Capacity Building Programme on Incorporating Sustainable Development into the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention in the Arab States Region

In order to achieve a sustainable balance between preserving World Heritage sites and promoting economic and social development across the Arab region, this capacity building programme aimed to enhance the skills of World Heritage stakeholders and site managers, while fostering collaboration and knowledge-sharing among heritage professionals.

The programme featured two online workshops and an on-site workshop held in Al Ula, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Key topics covered included the fundamentals of the World Heritage system, UNESCO’s Historic Urban Landscapes (HUL) approach, and the integration of sustainable development perspectives into World Heritage conservation practices. The theoretical knowledge gained from the workshops was applied through a case study of the archaeological site of Hegra and the wider Al Ula region.

The workshops brought together multiple ICOMOS experts who shared their valuable insights. This initiative was facilitated through a partnership between ICOMOS and its Sustainable Development Goals Working Group (SDGWG), the Arab Regional Centre for World Heritage (ARC-WH), the Heritage Commission in Saudi Arabia, the Royal Commission for Al Ula and ICOMOS Saudi Arabia.