Sharjah’s ‘Coastal Fortified Network of South Eastern Arabia’ Added to UNESCO’s Tentative List for World Heritage
Sumaira FH
Published September 09, 2026 | 03:45 PM
SHARJAH, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM – 09th Sep, 2026) The Sharjah Archaeology Authority has announced the addition of the Coastal Fortified Network of South Eastern Arabia in the Emirate of Sharjah to UNESCO’s Tentative List for World Heritage, marking a new milestone that further strengthens the emirate’s presence on the global cultural heritage map while supporting its ongoing efforts to document, protect and preserve sites of historical and human significance for future generations.
Prepared by the Authority’s Sharjah World Heritage Office, the Tentative List submission file is founded on the historical and cultural significance of the serial property, which comprises three interconnected cultural heritage components: Dibba Al-Hisn, Khor Fakkan, and Khor Kalba. Together, these sites formed, across successive historical periods, a strategic maritime corridor along the Oman Sea.
They preserve archaeological and architectural evidence of the vital role played by coastal communities in maritime trade, navigation, defense, and coastal administration, while illustrating the transformation of maritime authority and commercial exchange across the western Indian Ocean.
The network documents a history spanning more than two millennia, beginning with its ports’ integration into Indian Ocean trade networks, continuing through the era of the Kingdom of Hormuz and the Portuguese presence during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, and culminating in the local administration of these sites under Al Qasimi authority as part of a regional system governing navigation, trade, and coastal management.
The new addition brings another important serial property onto the United Arab Emirates’ Tentative List for World Heritage, bringing the total number of UAE sites on the list to 16, including six in the Emirate of Sharjah. This reflects the range of the emirate’s scientific and institutional efforts to showcase its archaeological and cultural significance internationally while preparing its heritage sites in accordance with World Heritage standards and requirements.
H.H. Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for education and Book Culture and Ambassador of the Faya World Heritage Property, said, "The inclusion of six sites from the Emirate of Sharjah among the UAE’s 16 sites on UNESCO’s Tentative List reflects an integrated cultural project that views heritage not merely as evidence of the past but as knowledge and a responsibility that extends into the future. Every site we study, document, and preserve adds a new chapter to our understanding of the history of this land, while offering the world a broader window into the region’s role in trade, connectivity, and cultural exchange."
