Wednesday 09 / July / 2025
Paris: The Sultanate of Oman is taking part in the 47th session of the World Heritage Committee--a body of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)--currently being held at the UNESCO’s headquarters in Paris.
Oman's delegation at the meeting is led by Amina Salim Al Balushi, Permanent Delegate of the Sultanate of Oman to UNESCO.
The session looks into the registration of more than 30 new sites on the World Heritage List during the session. It also reviews the status of 250 registered sites in order to assess the environmental and development challenges posed to the sites.
The session includes working sessions on various issues related to UN-registered heritage sites, including the impact of climate change on those sites, ways to engage local communities in protecting the sites, developing sustainable management methods for the conservation of sites at risk and assessing the competitiveness of national and international plans aimed at preserving the exceptional values of sites included in the World Heritage List.
Oman's participation in the session stems from its commitment to protecting cultural and natural heritage and passing this dedication over to future generations. It also consolidates Oman’s international presence in cultural forums, supports the country’s current and future heritage portfolios and affirms its commitment to the principles of the "International Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage".
Omani sites registered in the World Heritage List include Bahla Fort (in 1987), the archaeological sites of Bat, Al Khatm and Al Ayn (in 1988), five aflaj--traditional irrigation systems (in 2006), sites codenamed "the Land of Frankincense" (in 2000) and the ancient city of Qalhat (in 2018).
