Sheikh Salem Khaled Al Qasimi, Assistant Undersecretary for Heritage and Arts Sector at the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development, Chairman of the Technical Committee for Modern Heritage, confirmed that the establishment of a committee concerned with modern heritage came as a result of cooperation between a group of governmental, academic and private institutions, and based on our national and societal responsibilities to preserve the architectural heritage according to the highest The international standards followed, in order to remain a witness to the historical stages it went through before the union, and the era of the founding fathers, all the way to the state’s renaissance in various economic and architectural sectors.
He explained that the committee will submit its recommendations to the Heritage Council, and will work on proposing a number of national initiatives that guarantee the preservation of the architectural heritage, as it is the memory of the homeland and truly for future generations that should not be tolerated in preserving it.
This came during the first tele-meeting held by the Technical Committee for Modern Heritage, to discuss its agenda this year, with the aim of uniting efforts to formulate a national system that contributes to preserving modern heritage and spreading awareness among members of society, and preparing legislations, policies and future directions regarding preserving modern heritage in Shadow of rapid development variables.
General standards
At the beginning of the meeting, Sheikh Salem Khaled Al Qasimi, Assistant Undersecretary for Heritage and Arts in the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development, Chairman of the Technical Committee for Modern Heritage, welcomed members of the Committee from representatives of different authorities in the country with experience and competence, appreciating their effective role in preserving and spreading awareness of modern heritage, Which is related to "architecture and urbanism", buildings, interior spaces and cultural landscapes, economic monuments and others, in the country, starting in the period of the sixties of the last century.
The Modern Heritage Committee assumes a set of tasks and specializations, most notably the identification of modern heritage sites in the country, which is proposed to be included in the World Heritage List, and the identification of areas of cooperation between all parties concerned in the field of modern heritage, and setting general standards for measuring the cultural values that these sites enjoy, such as architectural value, Aesthetic, historical, political, national, societal and other, in addition to providing technical advice on modern heritage to the Heritage Council and federal and local government agencies and private institutions, and contributing to the preparation of scientific materials for training workers in the concerned authorities Yeh about how to maintain a modern heritage, and to identify areas of research and knowledge through workshops and panel discussions on modern heritage.
Two periods
The term modern heritage is defined in cooperation between the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development, and specialists in the field of modern heritage at the state level, and it is defined as sites, urban spaces and buildings, as cultural products and a vital part of the state's cultural heritage, it must be determined, evaluated and recorded, due to its importance and cultural position in Society in order to preserve it for future generations.
Experts classified the architectural heritage in the country into two periods according to its history: the first starting from the sixties, from the discovery of oil and its accelerated economic and commercial growth to a radical change in the urban environment and the expansion and growth of cities, and the establishment of industrial, commercial and residential communities and new neighborhoods such as buildings, schools, public housing and hospitals, The second starts from the nineties period through real estate development and increasing investments, and the use of modern technologies in urban and architectural expansion.
Share experiences
The Heritage Council includes in its membership the governmental institutions concerned with heritage and antiquities in the state, and undertakes a set of tasks and terms of reference among them, discussing and studying issues related to related systems and strategies, studying legislative needs and joint planning, and sharing and sharing experiences and best practices.
Salem Al Qasimi:
"The committee will work on proposing initiatives that guarantee preserving the architectural heritage, as it is a right for generations that should not be tolerated in preserving it."