The Sharjah Archaeology Authority has successfully added the Coastal Fortified Network of South Eastern Arabia to UNESCO’s Tentative List for World Heritage. This achievement represents a significant milestone in the emirate’s ongoing efforts to preserve its historical sites and strengthens its presence on the global cultural map.
The submission, prepared by the Sharjah World Heritage Office, centers on a serial property consisting of three interconnected locations: Dibba Al-Hisn, Khor Fakkan, and Khor Kalba. These sites collectively illustrate a strategic maritime corridor along the Oman Sea, preserving architectural and archaeological evidence of the vital roles these communities played in defense, navigation, and maritime trade over the last two millennia.
This new inclusion brings the total number of UAE sites on the UNESCO Tentative List to 16, with six of those located within the Emirate of Sharjah. This development highlights the emirate’s institutional commitment to showcasing its archaeological wealth through rigorous scientific research and documentation.
Sheikha Bodour Bint Sultan Al Qasimi, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Education and Book Culture and Ambassador of the Faya World Heritage Property, noted that the achievement reflects an integrated cultural project. She emphasized that the value lies in creating a sustainable system for studying and protecting heritage to ensure that these sites remain part of humanity’s shared memory for future generations.
The initiative is deeply rooted in the long-term vision of His Highness Dr. Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, who established heritage conservation and scientific research as fundamental pillars of the emirate’s cultural identity.
Dibba Al-Hisn, the northern component of the network, sits on Dibba Bay at the southern edge of the Musandam Peninsula. Excavations at Dibba Fort have uncovered layers of settlement dating from the Neolithic period through the twentieth century, confirming its early importance as a hub for trade routes connecting the Arabian Peninsula with Persia, India, East Africa, and the Mediterranean.
Khor Fakkan, serving as the central component, features one of the most naturally sheltered harbors on the eastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula. Archaeological work there has identified two primary fortified sites—the East Fort and the West Fort—alongside stone-built houses and settlement layers from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. A historic town wall section extending over 155 meters has also been preserved at the site.
Khor Kalba, the southern component, is situated on a sandy coastal plain near the mouth of Kalba Creek. Historical records indicate it was a fortified settlement under the Kingdom of Hormuz before being captured by the Portuguese in 1624. The Portuguese later built a rammed-earth fortification on stone foundations to support their maritime operations. Excavations have revealed a quadrangular enclosure with two circular corner towers and a main entrance on the southern side. Following the decline of Portuguese influence, the site became integral to the maritime sphere of the Al Qawasim, regulating coastal movement and defense.
Eisa Yousif, Director-General of the Sharjah Archaeology Authority, described the inclusion as a major milestone in a long-term journey of documentation and protection. He noted that these efforts build upon previous successes, such as the July 2025 inscription of the Faya Palaeolandscape on the UNESCO World Heritage List, which was the second UAE site to receive such recognition after the Cultural Sites of Al Ain.
The Sharjah Archaeology Authority continues to advance its mission through the Sharjah World Heritage Office, ensuring that the emirate’s archaeological sites are studied and presented according to the highest international scientific standards. The report also notes that document and preserve adds a new chapter to our understanding of the history of this land, while offering the world a broader window into the region’s role in trade, connectivity and cultural exchange across the centuries, every site we study. The report also notes that twelve madābis used for date processing, pearl-processing installations, and a nineteenth-century fish-salting facility, these include glass-working workshops where imported Roman and Mesopotamian ingots were re-melted to produce local vessels. The report also notes that these discoveries demonstrate Dibba’s historical significance as an inhabited and productive settlement that was deeply connected to long-distance trade networks. The report also notes that the West Fort preserves three superimposed phases of fortification that reflect successive periods of maritime control. The report also notes that the earliest is distinguished by its triangular plan and is interpreted as a seventeenth-century Portuguese fortification. The report also notes that corresponding to a period of Arab consolidation, and subsequently by a square fort with a round tower dating to the nineteenth century under Al Qasimi rule, this was followed by a rectangular structure dating to the latter half of the eighteenth century.