The United Arab Emirates continues to strengthen its presence on the global cultural heritage map following the Sharjah Archaeology Authority’s announcement that the “Coastal Fortifications Network of Southeast Arabia” in Sharjah has been added to the Tentative List of World Heritage sites maintained by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO.
The achievement marks another important step in Sharjah’s ongoing efforts to document its archaeological and historical sites, protect their cultural and human significance, and present them to the world in line with internationally recognized World Heritage standards.
The nomination file, prepared by the Sharjah World Heritage Office at the Authority, is based on the historical and cultural value of an interconnected network comprising three heritage sites: Dibba Al Hisn, Khorfakkan, and Khor Kalba. Together, these locations formed a strategic maritime corridor along the Gulf of Oman coast through different historical periods.
The three sites preserve archaeological and architectural evidence of the important role coastal communities played in trade, navigation, defense, and coastal management. They also shed light on changes in maritime authority and the development of trade and exchange networks across the western Indian Ocean.
A Coastal Network Telling More Than 2,000 Years of History
The history documented by the Coastal Fortifications Network stretches back more than 2,000 years, beginning with the connection of its ports to Indian Ocean trade routes, continuing through the era of the Kingdom of Hormuz and the Portuguese presence in the 16th and 17th centuries, and extending to the period when the sites came under local administration by the Al Qawasim as part of a regional system for managing navigation, trade, and coastlines.
The inclusion of the network adds another significant serial property to the UAE’s portfolio on UNESCO’s Tentative List, bringing the total number of UAE sites on the list to 16, including six in Sharjah.
This growing presence reflects the scale of the scientific and institutional work being led by the emirate to study its archaeological and cultural sites, highlight their significance internationally, and prepare them in accordance with World Heritage requirements and standards.
Bodour Al Qasimi: Heritage Is Knowledge and a Responsibility Toward the Future
Her Highness Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Ambassador of the Faya World Heritage Site and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Education and Book Culture, said: “The inclusion of six sites from Sharjah among the UAE’s 16 sites on the World Heritage Tentative List reflects an integrated cultural project that does not view heritage merely as evidence of the past, but as knowledge and a responsibility that extends into the future. Every site we research, document, and preserve adds a new chapter to our understanding of the history of this land and gives the world a broader window into the role the region has played in the paths of trade, communication, and cultural exchange over the centuries. This status is the result of a long-term vision established by His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, which has made scientific research and the preservation of heritage an integral part of the emirate’s cultural project.”
She added: “The importance of this achievement goes beyond the number of listed sites. It lies in building a sustainable system capable of studying our heritage, protecting it, and presenting it to the world according to the highest scientific standards, ensuring that these sites remain present in human memory and that their value and knowledge are passed on to future generations.”
Dibba Al Hisn: A Coastal Center Connected to Ancient Trade Networks
Dibba Al Hisn forms the northern component of the Coastal Fortifications Network and occupies a strategic position on Dibba Bay at the southern end of the Musandam Peninsula, a location that contributed to its long-standing importance across successive historical periods.
Archaeological excavations at the site have uncovered successive layers documenting human settlement from the Neolithic period through the 20th century, alongside the remains of fortifications and facilities associated with production, trade, and coastal life.
Among the discoveries are workshops used for remelting imported glass and producing locally made vessels, as well as 12 date-pressing facilities used to produce date syrup, structures related to pearl processing, and a fish-salting facility dating back to the 19th century.
These remains provide a clear picture of Dibba as an inhabited and economically active coastal center involved in production and trade, while also demonstrating its connection to long-distance commercial networks.
Historical and archaeological sources also point to Dibba’s early importance within Indian Ocean trading systems, linking the Arabian Peninsula with Persia, India, East Africa, and the Mediterranean region, before it later became one of the key points in the fortified coastal system reorganized under the authority of the Al Qawasim.
Khorfakkan: A Natural Harbor That Played a Central Role in Navigation
Khorfakkan represents the central component of the serial property and is distinguished by one of the safest natural harbors on the eastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula. Here, the Hajar Mountains meet the sea, creating a naturally protected bay that helped give the city an important role in navigation and trade.
Archaeological work has revealed two principal fortified sites in Khorfakkan, the Eastern Fort and the Western Fort, alongside settlement layers and houses with stone walls dating to the 15th and early 16th centuries.
Researchers have also identified a surviving section of the city’s historic wall extending for more than 155 meters, reflecting the nature of the fortifications that surrounded the site during different periods.
The Western Fort preserves three successive phases of construction and fortification, offering tangible evidence of consecutive periods of maritime control in the region. The earliest phase features a triangular layout believed to be associated with a Portuguese fortification built during the 17th century.
A later phase saw the construction of a rectangular structure dating to the second half of the 18th century and associated with the strengthening of Arab influence, followed by a square fort with a circular tower built during the 19th century under the Al Qawasim.
Together, these successive phases illustrate how Khorfakkan’s strategic role changed over time, culminating in its development under the Al Qawasim into a major port linking maritime traffic on the Gulf of Oman with inland routes across the Hajar Mountains.
Khor Kalba: A Witness to the History of Maritime Defense and Trade
Khor Kalba forms the southern component of the serial property and lies on a sandy coastal plain at the mouth of Khor Kalba, within a natural environment that includes the creek, shallow waters, and mangrove forests.
Historical sources indicate that Kalba was once a fortified settlement belonging to the Kingdom of Hormuz before the Portuguese took control of it in 1624 and constructed a rammed-earth fortification on stone foundations to support navigation, trade, and maritime supply operations.
Archaeological excavations have revealed the remains of this fortification, which consists of a four-sided wall, two circular corner towers, and a main entrance on the southern side.
Following the decline of Portuguese influence, Kalba became part of the maritime sphere of the Al Qawasim and continued to play an important role in supply, defense, and the regulation of maritime traffic along the Gulf of Oman coast.
Surviving Evidence Preserves the Memory of the Coast
Despite the transformations the region has experienced over the centuries, the three sites continue to preserve major elements that reflect their long history, including fortifications, settlement remains, harbors, and the surrounding coastal landscapes.
The survival of these elements, together with their geographical and historical connections, gives the network particular significance by helping present a connected picture of the development of coastal communities, defense systems, navigation, and trade across successive historical periods.
The relationship between Dibba Al Hisn, Khorfakkan, and Khor Kalba also makes the serial property an important model for understanding the connection between local communities and the sea, as well as the role played by the eastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in regional and international networks of trade and cultural interaction.
A New Step Toward International Nomination
Issa Yousif, Director General of the Sharjah Archaeology Authority, said: “This inscription represents an important milestone in a long journey of research, documentation, and protection, and confirms the value of the accumulated work carried out by the Authority in studying and preserving the emirate’s sites according to clear scientific principles. The next phase will focus on intensifying archaeological studies and research related to the sites and deepening scientific knowledge of their components and historical value, providing a more comprehensive scientific foundation that can support the international nomination process in the future, while preserving the historical value of these sites and ensuring the sustainability of their protection for future generations.”
