Qatar Museums joins national effort to protect coastal heritage sites

Qatar Museums has pledged to join forces with the government to clean up ancient coastal villages across the country, starting with Qatar’s only UNESCO World Heritage site.

A year-long cooperation agreement has been signed by Qatar Museums Authority and representatives from Al Shamal Municipality and the Seashore Engineering and Contracting Group (SECG).

Throughout the collaboration, the three parties will introduce a clean-up programme to Qatar’s coastal heritage towns. They will begin with the UNESCO World Heritage site of Al Zubarah, an ancient fortress town in the north of the country, and will help volunteers to contribute to the project.

“Beaches represent an attraction for tourists, which makes such sites prone to pollution,” said Ahmed Musa Al Namlah, CEO of Qatar Museums.

“Our cooperation with the Ministry of Municipality and Environment and Seashore Group is in line with Qatar Museums’ keenness to raise awareness of the importance of archaeological sites and villages, and the need to conserve them as a living example for future generations.”

Experts from Qatar Museums will provide volunteers with training that focuses on the social and cultural value of the country’s heritage sites. The project collaborators will also create an online application that identifies historical landmarks and offers a cultural overview of the region.

The agreement was co-signed by Hamad Juma Al Mannai, Director of Al Shamal Municipality, and Salem Saeed Al Mohannadi, Chief Executive Officer of SECG.

Qatar Museums Authority aims to partner with various stakeholders, including community members and volunteers, to preserve Qatar’s archeological and cultural sites. Its purpose is to be a ‘cultural instigator’ and it was a key player in Qatar’s 2011 bid to join the UNESCO World Heritage Committee. Since the early 2000s, it has taken a key role in excavations at the Al Zubarah site.

“We are therefore pleased to join efforts with various state institutions, the private sector and community members to accomplish this noble mission, and to preserve our rich heritage that dates back thousands of years,” added Al Namlah.

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