICCROM delegation also held meetings to discuss upcoming plans jointly by both parties and Dr. Heba Aziz, Director of ARC-WH and Sheikh Ibrahim Al Khlifah, Deputy Director ARC-WH. Dr. Salman Almahari, Director of Antiquities and Museums in Bahrain, also recently introduced the latest achievements at the Bahrain National Museum conducted by the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities.