Hala Badri, Director General of the Culture and Arts Authority in Dubai (Dubai Culture) confirmed that the World Heritage Day, which falls today, is an invitation to protect and introduce human heritage and the efforts of the competent authorities and organizations around the world to preserve it for successive generations. She said: «The world celebrates on April 18 of each year the World Heritage Day with the aim of promoting awareness of the value that the cultural and natural heritage holds for humanity, and redoubling efforts to preserve it and preserve it for future generations. In affirming this, World Heritage Day this year bears the slogan (shared cultures, shared heritage, shared responsibility) », noting that the World Heritage sites belong to all peoples of the world, regardless of where they are located, and the responsibility to preserve them is shared, and it is the responsibility of Everyone concerned with this common human heritage.
Continue efforts
And Hala Badri considered that the exceptional circumstances during which the world celebrates World Heritage Day this year should not prevent cultural and heritage bodies around the world from continuing their efforts in spreading heritage culture among members of their societies.
She added: «For the first time since its adoption in 1972, the World Heritage Day comes this year at a time when the governments of the countries of the world decided to close the doors of museums and archaeological sites to visitors, in line with precautionary measures to ensure the health and safety of their people, and to limit the spread of the new Corona virus (Covid 19) ). With the current social divide, millions of people around the world are searching for culture to overcome their isolation. We in (Dubai Culture) will spare no effort in light of this crisis to enable everyone in the UAE society to maintain its connection with the vocabulary of the rich heritage that our dear country abounds even while they are committed to staying in their homes. Culture and heritage constitute a human dimension for each of them. ”
Alternative means
Hala Badri clarified the efforts made by "Dubai Culture" in preserving the Emirati heritage, activating its presence in various forums, introducing the community to all its details, and providing the opportunity for the public to view the local cultural and heritage content in light of the current conditions through social media and modern technologies, including That cooperation with (Dubai 360) to review some of its heritage and cultural sites through the Dubai 360 website, and to provide all information related to heritage activities through articles, and through its accounts on the social media platforms that it invests to maintain the interaction of the masses War with programs at all times ».
She continued: «Heritage is a wealth left by grandparents in order to be a source from which children learn from and take inspiration from an approach that is the basis for their transit from the present to the future. Based on that, preserving the Emirati heritage is one of the priorities of (Dubai Culture), and its revival and consolidation will remain in the memory and conscience of its children as a goal that it seeks to achieve by all possible means, whatever the circumstances and challenges ».
Initiatives to enrich the scene
Dubai Culture is keeping pace with the government’s orientations towards documenting, preserving and celebrating the national heritage in various forums, and introducing the community to all its details, as it leaves clear imprints in keeping old life images present in the minds of members of the Emirates community through its management of some heritage sites and museums of the emirate, to Besides holding many festivals, events and initiatives throughout the year. This also comes in line with the vision of "Dubai Culture" to make Dubai a world center of culture, a meeting place for creators and a talent incubator.
The authority manages a group of heritage and historical sites in Dubai, which reflects the city's rich essence and its rich heritage.
Among the most prominent of these sites is the historic Al-Fahidi neighborhood, where buildings with barges built with traditional building materials, as well as the historic Al-Ras neighborhood, with its heritage houses and traditional markets with exceptional designs.
A distinguished collection of museums offers cultural experiences that celebrate folk heritage, and display it in interactive ways.
In terms of initiatives, there is the Dubai Festival and our living heritage, which is organized annually by the authority in the global village in Dubai, in an effort to keep the heritage alive in the minds of the emerging generation.
In the hands of future generations
As part of its endeavors to revive the ancestral industry, Dubai Culture organized a cultural pottery festival in the historic Al Fahidi neighborhood of Dubai, to preserve the profession of pottery making from extinction.
While organizing the Hatta Nights cultural event is in line with the mission of "Dubai Culture" to preserve the national heritage and pass it on to the generations.
In order to spread heritage culture, preserve and protect heritage so that it remains alive between future generations, Dubai Culture has established centers for heritage development in Dubai government schools and Zayed University in Dubai, to be an educational educational platform for the heritage of the Emirates of the Emirates, to embody the lives of grandparents in a concrete way and entrench values in the hearts of students and develop Their skills.
"Shared cultures" is the slogan for celebrating the occasion this year.
The authority manages a group of heritage and historical sites in Dubai.