Sharjah Archaeology Authority takes next steps to safeguard Faya World Heritage Site

New urban development guidelines are officially underway for the Faya World Heritage site as part of a new two-year project.

The World Heritage Office at the Sharjah Archaeology Authority (SAA), alongside partner stakeholders, has wrapped up its second planning workshop to lock in the technical and conservation standards that will shape the historic site’s future.

Building on an intensive initial workshop in April, this latest session advanced the implementation of Faya's development framework.

Together, stakeholders adopted the outcomes of the first workshop and reviewed the critical technical requirements that will guide all future conservation-led development at the site.

The follow-up workshop built on the specialised sessions conducted from April 14–16, 2026, which established a coordinated approach to planning and development controls. Discussions focused on the verification and review of buffer zone boundaries and the requirements set out in the management plan for the Faya Palaeolandscape World Heritage Site.

The workshop brought together members of the joint technical committee from the Sharjah Department of Town Planning and Survey and Sharjah Housing Department, alongside experts from SAA’s World Heritage Office and World Heritage expert Dr Jad Tabet, who oversees the methodology used to develop the requirements in line with UNESCO’s World Heritage international standards.

Participants reviewed work completed by the technical committee and discussed the remaining actions arising from the first workshop. Formed earlier this year, the committee works directly with the World Heritage Office to develop and put into practice the management plan’s requirements, embedding heritage protection within planning decisions.

Implementation of the adopted outcomes is due to be completed by mid-2027. Subsequent work will follow the second workshop’s recommendations towards developing detailed maps for the World Heritage Property.

The committee is also working towards creating a digital heritage layer using geographic information systems (GIS) to support coordinated site management and informed development decisions.

As a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Faya represents an archaeological landscape of international significance, preserving evidence of human presence in arid environments dating back over 200,000 years. Safeguarding its Outstanding Universal Value, authenticity and integrity is central to Sharjah’s commitment to protecting cultural heritage.

The development framework supports this commitment by ensuring that future planning and development respect the site’s archaeological significance and wider setting, preserving this heritage for future generations.

WAM