ADACH intensifies efforts to register elements of UAE heritage at UNESCO

posted on 07/08/2011: 89 views

The Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH) has intensified its efforts to register a number of pillars of unique national heritage in the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage at UNESCO.

This move is part of ADACH strategy to preserve tangible and intangible cultural heritage in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the UAE, following its international success with regard to the registration of falconry in November 2010 and Al Ain in June 2011.

The elements for registration are the craft of Sadu (the traditional skills of weaving in the UAE), folk games, the folk-art of Al-Iyyalah (group dancing) and Al-Taghrouda (ululation) heritage.

Intangible heritage experts and researchers in the in ADACH have prepared a list of over 200 elements among the elements of intangible cultural heritage in the UAE within the guidelines presented by UNESCO for the registration in the Representative List.

ADACH continues to promote its cooperation with UNESCO whilst identifying its achievements in preserving intangible cultural heritage.

The Department of Intangible Heritage in ADACH has translated the Encyclopaedia of UNESCO on the list of intangible human cultural heritage, which need urgent safeguarding.

Mohamed Khalaf Al Mazrouei, Advisor for Culture and Heritage in the Court of His Highness the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Director General of ADACH, said that "the UAE, under the directives of our wise leadership, has not spared efforts in supporting projects of safeguarding heritage. Our country still continues its endless efforts in supporting UNESCO's plans and programs to preserve human cultural heritage." Mazrouei noted that the success of efforts to register Al Ain and falconry as tangible and intangible heritage respectively was actively supported by the promotion of UAE. The UAE capital of Abu Dhabi has become an important cultural hub that is reflective of its international economic importance. The UAE is playing an important role in contributing to cultural development in the world.

The UAE, and the Sultanate of Oman, has submitted both the "Iyyala" and "Taghrouda" files to UNESCO, with the intention of registering them in the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

UNESCO experts will assess the files and the results will be announced in Bali, Indonesia in November.

The UAE has played a substantial role in registering falconry as a living human heritage as part of the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in UNESCO. - Emirates News Agency, WAM

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